The Shield

Hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:16-17

HOW DO CHRISTIANS defeat the devil as he tries to tempt, deceive, accuse, and trick us into sin? Paul lists the equipment a Roman soldier was to fight with and gives a spiritual application to each piece.

In the verses above, we see three defensive weapons that represent elements of our arsenal against satanic attack. The first one is the “shield of faith.” The Roman shield protected a soldier against arrows, spears, and swords launched at him. Similarly, when we hold up faith as a shield in front of us, it wards off the accusations of the devil when he tries to attack us with guilt, fear, and anger. The “helmet” of salvation defends our minds against the doubts and worries Satan will try to hammer into us. Last, the “sword of the Spirit” is our primary weapon, which we can use both offensively and defensively. Through quoting, obeying, and applying Scripture to the tricky situations Satan throws into our path, we send him running for cover. Without these pieces of armor, we are sitting ducks. But as we use these tools, God promises to defeat Satan when he attacks our lives.