Sunday, March 23, 2008
Lifting High Your Shield of Faith
“In conclusion, be strong in the Lord; draw your strength from Him. Put on God’s whole armor, that you may be able successfully to stand up against all the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood… Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day, and, having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God. And having shod your feet in preparation of the gospel of peace. Lift up over all the covering shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked (one).” Ephesians 6:10-16 Amplified
In our previous studies, we have learned that as believers we are in a battle against an unseen force. Satan and his gang desire more than anything to keep us as far from God’s plans as they can by sending distractions into our lives to confuse and frustrate us, to lead us astray, to cause us to doubt God’s love for us, and to bring fear and anxieties into our lives. In Ephesians 6, Paul assures us that we do not have to be afraid of the enemy’s plans, nor do we have to fall victim to his schemes. Rather, by suiting up daily in the armor of God, we can resist the enemy, stand our ground and emerge victoriously no matter what Satan sends our way.
Thus far, we have studied the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shoes of peace. We have learned through our study on these three pieces that the Word of God is vital to victory. By building our lives upon the Word of God, by walking in the confidence of who we are in Christ, and by standing on His promises, our lives will be built on a firm foundation that cannot be shaken by what we experience with our physical senses. In this study, we continue our study on the pieces of the armor by learning how to lift high our shield of faith.
Description of Shield and Darts
As you recall, Paul is comparing the ‘tools’ that believers need for spiritual victory with the ‘tools’ the Roman Soldiers used to experience victory in battle. Although there were different kinds of shields possessed by the Roman Soldiers, the shield Paul was describing in Ephesians 6 was the shield the soldiers took into battle. The word “shield” used in verse 16 is taken from the Greek word “thureos” which means door shaped. The shield was wide and long, approximately 5 feet by 3 feet, and provided complete coverage for the soldier. It has also been referred to as a castle shield as it was a portable fortress.
Due to the size of the shield and the fact that the soldiers had to carry the shield as they walked long distances into battle, the shield had to be constructed in a lightweight material. Rather than steel or metal, the shields were constructed from bull or calf hide. From my studies, I have learned that the leather was layered 6-7 times and would result in a 4-5 inch thick shield. The layers were stretched over a wooden framework and nailed in place. The soldiers cared daily for their shields by rubbing oil on the leather so that the shields wouldn’t crack in the middle of a battle. The shields were also soaked in water, perhaps in a river prior to marching in to battle so that when the arrows hit the shield, the arrows would be extinguished. The shield was tough, transportable and if taken care of, it was durable.
The shields provided protection as the soldier crouched down behind it. Further protection was gained when the soldiers lined up next to one another. They would join their shields together as well as hold shields over their heads and march grouped together. This would provide an impenetrable line of defense and enable the soldiers to march confidently and successfully into battle.
The soldiers needed these large shields in order to be protected from the fiery arrows the enemy sent their way. The arrows described in this verse were very unique and very dangerous. They were designed to enter into a fortified place, a place that was difficult to penetrate. The enemy would dip the end of the arrow in a combustible liquid and shoot the arrow into the camp of their target. Upon impact, these arrows would explode. Because the ‘fiery’ nature of the arrows could not be seen by the naked eye, the potential destruction of these arrows was great. Can’t you imagine the scene? The soldiers would be huddled together in their ‘safe’ place when arrows were shot over their ‘wall’ and into their camp. Because of the hidden nature of the combustible material, the arrows would often be ignored and allowed to land into the camp. Upon impact, the arrows would explode and start fires all over the camp, bringing with it much chaos, injury, and confusion.
The shield provided protection for the soldier when the arrow directly hit the shield, as the saturated shield would extinguish the flames. However, as you can see, the shield didn’t prevent the enemy from firing at the soldiers. Nor did the shields keep the arrows from landing near the soldiers or in their camp. The shields provided protection for the soldiers and enabled them to stand firm and to march on in victory.
Our Shield of Faith
This subject of faith is so dear to my heart right now as I watch one of my dearest friends go through a battle with cancer. Jo Ann is the most faith-filled woman I have ever met. She blesses my socks off every time I talk to her. I have never heard her complain, murmur against God nor I have ever heard her question why God has allowed her to go through such an ordeal. Rather, she constantly and consistently raises her voice up to God with thanksgiving and praise in the midst of terrible physical and financial trials. Last week Jo Ann and I were celebrating on the phone as she was recovering from what we thought was the end of her battle of chemo, radiation and surgeries. However, as the doctors examined pieces of her hipbone that had been extracted during her hip replacement, Jo Ann received the news that she may have bone cancer.
