Ephesians 6:16 “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
My son, Foster, has a plastic shield and sword, with which he often defends his dear mother from all sorts of evil. Sometimes, I hold the shield, and he tries to get me with his sword. Fortunately for me, his weapons are of the pretend sort, and nobody gets hurt. Still, that shield protects me from unwanted jabs.
Roman soldiers carried large shields, about two feet by four feet. The soldier could crouch down and hide completely behind his shield. It was made of wood, and wrapped in leather and cloth. It was often soaked with water before a battle, so it would extinguish flaming arrows. It was also beveled on the edges, so that soldiers could march side by side, and their shields would interlock and form one huge impenetrable force.
Friends, Satan has flaming arrows of every variety. He has arrows of doubt and fear. He may shoot us with a divorce, or with a dreaded disease, or with the death of a loved one. Without our shield – our faith – the arrows will pierce through and destroy us. We must have faith, or Satan will win.
But with faith, Satan’s arrows just fizzle out and fall to the ground. With faith, we can face anything. This is more than just a faith in the past, and in what God has done. It is a faith in God Himself – past, present, and future. It is a faith that no matter what Satan may hurl at us, God will extinguish the flame. That faith is our shield. By ourselves, we can crouch behind it. Together, we can interlock our faith, and provide an impenetrable barrier that will cause Satan and his demons to flee in defeat.
So whatever you do, my friends, don’t let your faith falter. You will need it, every day of your life, to extinguish the flaming arrows Satan will hurl at you.
Dear Father, Thank You for my shield of faith. Please help me to keep it strong. Help me to join my faith with that of other Christians, to create an even stronger barrier which Satan cannot penetrate.
Amen
Dear Renae,
I went to a troublesome meeting today, armed with the words from Phil. 4: 13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
I prayed that there would be no winners nor looser, just peace between neighbors.
I am not sure how to react. Conflicts like that just drain me and make me feel dirty.
Yet I have faith in prayers and in Jesus.
I would be glad to know that someone was praying (besides my family). I so dislike these battles no matter armor. I need to hide behind the cross, I think.
From yours Felisol
Dear Father, Please be with Felisol during this conflict, and with the others involved. Please let your peace reign. Give each of them wisdom and humility as they seek resolution.
In your precious name,
Amen
Will continue to pray, dear sister, from across the globe.
–r
Dear Renae,
thank you for caring.
In my heart I feel comforted and I trust in God as the mighty peacemaker.
I tell everybody, friends and family that we are praying, and I hope I will not be a failing witness.
I am scared that I might be the one to stumble.
I don’t feel you to be far away, just as I know God is there by my right side, your spirit is also in our house now. Welcome Renae.
From Felisol
Dear Felisol, I am honored you feel that way. Won’t it be nice one day, when we are in heaven, and we can really and truly pop over to one another’s mansions for tea? (I’m not sure it will work exactly that way, but it is fun to think about when we will all be together!) 🙂