The Invisible Shield
By Sarah Kosanke
“Take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
By Sarah Kosanke
“Take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
Ephesians 6:16
During battle, in ancient times, the shield was a very important, life-saving tool. Each shield was made of a solid material to protect the soldier from the attacks of others. The shield was also covered in thick leather. Soldiers took care of their shields by oiling the leather to keep it supple; however, before battle, they would soak their shields in water. This was to extinguish the flaming arrows, as enemies often lit their arrows on fire to bring further destruction to the soldiers and their surroundings. Soldiers not only used a shield to save themselves, often they would make a shelter to protect themselves from their enemies’ arrow attacks. When a soldier would die in battle, he was carried out on his shield, often buried on it. What an important weapon against their enemies, something to protect them.Ephesians 6:16 says to “take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” We are in a fierce battle against the evil one, the devil. He wants nothing more then to see us destroyed. Alone, we cannot stand up against his attack; but we have our God for help.
How clever of God to liken our faith to a shield. From being oiled/anointed to being soaked in water/immersed into and filled with the Holy Spirit, our faith helps protect us against the fiery assaults from the devil himself. The more we trust God, the stronger our stand. When the devil hurls his lies at you, like fiery arrows from the pit of hell, our shield of faith is what keeps us grounded and remembering who our Champion truly is. Think of the Old Testament heroes of faith. Noah built an ark when God told him to, and it had never rained before. Abraham trusted God’s promise that through Him would be a nation more numerous then the stars. Those men have long passed on; however, the stories of their faith in a faithful God live on.
When we are in the midst of battle, when the devil is hurling his flaming arrows at us, it is our shield of faith that protects us. We can’t always physically see the Lord there; however, with faith, we are sure of His presence. Dear ladies, whatever you are battling today, I urge you to pick up your shield of faith, as the One who shields you is faithful!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Where can you trust God today, and in what battle do you need to lift up and use the shield of faith He has given you to use?
FURTHER READING:
Hebrews 11; James 5:13-16
Sarah is a single young lady who works as a rehabilitation specialist for mentally ill clients in a group home. She teaches the 5th and 6th grade girls on Sunday Mornings and the 2nd through 4th grade girls on Wednesday nights at Oakwood.
