City Life Starter

Written by Blesson Selvanesan

The Word

⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 

Ephesians 6:16 (NKJV)

Interpretation

In Ephesians, Apostle Paul lays out a path for Christian living. He teaches how to live a Christian life to all sorts of people and exhorts them to lead a righteous life. He also reminds everyone that our lives have meaning and purpose and have cosmic consequences and reminds us that we are all in a spiritual battle field. All of us have a role in this battle against the cosmic evil force led by Satan. It is easy to get bogged down with the day to day lives and forget about the overall picture. He reminds us that the world we live in is still a battle field and we need to be well equipped to fight. If we are not prepared we will lose. He brings in the analogy of a well-equipped soldier who is in his battle fatigues.

The shield is an essential and important defensive weapon. It is also versatile and maneuverable which means it can be moved anywhere to cover and protect the body where an attack is on its way. A shield is essential even if the whole body is covered with armored body suit because it can block and provide a primary line of defense even before an attack comes close to the body. Shields can take multiple hits but it will not harm the body and gives time for the use of the sword, which is an offensive weapon.

Faith in God of the Bible is like a shield and it shields from the enemy’s attack. Faith comes by hearing His word (II Corinthians 5:17). This is a protection offered by God for those who believe in Him and hear His word. It would be foolish to enter into a battlefield field without proper defenses. It is also interesting to note that highly skilled warriors and commanders had specialized armor bearers who carried shields to protect them.

Application

Listen to God’s word and create a shield for yourself. This will protect us from the attacks of the enemy. We need to exercise regularly to build our spiritual muscles, we need to hear the word of God regularly to keep our faith in Christ strong. Faith will shield us and others surrounding us from the fiery darts of the enemy.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, Thank You for teaching us to fight. Help us to fight our battles realizing that You have already won the victory for us. Fill us with faith so that we can shield ourselves and others. In Jesus name, amen.