Men don’t always admit it, but deep inside, we all want to be heroes. We want to come through when it matters for our loved ones. In our own way we would love to be like Joshua or David or William Wallace leading the charge with a sword in our hand in the spiritual battle. Yet, instead of identifying with such great warriors on the front line, most of us feel like we are just the factory worker back home in the war effort, putting in our 8 plus hours a day, sharing home responsibilities with our wives, checking our social media, maybe grabbing an hour on Disney+ and starting the whole routine over again the next day. But thinking that your role in spiritual battle is insignificant is a lie from the Enemy. Christ has called you and me to follow him in his cause of defeating evil and establishing his righteous kingdom over every square inch of human hearts and lives. There is no other man who can replace you in your life, in the arenas you have been called to. If you leave your place in line, it will remain empty. You must be the hero in your own story. There is no extra or stunt man to fill in for you. Winning your spiritual battles matters. You will celebrate for eternity the ones you win tomorrow and the next day and the day after that because each victory has honored Christ. This episode examines how we protect ourselves from Satan’s fiery arrows by lifting up our shield of faith.
One thoughtful author writes, Behind the world and the flesh is an even more powerful enemy, one we rarely speak of and are even more less ready to resist. Yet, this is where we live now—on the front lines of a fierce spiritual war that is to blame for most of the casualties you see around you and most of the assault against you. It is time we prepared ourselves for it (John Eldredge, Wild at Heart).
There IS a dragon to be slain. Our loved ones do need us to be heroic and to fight for them, for ourselves, and for the honor of our King, Jesus Christ who has defeated Satan’s kingdom and claims this world as his own. Let’s learn from Ephesians 6:16 another truth about how to fight this battle: In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one. The Roman battle shield looked more like a door than a trash can lid. It was four feet tall and two and a half feet wide allowing the soldier to crouch completely behind it. It was covered with thick leather and metal, that could deflect incoming arrows.
Paul likens this protective shield to the Christian’s faith. Biblical faith is relentless confidence in the goodness of God’s character—that all of his dealings with us and those we love spring from the character of goodness and love—wanting what is best for us. This unwavering confidence in the goodness and love of God is what Satan relentlessly seeks to destroy. We see that in his attack on Eve and on Job.
A. Consider Eve. When we read God’s history of mankind—the Bible, we’ve barely gotten through creation in the first two chapters when we encounter Satan planting the one idea into Eve’s heart that is responsible for more human destruction than any other idea—the lie that God’s goodness can’t be trusted. When this wrong idea captured Eve’s heart, she rebelled, Adam rebelled with her, and humans have been rebelling against God and his law ever since. Satan’s chief strategy to inspire rebellion in Eve’s heart was to make her doubt God’s goodness. Let’s take a moment to study again this tactic of Satan used on Eve.
The Serpent said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Gen 3:2-5).
1. Notice that Satan actually begins the temptation by planting a complete fabrication into Eve’s mind, i.e. the possibility that this unfair God might have put all the delicious fruit trees in the garden just to make them miserable by not permitting them to eat ANY of them. His words, again, Did God really say you can’t eat from any tree. Even though God never said that, as Eve pointed out, Satan still planted the idea that God was the kind of being who could have done something so completely unfair.
2. Satan further undermined Eve’s confidence in God’s goodness by taking her focus off all the wonderful fruit God had given them to enjoy throughout the entire garden and directing her focus on one apparently unfair restriction. EVERY SINGLE other tree in the garden, with its lush fruit for Adam and Eve to enjoy proved God’s GOODNESS—his desire to bless them with GOOD gifts. Later, Jesus would remind us of this wonderful benevolent nature of God: Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him (Matt 7:9-11).
3. Satan’s attack on God’s goodness continues, For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” Satan insinuates that: 1) God’s motive is selfishness—he is keeping something good from her and Adam, all to himself, i.e. the knowledge of good and evil, and 2) God’s moral law is fundamentally a restriction on our happiness. Both undermine her confidence in the goodness of God. The truth of course is that his law is given to us out of his goodness—to guide us into blessing. King David said, I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life (Ps 119:93).
