When we were kids, we used to build snow forts. Then we would make a stack of snowballs (or maybe ice balls) to throw at each other. We didn’t really keep score, but we knew one thing: we needed the protection of the fort if we were to emerge victorious from the snowy fray.
That’s something a soldier recognizes very quickly. It doesn’t matter how skilled he is, without protection, he wouldn’t last long.
So, the next piece of spiritual armor that we have offers this protection: it is the shield of faith. Ephesians 6:16 says “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
The Roman shield of that day was called a “scutum.” Often the scutum would be made of wood and covered in leather to stop fiery arrows that were shot at them.
We usually think of a shield as a defensive weapon, but for the Roman soldiers, it could be both defensive and offensive. For defense, the soldiers could use their shields to form a wall, which would allow them to safely move as a unit. They could also form a testudo or tortoise formation, where they could align their shields in front and on top, protecting them from both frontal attacks as well as attacks from the top, like from a city wall.
Offensively, the soldiers could collectively form what was called a “wedge,” allowing them to charge the enemy and penetrate their defenses.
Because we’re talking about a shield of faith, it would first be helpful for us to understand what faith is, then why we need it, and third, how to use it.
First, what is faith?
Here’s a good definition of faith: Trust in an object that has proved reliable. We’re not talking about “blind faith.” Blind faith is jumping off a cliff and hoping that you’ll land on a pile of mattresses. There’s really no reason to believe it, but you hold to it anyway. That’s not faith—that’s stupidity.
True faith is trusting in something that you have good reason to believe is reliable.
Second, why is faith necessary?
Faith is necessary because we are under attack! We have an enemy that wants to crush us, so we’ve got to defend ourselves.
Our enemy is constantly throwing darts at us– darts of doubt, discouragement, fear, and temptation to sin. The shield of faith helps to deflect these darts so they don’t destroy us.
Finally, how do we use the shield of faith?
It’s obvious for the soldier—he just has to walk over to it and pick it up. Then he holds it in front of him or forms a wall with his fellow soldiers. But the shield of faith isn’t something we can touch. So, practically, how do we use it? Or to put it another way, how do we develop faith?
First, learn the reasons to trust. It’s hard to have faith in something that you know nothing about. Romans 10:17 says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” You may have picked up your new shield when you were saved, but haven’t maintained it – it is all ragged and chewed up from battle. You have to keep it maintained by hearing the Word of God.
Second, be around other people of faith. Remember the tortoise formation? It would be real hard to do that by yourself. When you’re not around other people who are excited about what you are excited about, you tend to grow cold—like an ember outside the fire.
Finally, use the shield of faith by exercising your faith. The best way to trust something is to have trusted it before. For example, if you haven’t flown in a while, getting on a plane might be a little nerve-wracking. You can’t help but think, “I just know that this flight will be on the news tonight.” But after you’ve gotten on and off a few connections, it doesn’t bother you any more. “I was OK last time, so I figure I’ll be OK again this time.”
Let me just share one more thing about faith. The power is not in the amount of your faith, but in the object of your faith. If a soldier hid behind his shield when the enemy was shooting arrows at him, the shield could protect him, regardless of how safe he felt.
This is how the shield of faith works. When the enemy throws darts of doubt at you, faith allows you to say, “I know what I believe and why I believe it.” When he throws darts of discouragement, faith allows you to say, “I won’t quit because I know that what I’m doing has value.” When he throws darts of fear, you can respond with “I know that God is more powerful than my weaknesses or threats from other people.” When he throws darts of temptation, you can say, “I’m going to trust that God’s way is best, regardless of my desires.”
The protection the shield of faith offers comes from our trust in what we know to be true about God. So, learn the reasons to trust, be around other people of faith, and exercise your faith. That’s how you protect yourself against the attacks of the enemy.
