“Shield of Faith” Ephesians 6:16
The pastor, the youth minister and chairman of deacons were out in a boat fishing on the lake. They ran out of bait so the pastor “Stay here guys, we don’t want to lose our spot.” With that he got up got out of the boat walked on the water to shore and walked back to the boat. The chairman of deacons was astonished at the faith of his pastor.
Well later they were getting hungry but the fish were really biting and they didn’t want to lose their spot so the youth minister got out of the boat and walked on the water to the shore got lunch and walked back with lunch. Soon they ran out of bait again and the chairman of deacons thought to himself, “Wait a minute! I know that I have just as much faith as these guys!” The pastor said, “I’ll run get some more bait.” The chairman of deacons said “Oh no you won’t. I believe that I have just as much faith as you two, so I will go get the bait!” Not wishing to be shown up by his two fishing partners the chairman of deacons stepped out of the boat and sank like rock.
The pastor looked at the youth minister and said, “Do you think we should have told him where the stumps are?”
There seems to be a great deal of misunderstanding about faith today.
Today I want us to understand what faith is and what it’s not.
For some see faith as nothing more than positive thinking. They believe they can change things through powerful positive thoughts.
Some see faith as a leap in the dark unknown. We call it taking the “Leap of faith.”
Others see faith as some mysterious and unseen force that can be used to make God do what we want.
What I have found faith to be is Jesus telling me where the stumps are!
Faith is not based on some blind belief it is based on a Personal relationship with Jesus.
Faith is not positive thinking it is a placing my trust in a person, Jesus Christ!!
Faith is tied directly to the truth and faithfulness of God.
In the first half of Paul’s letter he is speaking to us about a principled faith. If you daily feed your faith with God’s word and spend time with Him your faith will be able to resist the fiery darts of the devil.
In the second half of this letter Paul tells us about a practical faith. A faith that works.
Paul says we are to take up the shield of faith. This verb is in the active voice in the Greek which makes clear that it is our choice to do this. So what exactly are we taking up?
Faith is believing what God says is true. If you honestly read the Old and New Testament you will find that faith is always tied to your feet.
Proverbs 18:10 “The name of Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected.”
Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.”
Psalms 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”
Ephesians 2:10 We are to walk in good works
Romans 13:13 “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.” ESV
Genesis 6:9 “These are the family records of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among his contemporaries; Noah walked with God.”
What we discover from these passages is that faith is acting like God is telling the truth!! The roman shield was approximately 3 to 4 foot tall and at least 2.5 to 3 foot wide. It was designed to fully cover a soldier if they were kneeling behind it. It could also be linked to other shields to protect an entire group of soldiers. It only worked if they acted on its ability to protect!
I. Faith is acting on God’s Word not what you see.
Have you ever discovered that fiery darts the devil shoots at us are designed to hide God’s gracious face from us? The tools of the devil are designed to get us to look away from the faithfulness and truthfulness of God. Do you remember what the Devil said about Job?!
Job 1:9-11 God if you will take his stuff away He will turn from you and curse you!
Job 2:4-5 attack his health and he will curse you!
Twice the devil said God if you make him face something hard and hurtful he will not trust you. Church our trust in God should not be dependent on what we face. The devil seeks to get you to think God doesn’t love you because times are hard and people are hurtful. Listen to me God is faithful even if all hell breaks loose around you. Whatever we face faith is acting like God is telling the truth.
The devils fiery darts are doubt and fear. What do we learn from David?
1 Samuel 17:33 We see the Worlds point of view you can’t fight this Philistine Saul says he’s been a warrior from his youth. Faith isn’t about what we face but what God says!
1 Samuel 17:34-37, 45-47 David saw Goliath not as a problem too big to face. David saw Him as a problem to be faced in God’s power.
You may be thinking, I have cancer, God says I am the Lord your healer I can take it out or take your through. I have financial problems, God says I am the Lord your provider, My kids are a mess, I am God your Father, My marriage is a wreck, I am the Lord who can restore!
God is bigger than any person or problem you face. If we ever read God’s word we would find His promises. We would find that nothing is too big for God!! It is when we act like God is telling the truth that problems and people become small. Obstacles become opportunities to trust God’s abilities to save, protect, provide, restore and sustain us. Your problems are no problem for God!
When you face situations and struggles do you go to God’s word for truth about what you face?
II. Faith is acting on God’s Word not how you feel.
Feelings don’t necessarily deal with truth they all too often distort the truth. In Psalm 42:5 David even said “Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.”
Our emotions are the shallowest and most easily affected by fiery darts. Before the Roman soldiers went to battle they would soak their shields in water. The shields were several layers of wood much like our plywood today covered with up to 7 layers of leather. Soaking them in water made it possible to extinguish the fiery darts so they didn’t splatter badly wounding the soldiers. Is there anything in the Bible that talks about water for our shields?
A symbol for the word of God is water in the old and the new. If our faith is going to extinguish the devils darts it must be daily washed in the word of God. (Ephesians 5:26) (read).
David said regardless of how I feel I will praise Him. If you want to control you emotions start with praising God. Our emotional state can lead us to discouragement, divorce, suicide. Surrender those emotions to God as you praise Him. What do we praise God for? Psalm 150 the breath He gave us. The salvation he bought for us. His presence He offers to us. His faithful promises. Trust God, tell Him how you feel and practice praising Him in your pain and pleasure!
AR Satan wants to cripple me and then blame me for limping.
III. Faith is acting on God’s Word not what you know.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Most simply said God’s will is what He wants for us.
How do we seek His will? We search His word!! 1 thess 5:18, 1 Thess 4:3, 1 Peter 2:5, Ephesians 5:17-18
Luke 5:1-8 If there was one thing that Peter understood it was fishing. Fishing was his life. He was probably fishing as soon as he was walking.
Look at what Peter says. Jesus we have been fishing all night and caught nothing. Translation. Jesus I know how to do this. I know where the fish are you stick to sermons.
Sometimes we know too much. We cannot lean on our own understanding. God works in a realm that is above and beyond us.
Was Peters understanding complete? Is our understanding ever really complete? No! God wants us to know that he understands more than we do.
Its like having a child. If any of your remember when you were a child and teenager you thought your parents were the dumbest people in the world. What you discovered was that as you grew older you didn’t understand everything. In fact your parents may have told you, you will not understand until you have children!!
How do we change our understanding? Look to what God says about an Issue. His word the Bible speaks to every situation either specifically or in principle. Seek His will and understanding. That means take time in His word. Accept and appropriate His promises!
God says build and ark our understanding says, “it has never rained.” Faith says how big God
God says build a building our un says, “We don’t have the money.” Faith says when and where and what should it look like?
God says stay in your marriage, “fear says its too messed up.” Faith says only by your strength
God says abandon that addiction, “fear says I’ve tried that too many times.” Faith says forsaking all I trust Him.
God says get into ministry to widows and orphans, “I don’t feel called to that.” Faith says how can we start”
Faith is learning to live in our weakness so that we may depend on God.
Conclusion: Taking the shield of faith means acting like God is telling the truth. Taking Him at His word. If you think you can take up the shield of faith while overtly disobeying him you are fooling yourself. Jas 1:22
Footsteps reveal faith – The footsteps of the righteous, walk by faith and not by sight, walk worthy of the gospel.
There is life in the path of righteousness, but another path leads to death. What do you do with a path? You walk on it. What do you do with truth and God’s word? You live by it!
