As we conclude our series on the Armor of God, we will end with the two pieces that will cause all the other pieces of armor always to be battle ready. They do not appear in consecutive order in the list from Ephesians 6:10-20, but I am associating them because I have found them to work as one.

Many teachers describe the Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) asthe only offensive weapon of the Armor of God. Personally, I think the Shieldof Faith is another. It is both an offensive and defensive tool because we useit to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. If you are extinguishingflaming arrows, there is some degree of aiming involved. If they are coming frombehind you, it wouldn’t do you any good to have your shield of faith infront of you. You just don’t stand there passively with this shield inyour hand; you need to move it in the direction of the attack.

You don’t have to agree with my conclusion of whether the Shield of Faithis an offensive weapon, but you do need to have faith to stand your ground. Inwhat is your faith? Romans 10:17 says, Consequently, faith comes from hearingthe message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. Do you seehow these two are really inseparable?

I witness a great deal of faith in this world. People have faith in the cosmeticindustry that the newest product will make them look better. They have faithin their employment that their jobs will last them until retirement. You evenare demonstrating faith in the chair you are sitting on not to break underneathyou.

We live by faith every day, but that’s not what it means to pick up theShield of Faith. When you take up the faith, you do it in unison with the Swordof the Spirit or the Word of God. Your faith is in the Word, no matter what yourcircumstances tell you. You believe that God will keep His promises in the totalscheme of things.

Yes, little boys lose their mothers to death by cancer even after you have prayedwith more faith than ever in your life. It was right for you to pray by faithfor that mother’s healing. You should not put your shield of faith down,though, if she dies. You must keep your faith not in what you see, but in God’sWord. God is not a liar, so if He says that He heals the sick, you must believethat this healing will take place in His wisdom. God has the bigger picture inmind when He gives us His Word. He told Abraham that he would inherit the landof Canaan. When Abraham died the only part of the land that he owned was thetomb where he buried his wife. Abraham did receive the land, but not during hislifetime on earth. All the promises that were made to Him were fulfilled in God’stiming. Our physical death on this earth is not the end of God’s fulfillmentof His promises in our lives. It takes faith to believe that what we see hereon earth is not all there is. Faith is believing the Word of God.

Put on your armor every day. Buckle the Belt of Truth around your waist to centeryourself as you stand. Acknowledge the Breastplate of Righteousness that waswon for you by Christ’s death on the cross. Feel the assurance on whichyou stand by having your feet fitted in readiness from the gospel of peace. Takeup your Shield of Faith and extinguish all those fiery darts that will come toyou today telling you that God is a liar. Take your Helmet of Salvation and yoursword of the Spirit—the Word of God from the hands of God Himself. Standfirm as long as you have breath. Remember the victory is won and your job isto stand until Jesus comes back to establish His earthly Kingdom. It is a fight,but you are more than well-protected by this armor.