Taking the Shield of Faith

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. ^{Eph. 6:16 KJV} 

Still focusing on the armor of God, we are commanded to put on to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might, we are instructed to take the shield of faith so that we are able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  Victory over the enemy and sin has been accomplished and we need to exercise our faith in order for us to be continuously in this position.

We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not. ^{1 Jn. 5:18 KJV}

The word “believeth” denotes the act and process of faith. It comes from the Greek verb pisteuo (NT:4100) which occurs 248 times in the New Testament. This use of the present tense indicates that faith must be continued in to receive its benefits. ^{Acts 14:22; Eph. 6:16; Col. 1:23; 2:5-7; 1 Thes. 5:8; 1 Tim. 2:15; 3:9; 6:12; 2 Tim. 3:8; 4:7; Tit. 1:13; Heb. 10:23-38; 2 Pet. 1:5-10}

Faith is a change of confidence, a new trust in God; to be persuaded of; ^{Rom. 4:17-22; 8:38-39; 2 Tim. 1:12} place confidence in; ^{Eph. 3:12; Phil. 1:6; Heb. 3:6,12-14; 10:35; 1 John 3:21;  5:14} the substance or conviction of things hoped for, the assurance of things not seen; ^{Heb. 10:19-38; 11:1,6; Rom. 4:17; 8:24} absolute dependence upon and reliance in the Word of God and of Christ; ^{Matt. 8:8-10; 15:28; Rom. 10:17; Heb. 11:1-12:3} full surrender, yieldedness, and obedience to all known truth; ^{Rom. 1:5; 16:26; 6:11-23; Jas. 2:14-26; 2 Cor. 10:4-7; Heb. 11:6} we must trust wholly and unreservedly in the faithfulness of God. ^{Matt. 6:25-34; 12:21; Luke 12:28-31; Eph. 1:13; 1 Tim. 4:11; 6:17; 1 Cor. 10:13} Give one’s self over to a new way of life. ^{Rom. 1:17; 6:11-23; 8:1-16; 2 Cor. 10:4-7; Gal. 5:16-26; Col. 3:5-10; Heb. 12:1-15; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 Jn. 1:7; 2:6;  3:8-10;  4:17;  5:1-5,18} The attribute of God and restored faculty of man whereby both can bring into existence things that are unseen; ^{Rom. 4:17; Gal. 5:22; Matt. 17:20; 21:22; Mark 9:23; 11:22-24; Luke 17:6; Heb. 11} the whole body of revealed truth. ^{Luke 18:8; Jude 1:3; Rom. 10:17; 1 Tim. 4:1,6; 6:10; 2 Tim. 3:16-17} Joyful faith in, and acceptance of Christ as the substitute for sin and our Savior whereby one receives salvation ^{Mark 16:16; Acts 4:12; 10:43; Rom, 1:16; 3:24-31; Eph. 2:8-9;} access into grace, ^{Rom. 5:2} fulfillment of the promises, ^{Heb. 6:12} the Holy Spirit, ^{Gal. 3:14} righteousness, ^{Rom. 4; 9:30,32; 10:6; Php. 3:9} sonship, ^{Gal. 3:26} healing, ^{Jas. 5:14-16; 1 Pet. 2:24} eternal life, ^{John 3:15-18,36; 5:24; 6:47} and answers to every prayer ^{Matt. 7:7-11; 21:21; Mark 11:22-24; Luke 18:1-8; John 14:12-15; 15:7,16}

If we want to please God, we must have faith, which is an undeterred trust in Him and what He says He will do for us.  Without this trust in Him, we nullify all the promises He gave us and we make Him a liar.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. ^{Heb. 11:6 KJV}

Faith is simple. It is believing God without wavering, without doubting, and without questioning what He says. It is taking God at His Word and believing that what He has promised He is able to perform it.  It is believing not only that He is able, but that He will do it. It is the quality of counting those things that “be not as though they were”. ^{Rom. 4:17}  The enemy knows that we can move mountains ^{Matt. 17:20}  with this kind of faith and thus need our shields down so that whatever he shoots at us, might struck.  The way to get faith is by hearing the Word of God. ^{Rom. 10:17}  The way to use faith is to take God at His Word and count Him faithful in granting what is asked for in the name of Jesus. Ask and then believe that it is done. Thank God for it as if it were already done. Expect the complete answer whether you see it at once or not. Forget symptoms, feelings, impossibilities, or anything to the contrary and it shall be done regardless of how impossible it may appear outwardly!

I choose to believe, to have the absolute conviction, that what God has promised and what I have asked, according to His Word, is done already!!

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. ^{Heb 11:1-3 KJV}