Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them
that put their trust in him.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
As Christians, we are in a spiritual battle with an enemy known as the
devil! Ephesians, chapter 8, speaks of the armor that is given to the
Believer. In this article, we are going to examine how the Lord is our
Shield and how our faith in Him is our shield.
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
The Christian life is not a walk through the daisies. Just as soldiers must
walk through territories where the enemy is hiding, so must the Christian
walk. Our enemy, the devil, lies in wait for us. He is hiding behind every
side, throwing fiery arrows at us. We are given a spiritual armor in which
to fight this battle. We are to stand in our spiritual armor, which is Christ
Jesus. THE LORD is our shield. The Lord is our Deliverer. The Lord is
our protection for we have put our trust in Him.
The Bible tells us to take up the shield of faith. Faith in the Lord is what
we need in this battle-- Not faith in a pastor, not faith in your local church
but faith in Jesus. Your pastor might let you down, your church may let
you down, but Jesus will never let you down.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, "...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen."
Who is Jesus to you? Faith in the Lord will get us through the troubles of
this life. Faith in the Lord is what we need for He will protect us from
ALL the fiery darts of the devil. We must not put our confidence in man,
for man will make mistakes. But our faith must be in the Lord, who will
shield us from the enemy and will deliver us from the enemy. "Our
Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
WHEN TROUBLES COME OUR WAY
Many times, Christians tend to go to everyone but the Lord when troubles
come.
Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart
trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth;
and with my song will I praise him.
Our faith must be in Christ Jesus. He is our Intercessor and Mediator
between God and man. 1Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the
Father.
Through Jesus, we have access to the Heavenly Father. Jesus is our High
Priest and Hebrews 4:16 tells us, "Let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to
help in time of need."
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access
by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of God.
Psalm 115:9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and
their shield.
The Lord truly is our shield and He shelters us in the dangers of this life.
It doesn't mean that we shall not have danger but He protects us from the
enemy's snare in the midst of the battles of our life. Jesus never promised
us a life without trouble. He said in John 16:33, "These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye
shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world."
ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD
The Lord works all things out for our good, and if we believe this, we will
not get discouraged when troubles come our way, for our faith is planted
firmly in Him. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose.
Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us, and if we would only trust in
Him-- put our faith in Him in all matters, we would see that He has our
best interests at heart.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes, we do not know what is best for us, but God knows and
when we pray for the Heavenly Father's will in our lives, we see that His
will is best for us in the long run. He alone knows the future and He will
see us through whatever hard times come our way.
1John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we
ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
As Christians, we have seen the Lord's hand in our own lives so many
times. When we pray for the Father's will, He hears us. "Thy will be
done..."
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your
fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my
name, he may give it you.
Luke 12:27-28 [Jesus said] Consider the lilies how they grow: they
toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the
grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the
oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Deut 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid
of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he
will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Psalm 115:11 Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their
help and their shield.
When we pray according to the Father's will, he hears us. The Lord will
help us through every battle that we face. Remember we have the shield
of faith for protection because WE ARE IN A BATTLE. As long as our
faith is in the Lord, we will walk in victory. It's when we start leaning
upon our own rationalization and our own way of thinking that gets us in
trouble.
BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT
1Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions
are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
A soldier who lets his shield down in the midst of the battle was a soldier
unprotected from enemy arrows and unprotected from the enemy's
sword. A soldier without a shield was a vulnerable soldier. And so is the
Christian who has lost hope and lost faith in their God. Remember that
whatever rough battle you are going through at the moment, God is your
shield. Put your faith in Him to see you through and do not lose heart.
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Ephesians 5:19-20 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
God uses circumstances in our lives to bring us closer to Him and to a
better place spiritually. He also uses situations that can bring us earthly
blessings too. When you pray, believe God. Put your hope in Him.
The late Pastor John R. Rice wrote:
"Having faith about a particular matter means confidence that there is a
God and believes that He hears and answers prayer...One cannot know
God except as he comes to know this blessed attribute of His -- He is a
God who hears prayers."
WE SHOULD NEVER DOUBT THE LORD
Deut 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be
with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither
be dismayed.
One may lose his current job and question, "Why Lord?" but what this
Christian does not know is that his particular place of employment will be
closing shop next year. By him losing his job, God is able to provide him
with a more secure place of employment where there is job security. So
what may look hopeless in the beginning turns out to be a blessing in the
end, but the devil would have you to think that God has abandoned you.
The devil is always trying to discourage the Christian by causing doubt.
2Cor 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not
ignorant of his devices.
