Ephesians 6:16
“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one …”.
The shield of faith means believing and trusting God’s presence, power, and principles in response to the specific circumstances and situations you face. Stop and consider what that means.
The whole of Christianity is an act of believing and trusting God. What Paul is talking about here is applying faith strategically to those times when the enemy is attacking you either through external circumstances or internal impulses.
The shield of faith is applied belief. In keeping with the theme of spiritual warfare, we could accurately call it “battlefield belief.”
“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5.4”
However—and we will explore this in more detail—faith is only as effective as the object in which you place it. To be effective on the battlefield, the shield of faith must be part of God’s armor. Not manmade armor. God’s armor. You must have faith in God and the truth about him. Faith in falsehoods does no good.
“Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” (Matthew 21.21-22)
When resisting the flaming darts of the evil one, general faith isn’t enough. What is needed is applied faith. This is faith that is action-oriented, not feeling-oriented. Far too many people today make the mistake of equating faith with feeling. They only act when they feel confident and strong.
Ironically, that is a lie of the enemy. The shield of faith is not about how you feel. It is about knowing God’s truth and acting on it in response to situations you encounter. It is battlefield belief.
“Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” (Proverbs 30:5)
Coram Deo
