Day Twenty-Five : Push (Shield of Faith)

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (Ephesians 6:16)

I mentioned 300 yesterday.  Have you ever seen it?

It is a pretty bloody movie, but it was quite educational.  How did 300 men hold off millions of trained soldiers?

They positioned themselves well, and they let the enemy exhaust themselves.

In the first major battle scene, the Spartan warriors don’t attack the Persian soldiers.  They crouch down behind their shields and let the Persians wear themselves out attacking them.  Then at a signal, they all push back.  Hard.  The Persians fall over, the Spartans advance, stab the fallen Persians with their swords, and then crouch down again.

And again.

And again.

Until the Persians are all defeated.

 

Sometimes we come under attack, when people throw things at us that we don’t know how to deal with.  We know we should respond with an appropriate scripture or bible verse, but we can’t think of one.  We don’t know how to use our sword at that moment.

So we wait.  We hold onto our shield, and let them batter themselves against our faith with their doubts and questions.  We can’t let them win, just because we don’t know the answer.

Then, we push back with our faith.  We say (to them, or ourselves) “I don't know the answer, but I have faith that there is one.”  Then we “fight back” with a scripture.  It might be about the situation, or it might just be “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”  or “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you.”

We use our faith to shield us from attack until we are ready to fight back.  So we don’t lose courage and back off under constant attack.

Day Twenty-Four : Cover up (Shield of Faith)

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (Ephesians 6:16)

Have you ever seen the movie 300?  Or that scene in Gladiator where Maximus and the gladiators defeat the charioteers? 

What makes the shield work well in these moments is that the soldiers use their shields to protect themselves, and the guy next to them.   Shields can be used like that.  You can use it to cover other people as well.

Same as faith.

Our faith can be used to cover others as well, especially when theirs might be weaker in areas. 

When the Devil tells me I am worthless, I might lose faith in my own worth.  However if all those around me have faith in my worth, it makes it easier for me to believe it.  I get cover from your over-lapping shields.

Day Twenty-Three : Strong enough to lift (The Shield of Faith)

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (Ephesians 6:16)

Faith is not easy.

When everything in the world tells you to believe one thing…  When everyone says you are crazy to believe something else…
When you can’t see what you hope for…

How do you keep it up?  How do you hold onto your faith?

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)

Sometimes having faith is hard.  Your faith feels heavy.

Just like I am sure the huge shield was heavy.  A solid sheet of steel, covered in wood and leather, is no joke to lift. 
It was hard!

So how did the Roman soldier get better at lifting it?

By lifting it every day.

At first it was heavy, and clumsy, and kept feeling like it was holding him back.  It would be easier to just drop it and run.
But he kept lifting it, day after day.  And only by doing the heavy lifting, was he able to strengthen his shield arm to carry the shield.

 

We need to strengthen our faith, but doing some “heavy lifting”.  The more we choose to hold onto our faith, and keep holding onto it, the stronger our lifting arm will become, and the easier it will be to have faith. 

The more we rely on faith, the more our faith is rewarded.

Day Twenty-Two : Move, move, move (the Shield of Faith)

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (Ephesians 6:16)

So we have taken up the Shield.  Now what?

Well, the Roman shield (or Scutum) was quite large.  Large enough to hide behind, but not large enough to cover your whole body while you were standing.

You had to actively move it between yourself and enemy attacks.

You had to be conscious of your shield, and keep moving it to where it was most needed.

In the same way, we need to be aware of the attacks that come against us, and be actively holding onto our faith, and putting it between ourselves and the attack.

“The world is telling me that … but I have faith that…..”

“Satan tells me that I am weak, but I know that I am strong.”

Where do you most need faith today?  Where is Satan attacking you?  How are you going to shield yourself with faith?

Day Twenty-One : Take up (the Shield of Faith)

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  (Ephesians 6:16)

Up until now, we were told to “put on” the armour of God.  To wear it, to strap it on.  Now we are told something different.

To take it up.

Faith is like a Shield.  It is not passive.  A soldier could go into battle carrying his shield on his back or his arm, but it could do him no good there.

He had to hold onto it.  He had to take it up.

In the same way, we need to hold onto our faith.  We need to constantly take it up.  If we don’t hold on to it tightly enough, we could lose it.  If we lay it down to rest for a while… no-one is helped.

Faith is not easy.  We can’t just say “I have faith.”  We  have to daily have faith.  We  need to hold onto it. 

Day Twenty : Shield of Faith

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
(Ephesians 6:16)

 

The shield of faith.  My favourite item on the list I think.

What is faith?

… faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
(Hebrews 11:1)

“sure of what we hope for….”

Without hope, there is no faith.
Without being sure of that hope, there is no faith.
Hope comes in the morning, but faith gets you through the night.

What do you hope for this Lenten Season?
Where does your faith lie?