THE SHIELD OF FAITH – Ephesians 6:16
Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Paul is telling you here that your faith is strong enough to quench all temptation that Satan sends your way. If you keep a watchful eye on the enemy, then your faith will enable you to overcome. A shield only assists you when you face your enemy. A shield does not do any good when you allow the enemy to attack you from the rear. God has given you a tool; it is called the shield of faith that you can use to overcome temptation.
A shield is just another piece of armor. By itself, it can do some good. However, a soldier is not going to go into battle with just a shield. The soldier is going to need a breastplate, shoes, belt, helmet, and the sword. As Christian soldier fighting in spiritual battles, along with your faith, you need the truth, righteousness, gospel of peace, salvation, the word of God, and prayer.
Satan is a cleaver opponent. He loves to attack you when you are least expecting it. Satan often attacks you right after you had a spiritual victory knowing that you are prone to let your guard down at that time. Your faith can only assist you when you are prepared for the attack of the enemy. That is why we are warned that Satan is a roaring lion that is seeking whom he may devour. If you are armed and ready for Satan, he knows that there is not very much that he can do to conquer you since he knows greater is he that is in you then he that is of this world.
Satan is wise; he is looking for a time when you are not prepared for him. Satan is patient; he can wait your entire life for you to make one mistake and put down your armor. Satan is willing to allow you to have some minor victories if it will open the door for him to have a major victory in your life.
As you fight spiritual battles, you must always understand that there is never time for you to be caught unawares. When God chose Gideon’s men at the brook, HE had Gideon take the 300 men who kept a watchful eye on the horizon and brought the water up to themselves rather than losing sight of what was going on around them and put their head in the water. God wanted to demonstrate HIS power over many with just a few so HE took those individuals who were always prepared.
You cannot afford to let your faith down. You cannot afford to allow your back to face the enemy. You must stand up ready to fight at all times. When you are unsure of where the enemy is, this is when you need an accountability partner who can put their back against your back and both of you can guard each other from the attacks of the enemy.
With faith, nothing is impossible. With faith, everything Satan sends your way can be quenched. No temptation is too big when you have the shield of faith in front of you. Satan can throw all sorts of temptations your direction, but as long as you are ready for him with the tools that God has given you, Satan will not see a victory. You must learn to take up the shield of faith and to use it. Do not allow your faith in God to wane. Learn to obey HIM and follow HIS direction in your life and you will always be in the position where the enemy and his attacks are in front of you.