I am blown away by her faithfulness to God. As I received the news, my first reaction was “God, Why? Why does this dear woman have to continue to go through all of this when you can reach down and just touch her and make her whole? All you have to do is speak the word and cancer would be a thing of the past.” For just a second I began to doubt that God was going to heal her of her cancer as once again she was possibly beginning this battle again.
I hurt so much for Jo Ann as I thought about the possible journey ahead of her. But immediately I realized that I needed to trust the Lord and His plan… not the doctor’s report. I called Jo Ann to encourage her to keep her chin up and continue looking at the Lord rather than her circumstances. Jo Ann was already one step ahead of me. When she answered the phone in the hospital room just hours after the news of possible bone cancer, she joyfully said, “Baby, I am going to be ALRIGHT! Whatever the Lord has in store for me, I know that He is going to see me through it all. The devil can try to kill me, but my God will just raise me from the dead if He has something else He wants me to do on this earth. I just ask Him to give me the strength to tell somebody about this wonderful man named Jesus! I just ask Him to let me live or die in Christ!”
As I listened to the joy in her voice I began to join her in her faith knowing that she would be OK for she was a woman of faith. I was quickly reminded of the life of Paul and the many hardships he had endured throughout his journey with the Lord. Like Jo Ann, Paul suffered greatly, yet his determined spirit of faith made him a mighty warrior for the Lord; one that the enemy was unable to stop.
II Corinthians 11:23-27 says, “Are they ministers of Christ? I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered a shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness.”
Wow! As I read this and thought more closely about what Paul had experienced I realized something very important that I think is key to our study on the shield of faith. You see, I don’t know if you’ll find anyone more filled with faith than Paul. Remember our study on Acts 27 and how his faith was unshakeable? Well, here we see that although Paul was a man of great faith, he was still a man who endured great physical, emotional and spiritual trials. Just as you will probably never find anyone as filled with faith as Paul, you probably will be hard pressed to find many people who have suffered as much pain as Paul.
Think of what Paul is saying in the above scriptures. First of all, Paul is letting us know that as a servant of the Lord, he has had to work hard. He has physically labored as a believer fulfilling the call the Lord has placed upon his life. This is not a complaint rather it was a fact that Paul felt important to share. He also pointed out that he has suffered great physical pain on his journey of faith. He mentions here that he has been beaten brutally by stones, by physical hands, and by cords of cowhide that had sharp objects of glass and stones tied on the ends. Rick Renner in his book If You Were God Would You Choose You?, calculates that “five times received I forty stripes save one” means Paul received 585 lashes across his entire body during these five beatings by such cords. A third of these lashes landed across his face, a third across his chest and finally, a third ripped apart his legs. Can you imagine the scars that must have been left across his entire body?
Paul’s feet were also beaten on three occasions. His legs would have been tied together and his arms bound tightly to his chest while his feet were beaten with metal rods. This type of beating would leave the victims feet mangled and deformed. Notice Paul even says “in deaths oft.” Scriptures confirm that Paul actually died on more than one occasion. One such occasion was when Paul was stoned to death.
In addition to the physical pain, Paul endured emotional trials as a prisoner in chains and as a victim of the raging seas (remember our Acts 27 study). He was humiliated when he was stripped naked in front of jeering onlookers. Finally, he suffered through times of hunger and thirst and through seasons of betrayal by both his countrymen and even fellow believers.
From Paul’s history, it is pretty obvious that having your shield of faith lifted high doesn’t mean your life is necessarily comfortable. It doesn’t necessarily prevent the ‘darts’ (the trials the enemy sends your way) from hurting. It doesn’t mean you are always without pain. It doesn’t mean that your life is never inconvenienced. Yes, the shield of faith can prevent sickness and other trials from coming into your lives, but to think that as a believer you will never suffer is an inaccurate assumption.
I don’t know about you, but this sure wasn’t the answer I was looking for. I was hoping to find out that the shield prevented us from ever getting sick or hurt physically. I was hoping it meant that whatever Satan sent our way to hurt us would just sail right over our heads and keep on going! Unfortunately, according to the life of Paul and the fact that the Bible says, “In this world you WILL have trials and tribulations” I believe it is safe to assume that believers (and nonbelievers alike) will suffer pain at times in their journey of life.
