Shield of Faith

In ancient Greece the Spartans were known for their military prowess. There have been scores of stories written about their training and success in battle, with few being more impressive then the valiant effort of King Leonidas and the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae. Their will and desire for victory sustained them much longer than it should have
against the formidable force of Xerxes I and the vast Persian army. It is said that as they went off to battle that Spartan mother’s would tell their sons, “Come back with your shield, or on it.” The shield was a powerful tool for Sparta’s military and this charge to Sparta’s men ultimately meant, victory or death. Coming home with their shield meant they returned as a victorious hero while coming home on their shield signified they had fallen as a hero. To come back to Sparta without their shield would prove that they had taken the cowardly route and retreated. Whether or not this phrase was actually said to Sparta’s warriors is up for debate among some scholars, but the concept shows just how committed they were to the fight.

As Christians we constantly find ourselves in battle against the devil. He, as mentioned in 1 Peter 5:8, “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” How can we be prepared for such a fight? Ephesians 6:10-13 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” In the following verses it goes on to mention the armor that we are to use. In verse 16 it reads, “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked one.”

Just as the shield played an important role in the Spartan culture, it is a huge part of the Christian armor. The faith of a Christian guards him from what the devil has to offer, and just like Spartans we must go into battle with the mindset of coming home with our shield, or on it. We read in Hebrews 11:13 about those from times past who came home on their shield. “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” These faithful men and women were willing to die for their faith. They knew that this world was not their home and that the only way to truly go home to heaven was through their faith in God, even if that meant dying for it. They fully understood what we read in Romans 14:8 were it says, “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.” Their strength, perseverance, and faith was truly remarkable!

We are so wonderfully blessed that we are rarely (if ever) truly persecuted for our faith in the country in which we live. Some Christians around the world today are not so lucky. Nonetheless, we must never get complacent in battle. It is not physical and our weapons are not physical, but it is still very real. As we read in 2 Corinthians  10:4, “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” The only way we make it home to be with the Father in heaven is with our shield, or on it. As Paul reminds us in Philippians 1:21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Let us always keep our shield ready to withstand the wiles of the devil. Let us never let our faith waiver as the lion seeks after us. Let us always remember that “whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world- our faith” (1 John
5:4). May God bless you this week and may you always remember that  God is Greater!

Ben Stevenson