Week 5 - Take the Shield of Faith
Women of Unity Bible Study
Week 5Take the Shield of Faith
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith,
with which you can extinguish all the
flaming darts of the evil one.
Ephesians
6:16
This week we are going to talk about the fourth
piece of the armor – the shield of faith.
The shield is a defensive piece of armor. The shields that the Roman
soldiers used were not little round shields that gladiators used in the arena
or medieval knights used for jousting, but they were rectangular shields, about
six or eight feet high, three to four feet wide. They were not simply held out
in front of the soldiers as they marched, but rather, as they approached a
city, the soldiers would hold their shields side-by-side to stop spears, rocks
and arrows that were being shot at them from the citadel. Then, as they
approached the walls of the city, they would raise the shields over their
heads, because of objects that would be thrown down on them.[1]
Every soldier needs something to protect him from the
weapons of the enemy. Satan doesn’t just throw darts that will wound and
penetrate. He throws darts that can burn and scar us deeply. I’m sure you have experienced some things in
your life that if it had not been for your faith in God it might have taken
your out. Recall with me what the Bible
says about the devil. He is looking around
for someone to devour (destroy, consume). The darts mentioned here are those things that
make you an ineffective Christian. It is
those things that the devil uses to turn you away from God. It is also any way Satan uses you to turn
others away from God.
Notice that Paul states that ‘in all circumstances’
we are to take up the shield of faith. The King James Version says “above all” as in
covering everything that has been put on before – the belt, the breastplate and
the shoes. It is in this same way that
faith covers all other Christian virtues.
God knows what is in store for you each day. He knows that as you try to live out God’s
purpose for your life that the enemy and his earthly agents are going to come
for you. So, every day you must take up
the shield of faith. When the enemy
comes to tempt you to see where you stand, focus on God, His Word, and His
faithfulness. Do what His Word
says. Faith dissolves fear and makes us
courageous. Wasn’t it Jesus who said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Don’t be
afraid, only believe” (Mark 5:36). Think
of the unlimited possibilities you have when you walk in faith. Mark 9:23 says, “If you can, all things are
possible for one who believes”. Again,
words spoken by Jesus himself.
We must remember that it is God who gave us our
faith and God who will increase our faith as we develop a deeper relationship
with Him. One thing we must always
remember is that even when our faith is shaky at best we can overcome the fear
that we may be feeling by depending on the faithfulness of God. We must hide ourselves in Him. It is our trust in God that protects us from
the evil one. Remember that fiery darts come suddenly, like arrows from a bow.
They also come unexpectedly. The enemy
seeks to ambush us. Don’t be surprised
at who the enemy uses to distract you. His goal is to keep you from being
effective for the kingdom of God.
Both Christians and non-Christians have faith in
someone or something. However faith in
anything or anyone other than God is a waste of time. Having faith in God means
that no matter what we encounter we stand firm on the promises in God’s Word. We
must have confidence in God. We cannot fight
the enemy in our own strength. Without
faith in God we are totally defenseless.
Our shield of faith will allow us to extinguish the fiery darts of the
devil. It doesn’t matter from what
direction they come.
Prayer:
Thank you Father for giving me faith and Your Word
that helps my faith to grow. Help me not
to have faith in faith but in You.
Forgive me for those times that I have acted as though I have
accomplished anything by myself. It is
Your Word that reminds me that ‘blessed is the man who trusts in You’ and that ‘You,
Lord, are my strength and my shield’. Enable me to take up the shield of faith
daily for constant protection against the enemy.
1. What are some of the fiery darts that have
attempted to make you ineffective in living out God’s purpose for your life? In
what ways have you been the one who has, at times, been the fiery dart that has
served to make someone else ineffective in their walk with God?
2. What ways in the past have you tried to combat
the fiery darts in your life?
Personal
Growth:
1. Read the following Scriptures and in your own
words write out what each one means to you regarding your faith: Genesis 15:1, Psalm 56:11, and Mark
9:23. Commit these verses to memory this
week. As you commit these verses to memory begin to include them in your daily
prayers.
2. One of the
advantages of the shield of faith is that it is movable. No matter where the fiery darts come from the
shield of faith protects you. Temptation
is a fiery dart the devil uses often to distract Christians. Temptation comes
from many different areas. My temptation
may not be yours, but we are all tempted nonetheless. In what areas are you most tempted? What does
the Word say about temptation? How does being aware of the areas you are most
tempted help you to remain focused on being who God called you to be? How can
your faith help to protect you against temptation? Pray and ask God to help you to fight temptation
in the same way that Jesus did, with the Word of God.
[1]
Sproul, R. C. (1994). The Purpose of God:
Ephesians (p. 151). Scotland: Christian Focus Publications.
Comments
Post a Comment