The Armor of God: The shield of faith

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Ephesians 6:16-17

16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

NKJV

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

NKJV

I am a fan of super hero movies.  I guess it goes back to my collecting comic books as a child.  Captain America’s greatest weapon, besides his extraordinary strength, is his shield.  His shield not only protects him but he can also throw it and after hitting its target, it returns like a boomerang. 

Just as with Captain America, the Roman soldier also carried a shield to protect him in battle.  When not in use, the Roman soldier would strap his shield to his belt.  (1)  From there, the soldier could easily grab his shield if he found himself in battle. 

 (2)  The soldier would typically have two types of shields.  The first shield denoted by the Greek word aspis (as-ois) was a small round shield used primarily in parades and public gatherings.  (1)  This small shield provided little protection for the soldier and the soldier mainly used it for show.  This is most likely not the shield Paul was referring to in Ephesians 6:16.

(3)  Since Ephesians 6:16 occurs in the context of spiritual warfare, Paul was most likely referring to is the thureos (thu-re-os) or the Greek word used for a door.  This is because this shield was wide in width and long in length like a door.  (1)  This shield would have been the one a Roman soldier would have taken into battle. 

(4)  These shield completely covered the soldier providing full body protection.  The soldiers could also link their shields together providing protection for the entire regimen and even protection from fiery arrows shot at the soldiers from the walls of the cities they were attacking. 

Paul equates the shield of the Roman soldier with faith and just as the shield was critical to the Roman soldier, our faith as believers is critical as well.  To effectively use our shield we must.

1)      Hang it on the belt of the truth of God’s Word for “ faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.  (Romans 10:17 NKJV)  The more we study and hear the Word of God, the sturdier our belt of truth becomes.  A strong sturdy belt of truth can support a large shield.  Our shield is also readily available when it hangs on the belt of truth, the truth of God’s Word.

2)      Just having a showing of faith is insufficient just as the aspis provided little protection for the soldier and the soldier mainly used it for show.  A soldier in God’s army must carry the thureos, which provides full body protection against the attacks of the enemy.

3)      We must regularly gather together.  (Hebrews 10:25) This is how we link our shields together in order to provide maximum protection for the Body of Christ.

We live in challenging and uncertain times.  It seems that the things we used to depend upon to support us in this world (i.e. our wealth, knowledge, careers etc.) are crumbling around us.  Many have turned to government for help in these times, only to be lied to and used.  That is why we as believers must be an example to those suffering around us by placing our trust in God and the truth of His Word.  We must put on our belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, and our gospel shoes. 

However, we must also remember our shield for we have an enemy, the Devil, the prince of darkness that has only one goal, destroying God’s people.  In order to do this the enemy will sling fiery arrows from the walls to try to defeat us.  These fiery arrows come in the form of:

1)      Temptation – In our media constantly bombards us with temptations.  These are like the barrage of arrows coming from the fortified walls of the enemy but our shield (thureos) provides full body protection from these attacks.

2)      Trials – James 1:2-5 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.  4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”  (NKJV)  Notice the scripture says when not if we encounter trials.  Trials will come and are what God uses to strengthen our shield of faith.

3)      Persecution – Persecution comes in the form of physical persecution, mental persecution, or emotional persecution.  In our world today it appears politically correct to persecute Christians and Jews even though there are laws against it.  This is especially true if one dares mention the name of Jesus.  Fortunately, in the United States and much of the free world this persecution comes in the form of mental and emotional attacks, at least for the time being.  However, in other parts of the world, persecution is physical where believers face death for daring to express their faith.  Regardless of the form of our persecution, our shield of faith is sufficient to protect us when persecution comes.  In fact, the Church thrives most where persecution is the most severe. 

 Our shield will protect us from these attacks and when we link our shields with those of other believers, we can withstand any attack the enemy will throw at us.  However, be sure to use the thureos and not just a showing of faith provided by the aspis. 

1. RGC Ministries. The Whole Armor of God: The shield of faith. www.rgcministries.com. [Online] [Cited: December 17, 2013.] http://romanmilitary.net/tools/armor/.

2. Christian Costumes.com. www.christiancostumes.com. [Online] [Cited: December 17, 2013.] http://www.christiancostumes.com/catalog/15086.jpg.

3. thumbs.dreamtime.com. [Online] [Cited: December 17, 2013.] http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/x/roman-soldier-holding-shield-8080230.jpg.

4. civil defence.co.uk. www.civil-defence.co.uk. [Online] [Cited: December 17, 2013.] http://www.civil-defence.co.uk/Roman-army-04.jpg.