Shield of faith
Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
The Spirit of God likens our faith to a shield. The King James Version says, “Above all;” with that, some people believe the shield is the most important of our weapons. I would say that a better translation of these words would be “in front of all” or “covering all.” The shield of faith, or our faith, has to be out in front. All the weapons are important, and we must have a revelation of each one and their function in order to be successful against the attacks of the devil.
We are told in 1 Timothy 6:12 to fight the good fight of faith. We must learn to use our shield effectively to catch all the fiery darts the enemy is sending our way. We are told that the only way to resist the devil is steadfast in the faith. 1 Peter 5:9 says, “Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” I think we also need to remind ourselves, according to James 4:7, that we must first submit ourselves to God and then, we can resist the devil. When we submit ourselves to God, we get His grace and with that grace, by faith, we can use our shield of faith against all the wiles of the devil.
Understanding that our warfare is not against flesh and blood but against the devil and all his cohorts, we must not rely on will power but God power. In order to truly resist the devil and all his fiery attacks, it must be done by faith and not in the flesh. Our flesh is no match, our will power is no match, but our faith in God cannot be defeated. We will always win when we resist the devil steadfast in the faith.
How do we strengthen our shield or our skill to use our shield of faith? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. When you know the logos, the written Word of God, it can then become a Rhema, a spoken Word to you. That Rhema Word can give you plans to fight against the enemy. The Holy Ghost can teach you how to fight with your shield and can even show you the devil’s strategy and the attacks that are coming. Thank God for the Holy Ghost! You must believe that your faith works and whatever the devil is about to launch against you, your faith will prevail. The fiery darts and arrows might be flying your way, but your faith will protect you from all of them, and you will prevail!