The Greatest GiftsSample

THE GIFT OF WEAPONRY, THE SHIELD OF FAITH

“And also use the shield of faith with which you can stop all the burning arrows of the Evil One.” (Ephesians 6:16, NCV).

What an interesting picture! When I think of Roman soldiers and their shields, I think of shields used for protection against swords and maces in hand-to-hand combat, not flaming arrows. Think about flaming arrows. They must be shot at you from quite a distance, right? I visualize Centurions looking skyward and seeing them from a long way off. I think that is good news, even great news! If you are a child of Christ and have faith in Him, you can first acknowledge that there is a battle going on. Dear child of God, please know that you are always closer to Jesus than Satan. Let me say that again: you are always closer to Jesus than you are to the enemy. The nearness of God will supernaturally protect you. If we look with the eyes of Christ, we can see the adversary trying to attack us some distance away. That usually gives us room to maneuver out of the way.

Shields are buffers between you and something designed to take you down. They protect you. What is faith?

“Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see.” (Hebrews 11:1, CEV).

Another way of saying that is this: God is who He says He is, and He will do what He says He will do. So, hold up that faith shield! Believe in what you can’t see, and in doing so, you will see God in a real way.

If you are a new creation in Christ, then you are born of God. You are His child, His heir. Look at the reference to “faith” in 1 John:

“Everyone who is a child of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world -- our faith. So the one who conquers the world is the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” (1 John 5:4-5, NCV).

So, our faith, your faith, crushes the world and all its struggles and strife! What a great gift! Faith is the “power that brings the world to its knees,” as one translation suggests.

Jesus is known in every follower by way of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is greater than anything this world throws at you. Greater than abuse. Greater than addictions. Greater than abandonment. Greater than grief or loss. No matter what we feel we are buried under or drowning in, God is greater! We are victorious!

Receive and use this gift, the shield of faith, to help defeat the enemy and the lies he throws at you. Deflect them today. Be strong in the Lord and His mighty power!

PRAYER

Father God, thank you for the gift of faith. Would you please increase my faith in you? Would you help me use this gift to defeat the enemy? Thank you that you are always closer to me than Satan. In Jesus’ name. Amen.