We should never doubt the Lord. Where He leads us, we will follow for
we have put our trust in Him. We read God's Word and by reading His
Word, we have faith in Him. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to
them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose." The road we travel, as Christians, always leads us to a better
place. When we put our faith in the Lord and trust in Him for everything,
we find that in His timing, all things work together for our good.
1Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Psalm 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour
wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Sometimes, we get in our comfort zone and do not want to venture out
into the path that the Lord wants to lead us on. We settle down in a
routine or a job and think, "This is the life." But God has even a better
plan. If only we would follow His leading and be in tune with what He
wants for us. The Lord knows what is best for His children and we, as
His children, need to trust Him more. He knows what is best. He has a
plan and no matter what comes our way, Jesus is our loving Good
Shepherd who leads us and guides us. Our faith must be in Him. He is our
shield in times of trouble and confusion.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life.
We are all traveling this cobblestone road of life together and God is going
before us each and every step of the way. The most wonderful thing
about fellowship and prayer with other Christian Believers is that all can
put their shields of faith together, creating a wall and a roof of protection
during the devil's attack.
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
As with any army, there is strength in numbers but the army is only as
good as the weapons they possess. The Christian must have the shield of
faith-- faith in Christ.
Psalm 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee:
for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
KEEPING OUR EYES UPON JESUS
The LORD truly is our shield and our faith in Him is also our shield in
times of trouble. Keeping our eyes on Jesus will help us to see more
clearly the path before us-- for He alone lights our path. Jesus is the
Light of the world. Our faith in Him shields us from the enemy's snare.
Don't let doubt creep into your life-- trust in the Lord -- for only He can
do the impossible!
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will
give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that
walk uprightly.
Copyright © 2004 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved
FURTHER READING:
Wrapped In God's Love
Trust in God, Hope in God
Do You Have Time For The Lord?
Give Your Burdens To The Lord
Running The Christian Race
The Bible Cure For Doubting Christians
that put their trust in him.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
As Christians, we are in a spiritual battle with an enemy known as the
devil! Ephesians, chapter 8, speaks of the armor that is given to the
Believer. In this article, we are going to examine how the Lord is our
Shield and how our faith in Him is our shield.
Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be
able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
The Christian life is not a walk through the daisies. Just as soldiers must
walk through territories where the enemy is hiding, so must the Christian
walk. Our enemy, the devil, lies in wait for us. He is hiding behind every
side, throwing fiery arrows at us. We are given a spiritual armor in which
to fight this battle. We are to stand in our spiritual armor, which is Christ
Jesus. THE LORD is our shield. The Lord is our Deliverer. The Lord is
our protection for we have put our trust in Him.
The Bible tells us to take up the shield of faith. Faith in the Lord is what
we need in this battle-- Not faith in a pastor, not faith in your local church
but faith in Jesus. Your pastor might let you down, your church may let
you down, but Jesus will never let you down.
Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, "...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the
end of the world. Amen."
Who is Jesus to you? Faith in the Lord will get us through the troubles of
this life. Faith in the Lord is what we need for He will protect us from
ALL the fiery darts of the devil. We must not put our confidence in man,
for man will make mistakes. But our faith must be in the Lord, who will
shield us from the enemy and will deliver us from the enemy. "Our
Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom
come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen."
WHEN TROUBLES COME OUR WAY
Many times, Christians tend to go to everyone but the Lord when troubles
come.
Psalm 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart
trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth;
and with my song will I praise him.
Our faith must be in Christ Jesus. He is our Intercessor and Mediator
between God and man. 1Tim 2:5 For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Eph 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the
Father.
Through Jesus, we have access to the Heavenly Father. Jesus is our High
Priest and Hebrews 4:16 tells us, "Let us therefore come boldly unto
the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to
help in time of need."
Romans 5:1-2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access
by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the
glory of God.
Psalm 115:9 O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and
their shield.
The Lord truly is our shield and He shelters us in the dangers of this life.
It doesn't mean that we shall not have danger but He protects us from the
enemy's snare in the midst of the battles of our life. Jesus never promised
us a life without trouble. He said in John 16:33, "These things I have
spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye
shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world."
ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD
The Lord works all things out for our good, and if we believe this, we will
not get discouraged when troubles come our way, for our faith is planted
firmly in Him. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose.
Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us, and if we would only trust in
Him-- put our faith in Him in all matters, we would see that He has our
best interests at heart.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Sometimes, we do not know what is best for us, but God knows and
when we pray for the Heavenly Father's will in our lives, we see that His
will is best for us in the long run. He alone knows the future and He will
see us through whatever hard times come our way.
1John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we
ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name
of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
As Christians, we have seen the Lord's hand in our own lives so many
times. When we pray for the Father's will, He hears us. "Thy will be
done..."
