The shield...

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

Ephesians 6:16

We have been going through the armor in great detail, and now we arrive at the largest piece (in a literal, physical sense).  It is the one thing that people always think of when going into combat.  It is the one dream we all have for protection.  It is something that all warriors throughout time have attempted to perfect: our shield.

Many people will think back to the days of knights, remembering long, full-body shields.  Others will think more to the times of the Trojans, with warriors who carried small and agile, yet solid shields, so that there movements would not be hindered.  But me... I think of starship shields.  Any of you who share my love of space-based TV have heard the call for "Shields up!"  And this, I believe, would be a more accurate description, given the fact that this shield is not of this world.  This shield comes from our faith, and it is empowered directly by the Spirit, and therefore is not merely a frontal covering.  It is all-encompassing!

There are two levels of it, though, and those must be explained briefly.  First, there is the ever-present navigational shield, which (in a spacial sense) would keep random debris from tearing through the ship as it moves about.  This shield is always on, and never, ever goes away.  If it did, the ship would be ripped to shreds by space dust and small fragments of rock.  The second type is defensive or battle shielding, which is called up during an attack or percieved danger.  This is far stronger, but not always on. 

The main reason I think of it this way, and people will identify with this statement and then forget it, is that the enemy recognizes those times when he cannot prevail from a frontal assault.  He knows, at those times, that the shield is firmly in place, and he sees his arrows failing.  It is in those times that a small, seemingly insignificant and supposedly random thought creeps in through our subconscious.  That thought then turns into an idea.  That idea aids in formulating a plan.  And all the while, the brain rationalizes it as "random" or "excuseable," because nothing has actually been done about it... yet.  (For some reason, the song "Slow Fade" comes to mind... hmm.)

However, if we think of the shield as it should be, then we know that our flanks and back are covered.  We know that the power of the Spirit envelopes us, and that those small arrows which are shot at us from behind will be guarded against, as well.  And please note, the enemy is without honor, and he will shoot you straight in the back when you are not paying attention.  This, above any other reason, is why you should take this shield with you at all times, without fail.  Remember that the enemy knows your weakest point... and so does the Lord!  If you give that over and carry the shield, your weakness will make His strength perfect!

Take a moment today to ponder over where we are in this study, and reflect upon your belt... your breastplate... your feet... and your shield.  Take the necessary time to really dig in and pray over each of these Spiritual Armaments.  And recognize that your shield must be on against the attack at all times, everywhere, in front of everyone.  Remember back tot he beginning of this section: it is not the people we fight, but the negative influences that overcome them.  Keep your shield up, pray for all you encounter, continually encourage others to do the same and honor the Lord in doing so!

God bless you all!!!