How Faith Protects you

Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

You ever wonder how faith can keep the assaults from hurting you? When Paul used the language of flaming arrows he was talking about arrows that could hurt you not just if they hit you, but also if they landed near you. The soldiers only defense against flaming arrows was to have a shield that almost covered them from head to toe. This shield could be used to protect the part of the body that was being assaulted at that time. The shield was so important that a Roman soldier would count it a badge of honor to always return with his shield. The soldier knew that although he may lose his sword he still had a fighting chance if he had his shield.

Faith can be that shield for us as we are assaulted everyday by messages that bring fear, doubt and confusion. It is estimated that we receive 60,000 audio and visual messages every day. With that much coming at us it is important that we keep our faith no matter what comes down the information highway.

So how do we keep our faith in the midst of everything else going on around us?

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Some versions say "must believe that He is," I think that is a better translation because we believe in God and that He is who He says He is, He will do what He says He will do. If I really believed that God is, then I would not fret over anything no matter what is happening to me. If you look at all the Christian Martyrs who suffered for believing in Jesus Christ, you have to ask what kept them strong? It was their faith. Hebrews 11 is full of people who trusted God even though they died for what they believed.

Many people say they have faith in God but their actions do not demonstrate it. If you have faith that God is, then you will not be shaken when the flaming arrows of life go flying by and even direct hit your shield of faith. What the enemy knows if he can remove your shield of faith then it will be easier to destroy you.

“Faith is only as reliable and helpful as the trustworthiness of its object.” John MacArthur

You cross a bridge because you trust the object, you trust the chair you sit in because you trust the object. If you trust who God is then you will place all of your faith in Him, because it is Him, not because what He has or has not done. Just like Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."

To lean means to place all your weight on Him. Not half way, not testing the strength under pressure, and not bailing when things get where you do not understand. Trusting Him will lead to faith, and it is through faith that He is pleased because by demonstrating faith you are acknowledging who He is. Basically, you are saying, God I trust you no matter what the circumstances because you are trustworthy.

Walking by faith protects you because it keeps you from being scared,discouraged or confused by all the danger because you know you have a shield.