| Spiritual warfare Lesson #20 The Shield of Faith Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. What is the shield of faith? It is simply your faith that you place in God. And God has already given you a measure of faith as you will see later in this lesson. Lets take a look at the shield of faith in the Roman days. The shield of faith was attached unto the lionbelt of truth which we discussed in an earlier chapter, which represented The Word of God? We discussed that it is imperative that we read the Word of God on a daily basis. If we fail to give The Word of God first priority in our lives, It is only a matter of time before our faith begins to dwindle. We must do everything that we can to make sure that we are reading, and studying the Word of God. It is a good idea to listen to tapes on the Word of God, or read the word outloud to yourself. This will activate your shield of faith. Romans 10:17 says, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Faith and the Word of God are so uniquely tied together, that where there is no Word, there is no faith. There were two kind of shields that the Roman soldiers owned. One was used in public parades and the other was used in battle. The first shield was denoted by the Greek word (aspis). The aspis shield was a small round shield that was primarily as a decorative piece to be use in ceremonies and parades. This particular shield was gorgeous. The second kind of shield is the one Paul is referring to in Ephesians 6:16 when he speaks of the shield of faith. This particular word is taken from the Greek word (Thureos) which was used by the Greeks for a (door) that was wide in width and long in length, just like the door of a house. The apis was small and round and would have never protected all of the Roman's soldier's body. Just as God has given the Roman soldier the Thureos, (the door), so has God has given us his Word to fully protect us. We are so blessed by God because Romans 12:3 says that God has dealt to every man a measure of faith. See Scripture below. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. How much faith has God given you? He has given you enough faith to make sure that you are covered throughout this lifetime. Praise the Lord!!!! Do not worry if others have more faith than you. You can rest in the fact that God has you covered from head to toe. Just like the Roman soldier. The faith that God gives is adequate to cover any need that will ever arise in your lifetime. This same faith makes sure that we get into heaven. 1st Peter 1 3-5 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Lets read this same verse of scripture out of the Living bible. 3. All honor to God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; for it is his boundless mercy that has given us the privilege of being born again, so that we are now members of God's own family. Now we live in the hope of eternal life because Christ rose again from the dead. 4. And God has reserved for his children the priceless gift of eternal life; it is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5. And God, in his mighty power, will make sure that you get there safely to receive it, because you are trusting him. It will be yours in that coming last day for all to see. So you see saints of God, God has made the way so easy for us. All we have to do is trust in His Holy Word, And walk by faith. And God will even help us do that if we trust in him. Do not look at the circumstances around you. Keep your eyes on the word of God. Make it your business to walk by faith, So much so, that you will know without a shadow of a doubt, you are pleasing God by trusting in His every Word. Thank him each day for making the way so easy. So come on saints of God let's get our shield faith on, and let's tell the devil that we are not taking his mess anymore, but we are trusting in the Word of our Lord. |