Faith in God

 

Faith in God

 

Do you have faith in God? Do I have faith in God? What does it mean to have faith in God? In Ephesians 6, Paul is telling us to put on the armor of God and then discusses each piece of God’s armor. Paul refers to faith as a shield.

 

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

Ephesians 6:16 (ESV)

 

 

 

Why a Shield

 

What does a soldier do with his shield? He holds it in front of himself as protection. Hiding behind it when necessary.

 

I like to thing of this shield as one that the police use today. You know the ones that the swat use or what they use in prisons. It is big and comes around the sides of the officer, some even go over the top of their head. These shields cover more than just the front of the officer. The best part though is that these shields are either clear or they have a type of window. This allows better visibility than what a Roman soldier would have had. You can keep your shield up so you can see and be protected at the same time.

 

A shield is to deflect the attacks of the enemy thus protecting the soldier or officer. I suppose you could even call a tank a type of shield.

 

Shield of a Roman Soldier

 

The shield of a Roman soldiers had a couple of cool features though. The specific shape and covering were brilliantly designed. The Roman soldiers had 2 shields, the one I’m talking about today would be their big shield. It was at least half as tall as the soldier, some were up to 6 feet tall and about 3 feet wide.

 

A common fight strategy was to set arrows on fire and shot these flaming darts at the enemy. This was very effective as having to stop to put out a fire would be an unwanted distraction, especially if you were the one on fire.

 

 The Roman soldiers covered their shields with leather and then would soak the shield in water on the way to a battle. The shape of the shield also provided optimal covering. See the photo, to the left and try to imagine it about 4-6 feet long. Multiple soldiers would join together holding their shields upside down in a circle/huddle, they could hold their shields over their head and it would form a solid protection, (now look at the picture of the umbrella to get the visual of how they would form a solid protection). Those flaming arrows had little chance of getting through. When the shields did get hit the flaming arrows would be extinguished due to the wet leather.

 

Courage

 

Even with a great shield I can’t imagine anyone goes into battle without some fear. Moving forward in faith is not easy. Faith takes courage, it is hard and, in many cases, it goes against all human logic.

 

Take Peter for example stepping out of the boat to walk on the water. Walking on water is very much outside what human logic says is possible. Human logic and science say that you can’t be supported by a liquid. Yet when Jesus called Peter out of the boat Peter stepped out in faith. We also know that Peter was fearful and as soon as he took his eyes off of Jesus he began to sink.

 

Trusting Jesus

 

To have faith in God does not mean that there will be no fear or doubt. These are among the enemies commonly used flaming darts. However, as Ephesians says faith is able to extinguish these flaming darts as well as many others. When I keep my eyes on Jesus I can move forward as He leads. Even when it doesn’t appear rational.

 

Faith is a decision to trust and obey Jesus. It is believing His Word above human logic and sometimes scientific facts. Trusting that Jesus loves me, that He will not leave me nor forsake me and that He will provide for my every need. Deciding in advance that when the Lord calls, I will follow even when it feels crazy. People of faith often appeared crazy. Noah build an Ark before the world knew rain. Moses freed the Israelites from Pharaoh with a walking stick. David walked into battle with a giant armed with a sling shot and a few rocks. Peter walked on water. The list of faithful believers performing unbelievable tasks goes on and on throughout history.

 

Standing Firm

 

I know for me that I need to put my shield of faith out in front of me and stand firm on the Word of God. Living out my faith, rather than just saying I believe, even when it sounds crazy. I can’t tell you how crazy it felt the first 50 or so times I verbalized my belief that God had called me to write. The thought of calling myself a “writer” still makes me feel a bit like an impostor. For me writing came from left field, my career was in budget and finance, yet God is good. He is faithful and deserving of my trust and obedience. When God calls, I pray that I will be ready to pick up my faith like a shield and move forward knowing that He is with me.

 

Are You Being Called?

 

If there is something God is calling you to do that sounds crazy, don’t be too quick to dismiss it. Pray about it, talk to a sister in Christ or your pastor about it, and check what God’s Word has to say. You can even ask God for a confirmation like Gideon. God understands you, He knows your heart and your concerns. If it is from God there will come a point when you will know with certainty. It could be something big like a mission trip or it could be talking to someone you already know. God will make the way, we just need to be obedient.

 

“Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.”

Proverbs 30:5

 

Find more of my thoughts on faith, Salvation, Faith, and Bearing Fruit

 

I occasionally join the following link up parties! You should join me, I would love to see you at one or two!

Monday –
Bloggers for the Kingdom @ #KingdomBloggers Anita Ojeda @ Inspire me Monday
Random-osity @ The Good The Random The Fun Mary-andering Creatively @ #LMM LinkUP

Tuesday –
Trekking Thru @ Trekking Thru the Week Mary Geisen @#TellHisStory
Insta Encouragement @ Weakly Christian link-up Anchored Abode @ AnchoredtruthTuesday Kelly Balarie @ Purposeful Faith

Wednesday-
Worth Beyond Rubies @ Weekly Wednesday
Welcome Heart @ Let’s Have Coffee Soaring with Him @ #Recharge Wednesdays

Thursday – Debbie Kitterman @ #Tune in Thursday Be Thee Inspired @ #destinationinspiration Lori Schumaker @ #momentsofhope Unshakable Joy @ I Heart Verse Link Party

Friday – Counting My Blessings @ Faith N Friends
Embracing the Unexpected @ #graceandtruthlinkup Crystal Twaddell @ #FreashMarketFriday