To first century Roman soldiers, a shield was a very significant defensive weapon. If you are like me, when I think of a shield, I think of a round circular piece of metal with a fancy looking symbol on it. However, the shields of first century Roman soldiers were not like that at all. According to an ancient Roman historian named Polybius, Roman shields were very large; they were in the shape of a rectangle, being four feet long and two and a half feet wide. Roman shields were made of two planks that were glued together. They were wrapped first with canvas and then again with calf-skin. The shields were strengthened by iron edging and an iron center.
Shields became especially important when the enemy would shoot arrows. Armies in the ancient world had ways of not only shooting a lot of arrows at once but also igniting them before they were launched. The only way that a solider could defend himself against these fiery arrows, besides fleeing, was to crouch down on his knees while covering himself with his rectangular shield. While protecting the solider from the impact of the arrows, the calf-skin layer of the shield would also extinguish the fire of the arrows.
As we have been discussing putting on the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-20 over the past few weeks, this provides the perfect background for the words of Paul in Ephesians 6:16: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.” As our enemy, Satan is constantly shooting flaming arrows at us. The arrows will not carry the same temptation every time. Satan is shooting a lot of different arrows at us with so many different temptations attached to them, just hoping that one of them will make contact with us. The evil one wants us to be impaled by the arrows and ignited by their flames. As we stand in opposition to him, we must take up the shield of faith in all circumstances. When we take up the shield of faith, we will be protected from the flaming darts that Satan shoots in our direction.
Faith is a deep trust in God, who He is, and what He has promised that transforms the way that we live on a daily basis; this is why “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (James 2:17). Faith must be based on the word of God because “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Pleasing God is impossible without faith (Hebrews 11:6). As John says, “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). How do we overcome the world and the prince thereof? Our faith in Christ is what grants us victory, as John writes, “And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith” (1 John 5:4).
How much do you trust God? Do you trust God so much that you have dedicated your life to Him? Do you have a faith that causes you to live every day in obedience to Him? Satan is the enemy. He is constantly shooting flaming darts at us. As we take up the whole armor of God, we will extinguish them only when we take up the shield of faith.
-Tyler Alverson
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