Take Up the Shield of Faith
Ephesians 6:16 (ESV)
16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
Friends,
I sit at my desk as we wait yet again in anticipation or more rain and severe weather on the way. I had a brief conversation with a neighbor who is in great anxiety over the weather coming and was reminded of Ephesians 6:16. We often refer to these verses in the letter to the Ephesians as the armor of God. This verse specifically refers to the shield of faith.
What is this faith specifically? The world would define faith as believing in something you don’t see, which is true to an extent, but this faith is different. It’s not just believing there is a God, it’s not believing even that He will take care of you, but it is the Greek word “pistis” which literally means: “trust in Jesus as contained in the content of the Gospel.”
Faith isn’t merely believing in God, but it is trusting the one true God of scripture. It’s not just believing the god our flesh tends to build in our minds that’s a lot like us, but it’s the one true God revealed in scripture.
The God of scripture has the power to protect you. The God of scripture makes a way for you to cease being an enemy of God through your wicked works to an adopted son or daughter of God through repentance and faith in Jesus as contained in the content of the Gospel. God cares for his adopted son’s and daughters.
The more you know the one true God of the Bible, the more you will naturally trust him to be with you through the winds of the storm, to provide for you as you do what is right, and even if things get really bad, to hold your hand as you transition from this life and the life to come. The one true God of the Bible alone is Awesome. You can trust Him!
Take up your shield of faith. When the sea gets rough, be comforted, He is there!