What the Shield Does
So what does the shield of faith do? I believe that by looking at Paul’s life we can find the answer. Like the Roman soldier’s shield, our shield of faith, when lifted high, provides a shield of protection that enables us to stand firm (to be stable) spiritually and emotionally so that we can march on in life victoriously NO MATTER how difficult the trial physically, financially or relationally. The shield, when activated, enables us to persevere. When we have faith in God, when we believe He is who He says He is and that He can and will do what He says He will do, then our shield prevents Satan from stopping the plans of God from coming to pass in our life. There is no power in hell that can prevail against someone who walks in faith (Matthew 16:17-18).
Think back to Paul’s life. Here was a man whose feet were mangled, yet throughout his entire life, Paul walked long distances in order to share the good news of Jesus with a dying world. How Satan wanted to stop the plan of God, oh how he wanted to prevent Paul from continuing to spread the Truth by bringing pain, and horrific circumstances into his life. Satan tried to cripple the man in order to stop him! But you know what? No matter what Satan brought into Paul’s life, Paul could not be stopped because he was determined to continue on in faith. When he was flogged, he would put his clothes back on and continue on his purpose-filled mission. Not even death could stop Paul, a man of courageous faith. As soon as Paul came back to life after being stoned, he got up and went about preaching through the city (Acts 14:20)!
How was Paul able to continue on so full of joy amidst these trials? Was he supernaturally protected from the pain? No, he most definitely was not. Paul says in our scripture reference above that he was hungry, thirsty, tired, weak, and he says he was in PAIN. Yet, he continued on. How? Paul had FAITH in God and God’s plans. Paul had PURPOSE and he was a man whose mind was set on the purposes of God. He knew that God had placed a call on His life and nothing, not even death, was going to prevent him from continuing on towards the fulfillment of this call. Rather than be overcome by his circumstances, Paul had hope because He knew that as long as God desired to use his life, it didn’t matter how many times Satan killed him. Paul wasn’t concerned one bit about the trials or the possibility of trials because he was certain that until God Himself called him home, his work on earth would not be done.
This is exactly the attitude I witness in the life of my friend Jo Ann. She knows that God has called her to tell people about Jesus, it is her heart’s desire. She also knows that the enemy continues to send trials and negative reports to stop her, to cause her to doubt God’s love for her. Satan knows that doubt will cause the miracle working power of Jesus to be limited in Jo Ann’s life. But as long as her attitude remains, “Lord, just give me the strength to tell someone about You,” there is no power of hell that can stop her.
Does Jo Ann hurt? Yes. I have heard her scream out in pain. But she refuses to give up and throw in the towel on life because she knows that God is in control and He has a plan. God has allowed Jo Ann to travel this journey just as He has allowed many of you to travel difficult roads. She and I were just talking about this today. Jo Ann has so desired for God to heal her so should could get out of her house where she has been recovering and tell people about Jesus. But God revealed to us both that her life is touching more lives through this journey of cancer than she would have ever touched in the past year in her normal routine. Jo Ann has been supernatural chosen for this difficult assignment because she is a woman of faith. God has supernaturally given her the strength and provided for her financially to travel this road.
This ‘assignment’ wasn’t dealt to her as punishment. Nor did she receive cancer because her faith shield was down. Jo Ann is a woman of faith who continually walks closely with the Lord daily… before, during and after her battle of cancer. Jo Ann was allowed to suffer because the Lord had a plan…a plan to radically change her life in wonderful ways, which she will be the first to tell you. And, it was a plan to impact the world around her in a most amazing way. On a daily basis, Jo Ann is ministering to the people on her bus rides to the hospital, while waiting in the waiting rooms, and when interacting with the nurses and doctors who are running test and administering treatments. In addition, she continually touches her friends and family with her amazing words of praise to God. No, Jo Ann’s journey isn’t easy, but it is SO impacting and the fruit of her faith will have an eternal purpose for years to come.
Keeping our Shields Raised
So how can we raise our shields of faith and keep them raised so that we can continue on in our journey fulfilling the amazing plans God has laid before us?
First of all, we must determine in our minds to believe God, to take Him at His Word. We must get in the Word of God in order to know the character of God and the promises of God. We must begin to line up our thinking with His Word so that we line up our lives with His will.
Second, we must determine in our hearts to never give up, no matter what we experience (see, hear or feel) in the natural. We must stand firm and persevere in order to overcome our circumstances victoriously.
Paul was one who persevered. Philippians 3:12-14 says, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” How did he do this? “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul’s mind was set on what God had put in his heart to accomplish and he refused to allow his experiences to shape his belief system.
Paul was one who overcame his circumstances (I John 5:4). Even with crippled legs, he marched on with beautiful feet sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Even with bleeding stripes, he continued on. Paul knew that no matter what he endured at the hands of man, he would overcome as God, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, would infuse Paul with His supernatural strength and empower him to make it through any situation (Isaiah 40:29).
