The Shield

Currently in The Living Room at The Rock, specifically at Intersession on Wednesday mornings (6AM), we’ve been discussing “the whole armor of God”. One of the most misunderstood pieces of the armor, in my view, is the shield of faith. When I was growing up in the Lutheran tradition, I remember pictures and drawings of a silly looking man, fully outfitted like a knight in King Arthur’s Court. Years later I would understand more about the use and purpose of this “covering” and how to use it properly… or so I thought.

I picked faith out of the “mail”(pun intended) because believers seem to think they have weak faith or no faith at all. That teaching was all around the “non-denominational” churches I had experienced. The truth is the shield of faith is not adjusted to you based on how YOU feel or operate in it. Faith is a gift from the Father, who gives liberally to His sons. You can’t ask for more, neither can you claim your faith is weak. Picture a man with a shield and ask yourself this: “Why would a man be issued a faulty or weak shield to defend himself?” The answer is… he wouldn’t, and neither would Yahweh issue you a measure of faith that wouldn’t “hold up” in a confrontation.

It’s really quite selfish of us to diminish the power of God and His gifts to us, thinking we are “helping” by sounding humble in this situation. As you go about this day, remember that once you put on the whole armor of God, you don’t take it off and hang it up! Be strong in the LORD and the power of His might… hold up that shield, it is enough for you.