“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” — Ephesians 6:16
The Shield of Faith is the Centerpiece of the Armor
In Ephesians 6, Paul places special emphasis on the shield: “Above all, taking the shield of faith.” Faith protects the soldier and guards every other piece of armor. Faith is the defense of what defends you.
– Truth will not gird us if we do not believe the truth. Preachers must have enough faith to be honest about themselves and their ministries.
– Righteousness will not guard our hearts if we do not trust the Lord. Compromise often begins when we stop believing God’s way is sufficient.
– The Gospel will not go forward if we lose confidence in its saving power. Churches can become more interested in advertising than evangelizing. We must believe that reaching the lost and discipling converts still works.
– The sword of the Spirit becomes dull in the hands of a man filled with unbelief. There is a difference between preaching the Bible and preaching it because you truly believe it.
– Prayer must be offered in faith. What would happen if we prayed as though we actually believed God hears and answers?
Pick the shield back up and believe that God’s way still works. Our works and accomplishments should flow from an abiding confidence in God and His Word. When we reverse that order, ministry becomes
performance.
The preacher’s highest ambition should simply be to please the Lord. “But without faith it is impossible to please him…”, Hebrews 11:6.
1. Take the Shield
The shield is not merely for retreat. David walked onto the battlefield against Goliath and declared, “I
come to thee.” Likewise, Christ left Heaven and entered the battlefield to bruise the serpent’s head.
We cannot spend our ministries merely complaining about how bad the world has become and waiting for Christ to return. It is our destiny to be assaulted, but it is our duty to attack.
2. Cling to Your Captain
It was easy to follow David when he was honored in Saul’s court. It was much harder to follow him into the cave of Adullam. Yet the cave was where mighty men were forged. The Christian life will include seasons when following Christ means standing with the minority, enduring hardship, and bearing His reproach. Stay close to your Captain. One day Christ will be openly glorified and reign as King.
3. Build While You Battle
Some men spend their entire ministry fighting but never building anything. In Nehemiah’s day, God’s people worked with a tool in one hand and a weapon ready in the other. They built while they battled.
We must not neglect the things that are “above all” and “first of all” for things that do not matter at all.
4. Trust the Shield
The Roman shield was large enough for a soldier to crouch behind and protect nearly his entire body. There will be times in ministry when we simply need to get behind the shield. When criticism comes, when people misunderstand, when the battle intensifies:
Believe God’s Word. Keep praying. Keep loving your family. Keep reaching the lost. Keep preaching the truth. Keep doing what God called you to do. And trust that the shield will hold.
Above all, taking the shield of faith.