#Shield of faith 5e full#

We’ve found him to be good, all powerful, merciful, and so much more. In the same way, we as Christians have investigated God. After compiling enough research, enough evidence, they had faith that he would carry out the procedure properly. The interviewee needed a scary operation on his eye, so he and his wife investigated the best eye doctor in the nation. As discussed in Case for Faith by Lee Strobel, faith comes when we have enough evidence to make an informed decision.įor instance, one of Strobel’s interviewees uses the example of an eye doctor. We do have to keep in mind faith isn’t blind belief. This means that when we encounter doubts, or when we find a passage of Scripture that troubles us, that we choose to hold on to faith. We have to deliberately choose faith in all circumstances. What does this look like?Īs mentioned in this video, we hold onto our faith like a shield. We come to the battle with the other pieces already on our person, but we have to “ take up” the shield of faith.

The above passage from Ephesians 6 makes it clear that we need to put on all the pieces of the armor through prayer.īut the shield of faith does seem to stand out from the other pieces of armor. No matter what arrows the devil uses to attack us, we need to take up the shield of faith to protect ourselves from his assaults. Others have said these arrows can represent anything that impedes our spiritual growth such as discontentment or fear. Many have suggested these arrows represent ‘doubt’ (as faith can quench doubt). What do the flaming arrows ( Psalm 7:13, Psalm 120:4) represent?

What was the only way to extinguish them and protect the whole body? By having a shield likely as long as a door.

In fact, another commentary, by MacLaren, suggests the word used for shield here has a similar root as the word for “door.” This shield would’ve covered the entirety of the body.īack during the time Paul had written this passage, soldiers would set arrows on fire as a battle tactic.

#Shield of faith 5e full#

This heavy shield can withstand the impact of fiery blows from the devil.Įllicott’s Commentary agrees with this, showing how the shield in this passage is supposed to protect the full length of the body from the flaming arrows of the devil. The shield of faith, likewise, covers our most vulnerable spots: especially our heart. Especially in the Roman phalanx and legion formation, a soldier could protect most parts of his body with his shield (with the exception of the lower legs and feet). Roman shields, depending on the type, could protect a good portion of the body. When we envision a shield, we may think of a star-spangled one that Captain America holds, or a circular rim that can protect the upper torso at best.īut back when Paul had written this passage in Ephesians, he likely had different imagery in mind. Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/ChristianChan What Is the Shield of Faith in the Bible? Let’s focus in on one element of the armor of God in particular: the shield of faith. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.Īnd pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. Your metaphorical armor of God defenses does, however, help you block the blows of the devil as described in Ephesians 6:10-18:įinally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. It’s not a physical set of equipment that a pastor hands out once we’ve said the sinner’s prayer. Of course, the armor of God isn’t a literal outfit of armor. In church, we may have heard about elements of the ‘armor of God’ but never looked deeply into each individual piece of the armor.