In Touch - May 25, 2006

In Touch Daily Devotional 
by Dr. Charles Stanley

Thursday May 25, 2006

The Shield of Faith

Ephesians 6:14-17

The apostle Paul wrote about spiritual warfare so we might know our Enemy and

how to fight him. He compared the armor and weapons God has given us to the outfitting of a soldier: a helmet to protect our minds, a breastplate to cover our hearts, special shoes to help us stand firm, a belt of God’s truth to encircle us, the mighty sword of the Spirit, and the protective shield of faith.

Roman soldiers carried large rectangular shields, which covered the entire body. When facing an attack of flaming arrows, the warriors would stand shoulder to shoulder, with neighboring shields touching. Then, as the enemy’s arrows flew toward them, they would kneel in unison with their shields held above them, still in contact with the ones on either side. Nothing could pierce that defense.

This is a picture of how we are to fight when Satan sends flaming darts our way. They enter our life in the form of temptations, doubts, or anxieties — the Devil’s combatants shoot these silently and swiftly towards us in the hopes of finding a vulnerable spot. When we maintain our shield of faith in an upright position, the attack fails. However, if we should lower it or fail to stand together as the body of Christ, the missiles penetrate.

Our heavenly Father has provided all that we need to live on a battlefield.

He has secured the victory through Jesus Christ, canceled sin’s power over us, and given us armor to wear. Our part is to walk by faith, believing God moment by moment. Remember that your faith is your shield. Keep it in good order.

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