Faith Shield

"With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us

is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles."

~2 Chronicles 32:8

Suggested readings: 1 Samuel 13:16-14:14, Ephesians 6:10-20.

According to Ephesians 6:16, faith is a shield. A shield is a defensive weapon. It protects, but only if used. In other words, we have to move our shield in order to guard ourselves from the flaming arrows of the enemy. It takes action to have protection. It takes active faith (James 2:17, 26) to conquer enemies (Romans 8:37). The bigger the faith, the bigger the shield.

Based on the reading today, Jonathan had such faith. He was proactive. He didn’t sit and hide as the other Israelites did. He didn’t lose confidence in the physical evidence that he wasn’t well equipped for battle or that he didn't he have a full army behind him. In fact, all he had was his young armor-bearer with him. If I’m not mistaken, armor-bearers were not warriors, they were more like servants. All Jonathan really had to fight, then, was his faith. And often, faith is all we need.

Jonathan did not allow his impulsiveness lead him--the thought of how grand he may look if it works out for him, or how everyone will marvel at his greatness when or if he overcame the Philistines. No, he let the Lord lead him. If they called for him to climb up, then he would climb because he knew that it would be the sign from the Lord, and he knew, "Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few." (1 Sam. 14:6 NIV)

The Philistines did call, and Jonathan answered. He confidently climbed up the hillside to the ready and waiting Philistines, which in battle is suicide since the advantage goes to the ones on top. Jonathan not only successfully made it up the cliff with his loyal armor-bearer, he successfully defeated the Philistines, the odds being 1 to 10. Jonathan had an active faith. He faced and fought the enemy with the confidence and the victory of the Lord within him.

So many of us want to keep quiet and stay in hiding when the enemy seems to be bigger, stronger, tougher, and more equipped than us. We forget that our God will fight for us, and His army is bigger than any other army (2 Chronicles 32:7-8). God will not hand us over to our enemy. If He wanted to do that, He would never have sent His Son to die for us. What an ultimate Warrior to sacrifice His life for us!

Where’s your faith right now? Are you still in hiding, afraid to step-out exposed before the enemy? Do you have mountains to climb? Do you feel ill-equipped?

Be assured that if you step-out in faith, the Lord and His powerful army are with you. If you begin to climb that mountain, the Lord will hand over your enemy. If you feel ill-equipped, have faith because the Lord is sufficiently equipped, and He will fight for you. Sometimes we need to be more "hands-on" in our faith and sometimes we need only to be still, "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." (Exodus 14:14 NIV) An active faith--a shield of faith--is required in these motionless moments of battle. How else will we be able to protect ourselves from the flaming arrows of the enemy?

Activate your faith by taking up your shield today. The Lord is a mighty warrior, "for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world," (1 John 4:4 ESV) and so are you, image-bearer. Fight in faith, and know that the Lord is fighting with you and for you.