“… take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

The shield of faith not only defends our whole body but also our armor. It keeps the darts of the enemy away from the head, chest, waist, arms and legs.

The Roman shield of the time was called a scutum. This type of shield was as large as a door and would cover the warrior entirely. Such a shield was not just defensive but offensive in that it is used to push opponents.

The Christian shield is not a physical piece of armor, rather a spiritual one held together by the measure of a Christian’s faith. Without faith, there is no shield at all. A little faith and there is some level of protection. Those who have the gift of faith, or have gained faith through testing and practical application, will begin to quickly and easily ward off the darts sent their way.

When fiery darts hit, they hurt and they burn. When doubt is allowed to become the meditation of the mind even the strongest believer will weaken. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:4 KJV)  Faith is what the Holy Spirit dropped into our hearts when we received the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior.

Faith is what allows us to call God our Father, (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6) Faith is of God.  Jesus said if you had faith as a mustard seed you would be able to speak to a mountain and it would move (Matthew 17:20). Faith is the confidence and assurance we have in the crucified and risen Christ.  Faith is lifting our eyes up to God and relying on the greater one in us to see us through. In general, faith is trusting that God is who He says He is, and that He will protect a Christian in the spiritual battle.

Faith means that no matter what happens, a Christian truly believes that God is there and will work things out.  Faith requires that there be some kind of testing. If a Christian was never tested, then they wouldn’t even need to have faith. Therefore, faith is more valuable in hard times than good because it proves a Christian’s allegiance and reliance on God.  My, my, how crucial for the Christian to have faith!  When Christians take God at His Word, they are holding up the shield of faith and preventing the fiery darts from penetrating. And oftentimes, strong faith people can model this principle and even use their shield to protect others.

God himself is our shield.  The love and favor of God encompass the saints as a shield.  “God keeps every promise he makes. He is like a shield for all who seek his protection.” (Pro 30:5) See Psalm 3:33, 18:2

The shield of faith makes the difference.  “Anything that is not based on faith is sin.” (Rom 14:23)  See Mark 11:24, 1 John 5:4,  The beginning and the end of our faith is Christ himself.  He is the armor of God; therefore He is also the shield of faith.

Keep a firm grip on the source – 1 Peter 1:23 – 25

The Word of God, which we heard, produced our faith in the first place. This Word of God will also preserve us and keep us in the faith. The word breeds prayer and praying increases our faith. Never allow anything to take the place of God’s Word in your life for it is the source of your faith. The mystery of faith is hidden in the Word. It does something in your heart that your mind and intellect is not always aware of.

If faith is the treasure, then our conscience is the bag that holds it. The Holy Spirit within us makes our conscience alert to the promptings of God.  If your conscience condemns you for doing something then stop it. Sin and faith do not go together. Sin will only allow holes in the bag that is supposed to be holding faith.  A good conscience will lead you to live right before God. A clearconscience before God is vital if our faith is to develop.

We do this by telling people about our faith (2 Timothy 1:6-8);  by doing good works, i.e. praying for the sick, and attending Christian gatherings (Hebrews 10: 24-25);  listening to people share their testimonies and insights from His Word (2 Peter 1:13) and  by pondering and studying the life of other men and women of faith (2 Peter 3:1-2).

Take heed of your weakness – 1 Timothy 4:1  (read)

Satan will attempt to use your known weakness to his advantage. He approached Jesus after forty days of fasting. He thought he could use Jesus’ hunger to his advantage. If you have been set free from a drinking problem (alcohol), then don’t spend your time around wine. You will only be tempted back in again. Many Christian have been seduced out of the faith by Satan’s tricks, lured into all kinds of traps by the evil one who has taken advantage of their weakness. Do you know yours? Guard against it.

The temptations of the wicked one, Satan, are like these flaming arrows.The flaming arrows of the wicked are evil thoughts, strongly injected into the mind. They may be compared to arrows because they come suddenly and swiftly; thick and fast.  These arrows are very numerous, and where they stick they can be very troublesome, causing pain and grief. They are called burning/flaming because they serve to inflame the passions into acts of transgression such as lust, anger and revenge and to excite the soul into sinning.

…Your right standing with God.

…Your hope of salvation through faith.

…Your knowledge of the Truth.

…Your confession of the faith in the Word of God.

…Your proclamation of the Good News of peace.

“He who has an ear let him hear!”

There is a Message to the Overcomer,

Rev. Rosita