One way in which Paul was able to persevere and overcome is because he took life one day at a time. He didn’t allow himself to get consumed by his past, nor did he look at his present situation as an indication of the hand of God in His life. Paul knew that his life had purpose. He knew that wherever God allowed him to go in life, that his life was being used in a mighty way. II Corinthians 2:14 says “But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph (as trophies of Christ’s victory) and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere.” Paul knew he was being lead in triumph as Christ’s trophy so he persevered on.
Paul was able to press on because he consistently tapped into the power of God. He knew first hand that it wasn’t by his might, or by his power, but by the Spirit of God that he was able to withstand the trials and overcome. With the power of God, Paul was able to do all things because Christ was strengthening him (Philippians 4:13). “All things” didn’t mean that Paul could do anything he wanted to do in his life. Rather, it meant that he would be able do anything that Lord had called him to do. Paul also knew that the Lord wouldn’t put on him more than he could handle.
More than anything, the devil wants to stop you but the cool thing is this….he can’t. That doesn’t mean that he won’t try. He will do anything to discourage believers so that they live lives of defeat and so that their lives fail to impact others for the kingdom of God. As the ‘god of this world’ (II Corinthians 4:4), Satan will use the systems of the world to prevent you from fulfilling the call on your life. He will use people, finances, physical trials, governments, among other things to try and hinder you from fulfilling God’s plan.
In I Thessalonians 2:18, we see that Satan hindered Paul’s ability to travel to a certain place. The original Greek of the word ‘hinder’ means to make it impossible for a traveler to take the desired route. The traveler would have to take a different, less convenient route, an often longer, more difficult route, but the traveler would eventually reach his destination.
These ‘routes’ sound familiar don’t they? We so often have our plans, plans we are often certain are from the Lord. Yet, we find ourselves on detours at times. Detours that are more difficult, take longer than we had expected, and are extremely inconvenient! Yet, like the traveler, as long as we stay focused and determine in our hearts to not give up until we reach our destinations the Lord has laid before us, we WILL reach our destination in God’s perfect timing.
“Do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence, for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away (and enjoy to the full) what is promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36).
Don’t discard your confidence. Don’t doubt for a second that God is not in control. Don’t quit. When you quit, when you allow your situations to stop you in your tracks, when you throw in the towel, you throw away the strength of the Lord. You throw away your reward…your promise.
Third, we must recognize and be prepared for the attack. Like the soldiers, we must realize and be prepared for the attacks the enemy sends our way. The enemy gains ground when un-attentive soldiers don’t take the battle seriously. The enemy gains ground when the soldiers do not care for their sword and they become dry, brittle and full of cracks.
Likewise, we must take the battle seriously. We must raise our shields high on a daily basis. Although as believers our spirits are sealed by the blood of the lamb for eternity and unable to be penetrated by Satan, we are still vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy upon our soul (our mind, will and emotions). Satan will send darts in our lives to try and distract us, confuse us, frustrate us and ultimately, to stop us. Satan wants our ‘eyes off of the prize’ and onto our circumstances. By being alert, recognizing the tactics used by the enemy and understanding the nature of the battle, we can quickly extinguish the darts in mid-air before they have time to do any damage in our lives.
What are his darts? They are things that cause us to lose our peace. Most of the time, the enemy sends things into our lives that have the potential to shake us emotionally. His arrows are aimed directly at our minds, as that is his battlefield, by shooting negative reports, unkind words, lies, fearful thoughts, and thoughts of ‘what if’ situations so that we begin to act out of our emotions rather than our of our Spirits. Often times the enemy will attack the outside of our fortresses with physical pain or sickness so that he can get to the inside of the camp…our mind …and cause us to doubt God. He also loves to send distractions in the form of people, animals and technical difficulties.
Just ask anyone on our ministry team what happens when we prepare for an event. The first thing that happens is usually within our homes. Satan will send darts into each of our homes attempting to stir up emotions between us and our children as Satan knows that as soon as we lose our peace we will certainly lose our tongues. Next, he likes to send technical difficulties and mechanical issues into our events to try and stop the events themselves. But Satan really starts shooting the darts when it comes time to sit the children down at our In His Wakes events and share with them the plan of salvation. All of a sudden, dogs come out of nowhere running through the children causing distractions. Sound systems start to act up. Children start crackling bags of chips. Just last week our team had a young mute girl jump up and start running around during the invitation.