John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and
ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your
fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my
name, he may give it you.
Luke 12:27-28 [Jesus said] Consider the lilies how they grow: they
toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all
his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the
grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the
oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
Deut 31:6 Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid
of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he
will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Psalm 115:11 Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their
help and their shield.
When we pray according to the Father's will, he hears us. The Lord will
help us through every battle that we face. Remember we have the shield
of faith for protection because WE ARE IN A BATTLE. As long as our
faith is in the Lord, we will walk in victory. It's when we start leaning
upon our own rationalization and our own way of thinking that gets us in
trouble.
BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT
1Peter 5:8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil,
as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions
are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
A soldier who lets his shield down in the midst of the battle was a soldier
unprotected from enemy arrows and unprotected from the enemy's
sword. A soldier without a shield was a vulnerable soldier. And so is the
Christian who has lost hope and lost faith in their God. Remember that
whatever rough battle you are going through at the moment, God is your
shield. Put your faith in Him to see you through and do not lose heart.
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
Ephesians 5:19-20 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the
Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
God uses circumstances in our lives to bring us closer to Him and to a
better place spiritually. He also uses situations that can bring us earthly
blessings too. When you pray, believe God. Put your hope in Him.
The late Pastor John R. Rice wrote:
"Having faith about a particular matter means confidence that there is a
God and believes that He hears and answers prayer...One cannot know
God except as he comes to know this blessed attribute of His -- He is a
God who hears prayers."
WE SHOULD NEVER DOUBT THE LORD
Deut 31:8 And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be
with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither
be dismayed.
One may lose his current job and question, "Why Lord?" but what this
Christian does not know is that his particular place of employment will be
closing shop next year. By him losing his job, God is able to provide him
with a more secure place of employment where there is job security. So
what may look hopeless in the beginning turns out to be a blessing in the
end, but the devil would have you to think that God has abandoned you.
The devil is always trying to discourage the Christian by causing doubt.
2Cor 2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not
ignorant of his devices.
We should never doubt the Lord. Where He leads us, we will follow for
we have put our trust in Him. We read God's Word and by reading His
Word, we have faith in Him. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to
them that love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose." The road we travel, as Christians, always leads us to a better
place. When we put our faith in the Lord and trust in Him for everything,
we find that in His timing, all things work together for our good.
1Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Psalm 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favour
wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
Sometimes, we get in our comfort zone and do not want to venture out
into the path that the Lord wants to lead us on. We settle down in a
routine or a job and think, "This is the life." But God has even a better
plan. If only we would follow His leading and be in tune with what He
wants for us. The Lord knows what is best for His children and we, as
His children, need to trust Him more. He knows what is best. He has a
plan and no matter what comes our way, Jesus is our loving Good
Shepherd who leads us and guides us. Our faith must be in Him. He is our
shield in times of trouble and confusion.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy
faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of
God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal
life.
We are all traveling this cobblestone road of life together and God is going
before us each and every step of the way. The most wonderful thing
about fellowship and prayer with other Christian Believers is that all can
put their shields of faith together, creating a wall and a roof of protection
during the devil's attack.
Eph 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
As with any army, there is strength in numbers but the army is only as
good as the weapons they possess. The Christian must have the shield of
faith-- faith in Christ.
Psalm 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee:
for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
KEEPING OUR EYES UPON JESUS
The LORD truly is our shield and our faith in Him is also our shield in
times of trouble. Keeping our eyes on Jesus will help us to see more
clearly the path before us-- for He alone lights our path. Jesus is the
Light of the world. Our faith in Him shields us from the enemy's snare.
Don't let doubt creep into your life-- trust in the Lord -- for only He can
do the impossible!
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
Psalm 84:11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will
give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that
walk uprightly.
Copyright © 2004 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved
FURTHER READING:
Wrapped In God's Love
Trust in God, Hope in God
Do You Have Time For The Lord?
Give Your Burdens To The Lord
Running The Christian Race
The Bible Cure For Doubting Christians
What does this exactly mean? In times past, a shield was
used by soldiers in times of battle. One did not walk
around with a shield in peace times. It was in battle that
the shield was used as a DEFENSIVE piece of armor,
crucial for the soldier's survival. The shield was held up
against the body to protect oneself from the enemy's
offensive weapons.
used by soldiers in times of battle. One did not walk
around with a shield in peace times. It was in battle that
the shield was used as a DEFENSIVE piece of armor,
crucial for the soldier's survival. The shield was held up
against the body to protect oneself from the enemy's
offensive weapons.
| GOD IS OUR SHIELD |
