This is the third in a series of blogs on Faith as a part of the Armor of God.
As stated before, faith is essential for us as we serve because it fixes our resolve to stand firm in our position in Christ. It is our shield to repel the fiery arrows of criticism and doubt thrown at us by the world, and to give us the resolve needed to forge ahead in our quest to serve the Lord.
The shield was one piece of the armor provided to the Roman soldier by the military command they served. The military leaders trained each soldier on the proper use of the shield based on their collective experiences. If the soldier trusted their leaders the soldier would then use the shield as instructed. However, the soldier could choose not to use the shield when deployed; or choose to use it differently than instructed. Obviously, the soldier would then need to deal with any consequences resulting from their choice.
As Christians our Lord instructs us on how to use the armor He provides through the Bible. These instructions guide us on how to think and on what to do or not do. As we grow in our knowledge of God’s word, our faith in His word grows and we learn how to apply our shield of faith in daily experiences. As we encounter each situation in life we are faced with a choice. We can choose to use our shield as the Lord instructed, or we can choose our own path by lowering our shield or abandoning it altogether.
When the Israelites were ready to enter the promised land after leaving Egypt, they faced the same choice. In Joshua 24:14-15 their leader Joshua challenged them, “So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Many today put their trust in liberal philosophies, the environment, the government, or false religions. So much so, that Christians who share their faith are harshly criticized and de-humanized. These fiery arrows of criticism lead to doubt and uncertainty for Christians who lower or abandon their shield of faith.
Jeremiah 17:5-10 provides insight into those who put their hope and confidence in the Lord. We are told, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.’”
The consequences of following human wisdom result in living like the stunted shrubs planted in the desert that live on the edge of extinction. Those who put their trust in things of the world are unsettled by anything that they feel jeopardizes their fragile security, and they desperately attack and fight to preserve what they trust in.
In contrast are those who put their trust in the Lord. They are like trees with deep roots, unshakable, and firmly rooted in the peace and eternal security that the Lord provides. In Romans 8:24-25 we are told, “We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)”
By choosing to use the shield of faith Christians can stand firm against anything with hope and confidence in the one true God; shaken not stirred.
________
All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Comments