The Shield

          In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (Ephesians 6:17)

          He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. (Psalm 91:4)

          who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. (I Peter 1:5)

          “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. (Luke 12:4-5)

          Before exploring what today’s passages mean, let’s explore what they don’t mean. They do not mean that if you have enough faith, nothing will happen to you. The passage from Ephesians makes it clear that fiery darts are going to come at you. Faith doesn’t prevent them, it extinguishes them. In fact, the passage from Luke makes it clear that we’re to have faith even if facing someone or something that can kill our bodies. Yes, Jesus chided His disciples for not having enough faith. That doesn’t mean that should be our answer to every problem someone faces, especially if we suggest that the problems would not exist if we had enough faith, more faith, stronger faith….

          On to what today’s passages do mean. First, let’s clear up the question of Psalm 91:4, which speaks more of God's faithfulness than about our faith, I’ve said before that I’m not sure what faith is. This is a case when I am a little more confident. I may not have enough faith (however much faith is “enough”) but that doesn’t mean that I don’t recognize that God is faithful. You might say that I have faith in God’s faithfulness. I can believe that God will act on my behalf not because I’ve met some standard that I can’t identify, but because He is God, and He is faithful.

          As for the other verses, which focus on our faith, the first thing to note is that our faith is to continue even if we are called on to die. If our faith focuses only on what is within the conception-to-death range, it’s not big enough or strong enough. In Hebrews 11, we’re reminded that at least most of those in the Hall of Faith died without having received what they’d been promised. Death does not separate us from God, and it’s nothing to be feared because He will be with us through it all.

          The remaining verses all speak of our faith, and they describe it as being the first line of defense. It is the shield held in front so that the fiery darts don’t reach the belt and the breastplate. It can be lowered to protect shoes or raised to protect head. It’s big enough to hide between, and if those who have them get together, they can form a shield wall (and ceiling) that will protect more than themselves. This is one of the reasons we need the Church.

          Something else worth considering. Fiery darts don’t seem to be a close combat weapon. They’re shot from a distance and meant to soften up the enemy for the main attacks, which were up close and personal. Another thing to consider. Because the shield is the first line of defense, it’s made to work with the others. Faith and truth go hand-in-hand. Faith and righteousness are a team. Faith and peace, you can’t have one without the other. A shield is a great bit of defense, but it’s not designed to be used instead of the other things.