The Shield of Faith

The Christian’s experience in this life can be pictured by the imagery of a three-fold cord comprised of strands identified as God, the person, and the community (Eccles. 4:9-12). When one becomes a Christian they become one with God and also a part of the body of Christ, which Scripture tells us is the church (Col. 1:24). Since the collective body is comprised of many individuals, it logically follows that the strength of the individual impacts the strength of the collective. This was the closing focal point of Paul in his epistle to the Ephesian Christians; there he utilized three different words to urge them to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10).

Strength is of great import because the journey toward Heaven is arduous and the battle waged on earth is interminable. The Adversary, the leader of the forces of evil, is constantly on the prowl (1 Pet. 5:8-9). All who have devoted their souls to God have entered into the ranks as a soldier of Christ and should be thus engaged with their focus (2 Tim. 2:3-4). The war of the church is a spiritual and mental warfare which is fought on the battleground of the heart and against the backdrop of two armies pitted against one another until the world is called to its end. Each individual Christian is valuable—both as it pertains to their own continued security in Christ and their assistance offered to their fellow soldiers. As one examines all of the spiritual resources at their disposal to successfully execute the tasks of a “good soldier” they should ensure their shield is operational and ever in hand.

A shield is a defense whereby one is protected from that which otherwise could maim, dismember, or kill. The Roman army’s shield, the scutum, was referred to as “the legionaries’ central means of defense.” These shields were rectangular in form and slightly convex to deflect arrows or swords away from the soldier. They also were coated with thick leather and could thus repel such things as fire on the tip of an arrow. The size and shape of the scutum is said to have protected the vital parts of the soldiers’ body. Additionally, it allowed them to fight with more efficiency in close combat, even allowing soldiers to push the enemy backward and thus strike with the sword. Furthermore, the long, straight edges of the rectangle afforded soldiers the ability to stand side by side and provide protection for the entire unit, implemented by holding their shields together in a formation known as the testudo (or “tortoise”) formation. Thus equipped they could fight together under a cover of a “protective shell” held in place by each individual soldier. Each soldier’s shield protected not only themselves, but their fellow soldiers around them.

God desires spiritual success for everyone (1 Tim. 2:4). Those who faithfully finish the fight are guaranteed to hear the Lord invite them into Heaven on that final day (Matt. 10:22; 2 Tim. 4:7-8). The church, the army of the Lord, will gain entrance into that wondrous eternal abode and you can ensure that you are included in that number if you activate and cultivate a working, flourishing faith. The Roman army was widely successful because their culture implemented purposeful “training and discipline” and they fought “as a unit.” The faith which comes from God’s word (Rom. 10:17) and abounds within your person (John 8:31-32) can make you an indispensable soldier in the army of Christ. A working, flourishing faith allows you to simultaneously experience the protective power of God over your soul and express the mutually beneficial defense for the souls of others as you stand shoulder to shoulder for the Lord against the Adversary who will ultimately meet his demise while you live on in eternal security.

-Phil McIntosh