Our Identity in Christ; the Shield of Faith
Ephesians 6:16
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Paul places special importance on the shield of faith saying ‘above all’. Not that any of the other graces he is describing can be neglected but take them all and especially faith. Also see that the other pieces are attached to the body and go with the wearer but the shield must be taken up in the hand. Faith is a grace given but it must be employed actively to serve its purpose.
What is faith?
Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
What was hoped for by the Hebrews? The seed promised to Eve, the son promised to Abraham, the king promised to David, the Anointed One who would restore all things. Those who are restored to life in Christ are justified. Habakkuk 2:4, “The just shall live by faith.” And John 6:29, “Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” So we see that faith is more than an idea it is itself an object like gravity, its effects demonstrate its existence.
John 3:8
The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The existence of faith is evidence of unseen worlds. Centuries of the faithful stand witness and our own hearts speak words of faith that stand as a bulwark against the tides of doubt and fear. Why would the martyrs cling to Christ through privation, imprisonment, torture and death unless they held evidence of a better world? That evidence we call faith.
Now faith is dependent upon its object. Faith in faith is nothing; faith in humanity is deceitful and disappointing, as is faith in religion or sincerity. There is only one object worthy of faith, the LORD Jesus Christ. And is it Christ crucified that we must trust in because, “Christ did not redeem and save poor souls by sitting in majesty on his heavenly throne, but by hanging on the shameful cross, under the tormenting hand of man’s fury and God’s just wrath.” – W. Gurnall.
Romans 3:21-26
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
With the shield of faith we are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. What are these darts?
The first dart is doubt. It is first in scripture. Genesis 3:1, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” We see in this the subtle twisting of God’s word and the insinuation that God’s word is not perfect. This strategy of raising doubts is a like a fiery dart in that if a single doubt is not extinguished it can spread and burn up the whole. Doubt is the dart that was thrown at the Lord in the wilderness. Matthew 4:3, “Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” And see where Jesus placed his trust, in the word of God. Matthew 4:4, “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Jesus is the Word become flesh. He is the proper object of a faith that can defend us against doubt.
Other darts used by the enemy are lust and pride. 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.” In standing against such attacks we have the witness of faithful predecessors like a soldier standing in a shield wall formation is protected not only by his own shield but also by every shield around him. Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Traditionally, shields bore the coat of arms of the owner. This declared the family the owner belonged to. On the field of battle one’s allies and enemies could be distinguished by the devices on their shields. Our shield displays the cross of Christ. We are of the family of God.
John 1:10-13
He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
1 John 4:7
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
As we stand together, shields interlocked, we support and defend each other. This is love for one another. This is faith in action.
brotherpayne 