Shield of Faith

The first piece of armor that our young people are to put on is their 'shield of faith". Note that I said their "shield of faith." Our young people cannot ride the faith of their parents. Even in battles where the shield was used it was made to cover one person and each person going to battle had to pick up their own personal shield to be covered. You didn't go into battle without one hoping if the arrows came your way you could jump behind someone's shield and find safety; there would not be room for two because it is a personal shield. Just as each person must individually take responsibility for their own sins and seek personal forgiveness so each person must have their own personal faith.

More about faith in a minute. The shield that was used most in biblical times was a large shield around 4ft tall and 2ft wide. Some were even curved to give the most coverage of protection. Scripture tells us that God is our shield! He is our coverage of protection but we must seek His refuge when the enemy comes at us. The shield was often covered with linen and leather which had been saturated so that when the flaming arrows were hurled they would be quickly extinguished.

Let me give an analogy; God Himself is our shield, the saturated linen and leather is the truth of God. Having them in our arsenal is great but unless we know how to use them we are in trouble. A Scripture God showed me in preparation for my SS lesson shows this:

"When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt. So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt armed for battle."

They were armed for battle...just as we have been fully given every piece of armor we need for battle. But having armor doesn't mean we are fit for battle nor that we know how to skillfully use the armor. We need (parents, grandparents...) to know how to use the armor and then train our young people likewise.

So back to the analogy, If God is our shield and the leather and linen God's truth how do we effectively use it? We must hide behind it. We must stand behind it. Now in day to day living how is that accomplished? That is why it is called the "shield of faith." We must have faith.

Faith is pistis and it means "firm persuasi1on, conviction, belief in the truth, veracity, reality or faithfulness."1 It means simply to believe God. Our shield will protect us and put out the enemies lies when we believe God's truth! When we believe God. When we take God at His word. When we take God's word over every other word that sets itself up against God's word.

We must believe God and train our children in the reality and sureness of God's word. It is the word that is the lamp to our feet and light to our path. It is the only way to overcoming the darkness of this world. Give your young people more and more light! Be and example before them by standing behind your own personal shield of faith. Be a light give the light. Believe God!