Lean On Me

In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.   Ephesians 6:16

The Roman soldier would have protected himself using a round, handheld shield used in hand-to-hand combat, but it wouldn’t have been much use against a volley of flaming arrows. The shield Paul is referring to was a larger, rectangular shield—four feet high and two feet wide—rather like a modern police riot shield, but covered with leather, for extinguishing the enemy’s pitch-covered fiery arrows.

Soldiers would have used these larger shields in a phalanx—a Roman innovation in which a small group of soldiers would stand together and arrange their shields so that they formed a protective cover around the whole group, rather like the shell of a turtle.

Paul is telling the whole church, “Y’all are to take the shield of faith.” When the day of evil comes, and you find yourself under special attack, you are to bind yourself together with other believers around you under the protective cover of faith.

The Gospels record a wonderful story about four men who brought their friend to Jesus. They climbed onto the roof of a house where Jesus was teaching, dug a hole in the roof, and lowered their friend to the feet of Jesus. You can’t fault their initiative or their determination.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man who was carried in, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 5:20). Never underestimate the degree to which God may bless you through the faith of other believers who care for you.

Maybe you’re facing the day of evil right now, and you’re trying to fend off a ferocious attack with your little shield. You’re fighting a losing battle in your mind or in your home that no one else knows about. Satan wants you isolated in the battle, but God never intended for you to fight alone. Take up the shield of faith, and share the struggle with someone you trust who will stand with you. And when brothers or sisters share a burden with you, exercise faith and stand with them.

For further reading, see Luke 5