Today's Fun Fact: Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
When you think of faith, what comes to mind? Little David facing Goliath? Paul writing to the Philippians as he was in chains? How about Esther when she chose to face an uncertain future so she could save her people?
Faith is such an important topic to the Lord that an entire chapter of Hebrews was written to acknowledge those who lived a life of faith. I find it interesting that these people were regular Joes with challenges and moments where they had to choose light over darkness, like you and me.
Maddie is learning to walk in faith. In Revealed Truth, she learned about a very important piece of armor the Lord gave to help her—The Shield of Faith.
Ephesians 6:16 tells us: "In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one."
Note Paul’s encouragement here: “You can extinguish" all the flaming darts. The Lord gave us a battle plan, and I’d like to share his written strategy with you. Picture this in your mind's eye. You've been called into battle. The only details you have are that you must be on your guard, battle-ready to follow your Commander who goes before you. To be battle-ready is not limited to physical readiness but includes mental, emotional, and spiritual readiness. For the believer, to be ready is to be humble, surrendered, our lamps filled, and our spirits ready for Holy Spirit to call. Just as we must be physically prepared for battle, our spiritual readiness comes through Holy Spirit and the armor of God. See yourself placing every armor on your spiritual body. The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shoes that carry the Gospel of peace. You’re picking up the shield of faith and the Sword of the Spirit. Do you see it? Now, let's talk about the shield.
The shield of faith is heavy yet wieldy. Remember, it is the piece of armor that extinguishes all the flaming darts of the evil one, and there are three things I know about flaming darts:
These wily attacks from the enemy come unexpectedly.
They typically follow a pattern.
They are no match for the impenetrable protection of the shield of faith.
So, how can we face our fear and these flaming darts while operating in faith?
First: Know who goes before you. Go back to the mental picture above: Your Commander, Jesus, goes before You. He has already overcome, and so you, too, will overcome. To grasp this truth is to know that you are not alone and that He is fighting with and for you. Find stories in the Bible of people who stood knowing God was with them. David, Gideon, Joshua, Elijah, and Jehoshaphat are a few of my favorites.
Second: Draw near to God, and He will draw near You. Our Commander is not like those we see in movies. He is Almighty and personal. When we draw near to Abba God, we immediately find ourselves under the shelter of His Wings. To dwell in His Shelter and rest in His Shadow means that we draw near to Him and seek His wisdom and guidance in every circumstance while protected from the enemy's schemes.
Third: When Holy Spirit calls—GO. The one question I get over and over from students is, "But what if I miss His call?" Trust me, you won't. Holy Spirit gives a gentle, consistent whisper. Note the emphasis on consistency. If I follow His call, I feel His peace; if I do not, I feel anxious. His peace speaks to my being under the shelter of His wings, while anxiousness is a sign that I need to turn back to Him.
Fourth: Surround yourself with others who are walking in faith. One of my favorite stories is that of Joshua, Moses, Aaron, and Hur. Each one had a task. Joshua was leading in battle. Moses was leading in prayer. Aaron and Hur supported Moses by holding his hands up when tired. Faith is a team sport. God plants faith within us, Holy Spirit spurs us into faith, fellow believers encourage us through and in our faith (and allow us to borrow when we are weak.)
Lastly: Pray. Every morning, I pray on the armor piece by piece. When the flaming arrows begin to fly, I pick up the shield by praying God's faithfulness, the truth of who He is, the truth of who I am in Him, and the promises He has made in His Word. Which means I must have that belt of truth on and the sword of the Spirit ready.
There is one more thing. Know the difference between a test from God and an attack from the enemy.
Tests are promised and not to be feared. According to James in the first chapter of his letter to the early persecuted church, tests or trials make us mature and complete.
How do we know the difference? A test from God will be convicting and instructive, growing and strengthening us IN HIM. God will test us to prepare us for the next battle. If you feel you are taking the same test repeatedly, ask the Lord to show you where you need to shore up your preparedness.
However, an enemy attack comes unexpectedly and isolates us in a cocoon of sin, shame, self-defeat, and fear. His attacks are not creative, but the enemy knows our strengths and weaknesses and will attack us in both.
Okay, but Eve, things are crazy now; I don't know what is happening, much less where it's coming from! I get it; the struggle is real. We are called not to be afraid but to lift our requests to God. We are also called to test the spirits and know if they are from God. So, I ask: "God, where are you in this? What would you like me to do?" When I am sure the enemy is attacking, I pick up my shield and Sword and start swinging by declaring who God is and who I am in Him. I take authority in the Name of Jesus and tell the enemy to leave. Then I ask Holy Spirit to fill me and lead me.
I'll leave you with this. The last two verses of Hebrews 11 are worth writing down and memorizing:
"And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect."
Before you get discouraged over the first verse, read that second one again. "Since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect."
We are not alone. As our faith grows, it is compounded by those who have come before. And your faith will compound for those who will come after so that we will all be made perfect. So, armor up, Friend, and let's GO!
So, how about you? Hit reply or comment below and share a practical tip that helps you to fight fear with faith.
Today's free download is a prayer prompt printable that will help you pray on the armor of God.
Join me next week as I share practical steps to rest.
A Prayer for you:
Father God, we thank You for Your perfect love that casts out all fear. The love of Jesus poured out for us, covered us, made us clean, set us free, and gave us the courage to stand. Thank You for Your Spirit, which You pour out to lead us into all righteousness. Thank You for the shield of Faith that extinguishes all of the flaming arrows of the evil one, and thank You for the Sword of the Spirit, Your Word, being written on our hearts as the offensive weapon we battle with. Father, help us to walk as those in the Hall of Faith did, heirs of righteousness that comes by faith. I pray for the person joining this prayer with me—Lord, please give them the strength to stand. Draw them under the shelter of Your wings and lead them into Your way everlasting. And when they are in the heat of the battle, we ask our Commander, Jehovah Sabaoth, our God of angel armies, to lead them. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen.
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