B. Satan’s tactics to destroy the faith of Job are different—he has the power to inflict enormous physical, emotional, and spiritual pain on Job. But his strategy is the same—to try to get him to curse God instead of trusting him. Job learns some humility, but Satan fails. In the midst of unfathomable pain, Job, says, Though he slay me, yet will I trust him (13:15). And God’s goodness, hidden for a season of affliction, bursts forth, again in the closing chapter of Job with the words, And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job….And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before (42:10) Inscribed on the shield of faith we need to raise against Satan’s attack on God’s goodness are the words, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust him.”
It is noteworthy that Paul begins this admonition to raise our shield of faith with “In all circumstances” (ESV). Because Satan’s desire is to create doubt in our hearts about God’s love for us, the fiery darts of doubt Satan sends our way often result from painful experiences and situations. Tony Evens, in his book, Victory in Spiritual Warfare, notes that Paul tells us to take up our armor in the evil day:
The evil day is the day that all hell breaks loose in your life—when you are under attack. It’s when the finances are so low that you don’t know how you are going to make it through the end of the week. It’s when you’ve lost your job. And there is no new job in sights. It’s when you are breaking down emotionally and have lost your passion for life. It’s when your marriage seems hopeless, your kids have turned away, your health deteriorates, your future looks bleak. It’s wen your friend has betrayed you, you’re overcome by an addiction or impulse, or life seems to deliver any other piercing stab.
In view of such trials, it is imperative to realize that FAITH is not an EMOTION; it is an act of the will. Any normal person encountering the difficult, sometimes heart-wrenching circumstances mentioned above will feel an array of emotions including doubts about God—perhaps discouragement, anger, frustration, disappointment, worry, fear, distrust, sorrow, insecurity, resentment, self-doubt, or grief. The feelings are not unbelief, itself, but put our faith to the test. Faith is a decision. It is choosing to trust God despite all the feelings and circumstances that severely undermine confidence in God’s love for you. I heard my son-in-law say through tears and the agony of a heart split open in grief, at the funeral of his 21-year old son, “Though God slay me, yet will I trust him.”
In my own life, in a crisis nowhere near as severe, but nevertheless real, I remember learning that faith is a decision to trust God. Our church was pursuing the crazy agenda of planting a daughter church while going through a building program at the same time. I was a circuit rider, traveling to the daughter church to preach at the 9:15 service, then driving to the mother church to preach at the 10:45 service. In the midst of this process, my lone associate pastor and his wife, both of whom my wife and I leaned upon heavily, felt called away to another ministry. It normally takes 12-18 months to replace a staff person in the church. I remember where I was standing right after I heard that news that Bill and Jeannette were leaving. Wrestling with the fear that I would fall apart emotionally under this stress, I realized I had to make a choice; either trust God or not. I said, “I choose to trust you, God.” Little did I know that within our own congregation was the man God would call to fill that staff position. Two weeks after the first associate and wife left, his replacement started (who, btw stayed at the church longer than I did.) God is worthy of our trust! Faith is not a feeling but a decision to trust God. Hebrews 11:1 tells us faith is the assurance of things hope for—confidence that God has a good purpose WHICH WILL BE REVEALED IN THE END, and the conviction of what is unseen—confidence THAT THOUGH UNSEEN, RIGHT NOW God is working everything together for my good.
There is one aspect of the Roman shield that is especially significant in our culture where men are often isolated. The shields were designed to lock together as mutual defense against the rain of enemy arrows. Stu Weber, in his book, Locking Arms, asks men, “Do you see the critical point here? This is the shield of faith, which by design is interlocked with the soldier next to you. This is the shield of faith utilized in community.” A few years ago, a friend discovered that his infant daughter had a very serious, life-threatening disease. I asked him what he learned about raising your shieled of faith through that experience. Here is what he wrote:
Our faith helped my wife and me deflect the attacks of fear, doubt and despair that we faced. While our faith stood secure in the midst of our trials, we learned how important it was to have the community of faith stand beside us to strengthen our resolve. Have you ever watched a movie showing warriors locking their shields together to block an arrow barrage? Sustaining faith through a major health crisis works this way. Mine was buttressed through these multiple health crises through the faith and prayers of brothers. Of course, the main linking of shields was with my wife, but the many texts, calls, and questions from brothers keeps me going. One brother would not accept "fine" or "okay". He insisted on being real and shared his struggles as well. That helps build faith. It strengthens your shield knowing your brothers are locking arms. I know they are with me and they know I am with them.
