The Whole Armor of God

Ephesians 6:13-16

“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 

In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one…”

Standing firm in the Lord, this “shield” is an active, practical trust in God that protects against Satan’s attacks, which are like fiery arrows that bring doubt, fear, temptation, and despair. By standing in faith in God, we can quench every fiery dart and quench their power to cause confusion and panic. 

The Roman shield was a large, oblong shield, covered in leather, designed to catch and absorb fiery projectiles. 

The “shield of faith” is an active exercise of faith, a practical application of God’s promises and truth to real-life challenges. By standing in faith with God, the enemy may still shoot the fiery darts, and we have to stand firm, lift up the shield of faith but keep our eyes on the Lord, He quenches the flames. Standing firm in the battle, the Master promises peace.

Prayer:

Lord, we do trust you, but we need to be relentless when the battle is hot. When we are in perfect safety it is easy to be at peace, in the battle we tend to keep our eyes on the circumstances. Help us to hold up the shield of faith but keep our eyes on You. In your name Lord Jesus, Amen!