The Shield of Faith
It's been a crazy couple of weeks and I have much to write about. For now, I'll start with this.
The Armor of God
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. 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. 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. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6: 10-18
You know what I find interesting about this passage of scripture? That I've read it a hundred times and last week I noticed something for the first time: the shield of faith and what it does.
A shield is that extra piece of armor that is held in front - the first protection against the enemy.
The shield goes first.
When I realized that in the context of what I'm going through right now, I knew what God was trying to tell me. Faith is what you step out in. It goes before you, and acts as a shield to protect (in my case, my heart). Even if I do make the mistake, I still need faith "that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (Phil. 1:6)
Okay, God, I get it. *Sheepishly crawling back into the corner*. I'll get out of the way now. Don't mind me.
What I"m listening to: Switchfoot's Nothing is Sound
The Armor of God
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 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. 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. 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. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6: 10-18
You know what I find interesting about this passage of scripture? That I've read it a hundred times and last week I noticed something for the first time: the shield of faith and what it does.
A shield is that extra piece of armor that is held in front - the first protection against the enemy.
The shield goes first.
When I realized that in the context of what I'm going through right now, I knew what God was trying to tell me. Faith is what you step out in. It goes before you, and acts as a shield to protect (in my case, my heart). Even if I do make the mistake, I still need faith "that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears." (Phil. 1:6)
Okay, God, I get it. *Sheepishly crawling back into the corner*. I'll get out of the way now. Don't mind me.
What I"m listening to: Switchfoot's Nothing is Sound
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