Can we always stop the enemy from sending people, trials, dogs, negative medical reports and untrue thoughts into our minds and lives? No, but we can do something about the damage they cause. At our events, we now recognize the tactics of the enemy and refuse to react to them in our homes and at our event. We prepare through extra time with the Lord and we spend time in prayer protecting our event by binding the enemy ahead of time.
In Jo Ann’s case, it would have been so easy for her to doubt God’s plan of healing the minute she received the news of possible bone cancer. But she knew the tactic of the enemy. She knew Satan was trying to discourage her so that she would question God. She knew Satan hoped to fill her with fear and self-pity. She knew his plan was to sideline her with depression. Rather than allow the enemy’s lies to take root in her mind, Jo Ann quickly remembered her promise from the Lord and cast down and brought into submission any thoughts that would cause her to lose hope. She didn’t react out of her emotions, rather she told the devil, in her words, “to get out of here!”
In addition to recognizing the enemy’s tactics, we also must be prepared for the battle by taking care of our shields. The soldiers rubbed oil on their shields daily to prevent them from cracking and becoming brittle. Likewise, we need to seek the Lord daily and allow the Holy Spirit to place a fresh anointing on our lives. Jo Ann is a great example of one who allows the Holy Spirit to anoint her shield daily. Her daily victory has been a direct result of her daily times with the Lord. Many Christians don’t understand the importance of being still before God daily so that He can bring instruction, correction, wisdom, peace, and strength into our lives. It is the ‘still’ times that conditions our shields and ensures there are no cracks.
Fourth, we must continually praise the Lord. Paul suffered many trials and tribulations but Paul remained in an attitude of faith in his heart and mind. Out of this attitude of faith his mouth spoke words of praise and thanksgiving in the midst of the turmoil. This is exactly what I see my friend Jo Ann doing on a daily basis. Whenever I call her, the first words out of her mouth are “I am BLESSED!” Having an attitude of gratitude will enable you to ‘count it all joy’ in the midst of any situation.
Finally, we are to join our faith with others believers. Remember how the soldiers locked their shields together in battle for complete coverage? The result was an impenetrable covering. There is power in numbers and Satan knows that. This is exactly why he spends so much time sending arrows of distraction and conflict into the church. He knows that when there is division among brethren, he has a great opportunity to shut down the plans of God.
How do we join? We become unified…unified in our purposes in our families, ministries, churches, and in our relationships. Where there is unity, there is peace. Where there is peace, there is power to defeat the enemy. Lock onto your faith partners! Join your faith together. When two or more are gathered in His name, He is there. When two agree on anything, it is done!
Our Choice
Although we cannot always keep the enemy from sending the trials into our lives, we can do many things to keep our shield raised high and impenetrable so that less darts cause pain in our lives. Keeping our shields raised and free of cracks is our choice, a purposeful choice. If we don’t purpose in our hearts to keep it raised, we will find that we will easily and naturally lay it down. As a result, we will find ourselves totally consumed by our circumstances and living in a life of chaos (lack of peace), confusion, and frustration.
How do we lay down our shields? How do we allow cracks to form in our shields that make it easier for the enemy to penetrate into our minds and lives? The enemy has greater access when we:
- doubt God by taking on a spirit of unbelief;
- wallow in self-pity;
- allow our circumstances and situations to determine our way of thinking and course of action;
- speak words that are contrary to the word of God;
- exchange the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:25);
- follow after the flesh rather than the spirit of God (lack of obedience); and when we
- allow anxious thoughts and fear to consume us.
Satan cannot defeat us. The only way we can be defeated is if we take for granted our shields and choose to lay them down. Our shield, God promises, is more than sufficient to extinguish ALL the darts of the enemy.
Conclusion
I pray that Paul’s life and Jo Ann’s life have been an encouragement to you as we’ve learned that no matter what our life’s journey may hold, with an attitude of perseverance and trust in the Lord, we can conquer anything. There is nothing that we as believers will face in life that will be too hard for us when we choose to believe God and choose to continue on in faith. He is our Shield. He is our covering. He is our protection.
Lift high your shield of faith. Faith brings salvation, healing, and deliverance. Faith allows us to march on in victory, and enables us to live lives of purpose and impact during the ‘meantimes’ of our lives (the time of waiting for our promises to be seen in the natural). Although God may allow you to endure trials at time, have hope and lift up your head. While you may not be exempt from the trial, you are without a doubt protected from defeat. March on today with your shield high, knowing that you are more than a conqueror. You are Christ’s trophy being led in triumph by Christ Himself!