Six Reasons for Trusting God
(Components of a Shield of Faith Laminated Together)
1. Trust God because those who trust him will not be in want of any good thing. We will not come to God, if we believe his motive is to deprive us, wound us, or restrict our pleasure. Have you ever known someone who lost a parent through death or divorce and is bitter with God? We must be convinced that God wants what is best for us, or we won’t pursue him whole-heartedly. But God says, Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing (Ps 34:8-10).
2. Trust God because he is the God of all comfort (2 Cor 1:3). Allowing you to suffer does not mean he has closed his heart to you. God became flesh to be our Great High Priest, so that he understands the depths of our pain because he felt that pain himself. Jesus’ compassionate heart was proved for all time, when seeing the tears of Martha and Mary over the loss of their brother, his tears gushed forth even knowing he was about to bring Lazarus back from the dead. Jesus taught that grieving, whenever we encounter the pain brought about by the way sin has broken life in this world, is true godliness. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. So, we cannot weep without Jesus entering into our pain and feeling it himself. And having such compassion, he assures us that he will never test us beyond our ability to endure (1 Cor 10:13).
3. Trust God because every single frustration and trial in your life has a good purpose. We all can identify with Alexander and his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. His day started badly and grew worse. By evening he says, There were lima beans for dinner, and I hate limas. There was kissing on TV and I hate kissing. My bath was too hot, I got soap in my eyes, my marble went down the drain and I had to wear my railroad train pajamas. I hate my railroad train pajamas (by Judith Vorst). Every one of us has day’s like Alexander’s. As Christians, we realize God is sovereign. We know the promise of God in Romans 8:28, All things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. But we often forget the next verse, which explains HOW all this pain and frustration can be good. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. God’s purpose is to use trials and frustrations to build Christ-like character. We cannot become like Christ in our character without enduring pain. Pain is the fire that refines our inner attitudes. Like working out, present pain NOW leads to RICH SATISFACTION later (even in this life). Jesus taught that the deepest form of happiness (MAKARIOS), translated blessed in the beatitudes, results not from circumstances but from godly heart attitudes. There is truth to the phrase tough times don’t last; tough people do (and the satisfaction of enduring tough times outweighs the pain.)
4. Trust God because his love for us causes him to be commited to our eternal joy. We hate present pain, whether it’s the frustration of careful plans dashed, having our self-esteem trashed, unjust treatment, pouring ourselves into an effort that fails, or our body or our heart blaring, “I hurt.” But, from an eternal perspective, God sees that enduring pain now will lead to eternal joy. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison (2 Cor 4:17). He loves us too much to sacrifice eternal joy for present relief from pain.
5. Trust God because doing so is especially pleasing to him. In gratefulness for God’ grace, all that he does to forgive my sin, love me unconditionally and turn my evil heart to him, I want to please him. Hebrews 11 teaches HOW. Our FAITH is singled out as especially pleasing to God. Without faith it is impossible to please (God), for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him (vs 6). Trusting him is personal to God. He declares that our trust in him is more precious than gold. Both Peter and James tell us God, therefore, tests our faith. Peter writes, You have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Pet 1:6-7). James writes, Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness (James 1:2-3). The muscles of faith atrophy if they are not exercised. When it comes to your faith muscles, God plans on taking eternal delight in you being ripped. And so will you!
6. Trust God because he has already proved he is FOR US. In pop culture, taking something by faith is contrasted with having proof. Faith is believing in something even when there is no evidence for it. That is not the Biblical meaning of FAITH. In the famous verse, Romans 8:28, it is true that Christians are to believe that all things work together for good for them. But he goes on to give us the evidence upon which this faith rests: because God is FOR us. If God is for us, who can be against us/ (vs 31). In fact, in this eighth chapter Paul specifically tells us all three persons of the Trinity are FOR us. In verse 26, the Spirit himself intercedes FOR us with groanings too deep for words. In verse 32, he tells us that God the Father is FOR us, He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up FOR us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? In verse 34, Paul tells us God the Son is FOR us. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding FOR us. The reason our shield of faith protects us from Satan’s flaming arrows of doubt is that we are trusting a truth about God’s character, PROVEN by the facts: GOD IS FOR US
For Further Prayerful Thought:
1. For you, what is the hardest part of remembering that winning your spiritual battles matters?
2. What circumstances tend to be the occasion for you to doubt God’s goodness and whether following Christ is worth it?
3. Of the six aspect of our Faith Shield mentioned, which “Trust God because…” statement do you most want to remember?
