This past weekend, my sweet grandchildren convinced my hubby to get the large water slide out, along with all the water guns and toys for the summer season. We could not go anywhere, and it was 89 degrees out! In the slew of toys, there were water boards (or boogie boards) that they decided they would use as shields along with the water guns. It was adorable. They kept saying "I don't care if you are trying to shoot me, I have the shield!"
I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard my grandson say this. You see, for the previous two weeks I had been reflecting on the Shield of Faith in the attributes of the Armor of God. I could not get it out of my head. I kept re-reading the Scripture in Eph. 6 about it. I would dig deep in research and commentaries about it.
"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one" (Eph. 6:16).
What I learned about the shield was intriguing. In the days of Paul, the shield was as big as a man. (Actually, I might be too small to even carry it.) It was to cover the warrior and wear off any fire or storm of arrows thrown at it. You see, the arrows had hot pitch (resin or animal fat) on the end of the arrow to light them. This was in hopes to set opponents or items on fire to deter any fighting back.
If a group of warriors gathered together, they could and would put their shields together, side by side, some interlocking. Some warriors would kneel, some would stand or crouch. As a team, they would stand together and wear off the enemy. They stood this way so that, in a split second, one at a time, they could stand or lean to the side in a "window" of space to shoot back at the coming offender. This method of combining their shields provided a better protection than each soldier standing alone.
This is a fantastic visual image of how we as Christians, according to God's design, are to stand together to fight—not try to do it on our own.
In the Scripture, the shield represents our faith. The arrows or flames represent anything that can stop our spiritual growth or give us doubt. Satan loves it when we have doubt, worry, division, fear, and the list goes on. As C.S. Lewis wrote in The Screwtape Letters (as a demon telling Wormwood, the demon apprentice), "It is funny how mortals always picture us as putting things into their minds: in reality our best work is done by keeping things out."
This is exactly what Satan is hoping for times like the one we are going through now. He hopes that we will shrink down and withdraw. He hopes that we will not join an online life group, he hopes that we have too many home projects to do to read our devotions, he hopes that we will binge on the latest specials and will not have time for prayer.
I encourage you to leverage what you do during this time. If you are not plugged in to a group, work on that. Memorize Scripture. Think how you can minister to those around you differently and more strategically. In one of the groups we are in, we encourage each other to reach out to our neighbors or seniors nearby to pick up their groceries, mow their lawn, or make them food and leave it on the front porch. You could text or call to pray for them, make cards for senior groups or homes and mail them, or call friends to check up on them.
This is the time. We have a front row seat to show people who might not have listened before who our Jesus is. We are in the front pew—we have the opportunity to see what our Jesus is doing and going to do. We will be able to step back in a few months and years and say "Wow, look at what our God did through this." Friends, our hope does not come from Capitol Hill, our hope comes from Calvary Hill. Let's use this time to dig deep in His word and link our shields together.
Cheryl Simmons is the Director of Development for the Global Church Developer, ICM, where she is the lead with the Women's Initiative. She is an avid student, currently working on a degree with Southeastern Seminary. Cheryl has lived all over the country in the past 15 years, with her husband, multiple children, and very needy dog.
