Shield of Faith
Continuing with our focus on the Armour of God, it is interesting to note that when asking
true believers to ‘take up the shield of faith’ the Apostle Paul
prefaces his instruction with the words “above all”. In doing so he is
emphasising the importance of this piece of armour to believers living out their
faith in a hostile environment.
The Roman army used different shields at different times for different tasks.
Calvary carried a light oblong shield while legionaries carried the small, round
buckler or ‘parma’ whose design incorporated iron and was about 36 inches in
diameter. The Apostle is however alluding to the ‘scutum’ a much larger and more
effective weapon which eventually became the standard shield in the Roman army.
Measuring 4' x 2 ' and curved to the shape of the body, these shields were made of wood
and were covered on the outside with thick leather. This design minimised the
impact of any rough missile and also protected the legionary from the
fire-tipped darts used in the artillery of Roman times.
Roman legionaries used their shields expertly in different formations the most famous
of which is the ‘testudo’. In this formation, legionaries formed a packed square for
either attack or defence which was protected on all sides and overhead by their scutums.
Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia, quotes the Roman historian Cassius Dio’s description
of the formation from Mark Antony’s campaign of 36 BC: "This testudo and the way
in which it is formed are as follows…..The heavy-armed troops who use the
oblong, curved, and cylindrical shields are drawn up around the outside, making
a rectangular figure, and, facing outward and holding their arms at the ready,
they enclose the rest. The others, who have flat shields, form a compact body in
the centre and raise their shields over the heads of all the others, so that
nothing but shields can be seen in every part of the phalanx alike and all the
men by the density of the formation are under shelter from
missiles."
The Apostle Paul is very specific about the function of this shield. It is to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
The Apostle was no fool. He recognised the reality of Satan and the fact that he
would constantly be on the lookout for chinks in the believer’s armour to attack
with his main weapon which is doubt. Satan’s strategy is to cause believers to
doubt every aspect of their faith in Christ, their salvation, the presence of
the Holy Spirit and even the reliability of God’s word.
The great 19thcentury evangelist Charles Hadden Spurgeon in a sermon delivered in 1861
called upon believers to take up the shield of faith and become offensive as well as defensive warriors in the
spiritual battle:
“Like the Spartans, every Christian is born a warrior. It is his destiny to be
assaulted; it is his duty to attack. Part of his life will be occupied with
defensive warfare. He will have to defend earnestly the faith once delivered to
the saints; he will have to resist the devil; he will have to stand against all
his wiles; and having done all, still to stand! He will, however, be but a sorry
Christian if he acts only on the defensive. He must be one who goes against his
foes, as well as stand still to receive their advance. He must be able to say
with David, “I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the
armies of Israel whom you have defied.” He must wrestle not with flesh and
blood, but against principalities and powers. He must have weapons for his
warfare—not carnal—but “mighty through God to the pulling down of
strongholds.”
Knowing God’s word inside out both individually and corporately as church fellowships
and putting it into practice are vital aspects of the shield of faith. Where
21stcentury Scottish evangelicals are genuinely prepared to take up the shield of faith,
they can truly begin to push back the powers of darkness in the land.
Continuing with our focus on the Armour of God, it is interesting to note that when asking
true believers to ‘take up the shield of faith’ the Apostle Paul
prefaces his instruction with the words “above all”. In doing so he is
emphasising the importance of this piece of armour to believers living out their
faith in a hostile environment.
The Roman army used different shields at different times for different tasks.
Calvary carried a light oblong shield while legionaries carried the small, round
buckler or ‘parma’ whose design incorporated iron and was about 36 inches in
diameter. The Apostle is however alluding to the ‘scutum’ a much larger and more
effective weapon which eventually became the standard shield in the Roman army.
Measuring 4' x 2 ' and curved to the shape of the body, these shields were made of wood
and were covered on the outside with thick leather. This design minimised the
impact of any rough missile and also protected the legionary from the
fire-tipped darts used in the artillery of Roman times.
Roman legionaries used their shields expertly in different formations the most famous
of which is the ‘testudo’. In this formation, legionaries formed a packed square for
either attack or defence which was protected on all sides and overhead by their scutums.
Wikipedia, the online encyclopaedia, quotes the Roman historian Cassius Dio’s description
of the formation from Mark Antony’s campaign of 36 BC: "This testudo and the way
in which it is formed are as follows…..The heavy-armed troops who use the
oblong, curved, and cylindrical shields are drawn up around the outside, making
a rectangular figure, and, facing outward and holding their arms at the ready,
they enclose the rest. The others, who have flat shields, form a compact body in
the centre and raise their shields over the heads of all the others, so that
nothing but shields can be seen in every part of the phalanx alike and all the
men by the density of the formation are under shelter from
missiles."
The Apostle Paul is very specific about the function of this shield. It is to quench
all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
The Apostle was no fool. He recognised the reality of Satan and the fact that he
would constantly be on the lookout for chinks in the believer’s armour to attack
with his main weapon which is doubt. Satan’s strategy is to cause believers to
doubt every aspect of their faith in Christ, their salvation, the presence of
the Holy Spirit and even the reliability of God’s word.
The great 19thcentury evangelist Charles Hadden Spurgeon in a sermon delivered in 1861
called upon believers to take up the shield of faith and become offensive as well as defensive warriors in the
spiritual battle:
“Like the Spartans, every Christian is born a warrior. It is his destiny to be
assaulted; it is his duty to attack. Part of his life will be occupied with
defensive warfare. He will have to defend earnestly the faith once delivered to
the saints; he will have to resist the devil; he will have to stand against all
his wiles; and having done all, still to stand! He will, however, be but a sorry
Christian if he acts only on the defensive. He must be one who goes against his
foes, as well as stand still to receive their advance. He must be able to say
with David, “I come against you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the
armies of Israel whom you have defied.” He must wrestle not with flesh and
blood, but against principalities and powers. He must have weapons for his
warfare—not carnal—but “mighty through God to the pulling down of
strongholds.”
Knowing God’s word inside out both individually and corporately as church fellowships
and putting it into practice are vital aspects of the shield of faith. Where
21stcentury Scottish evangelicals are genuinely prepared to take up the shield of faith,
they can truly begin to push back the powers of darkness in the land.
