The shield is very important. A soldier can move the shield in any direction to protect any area not already covered. This is also why we must make sure we do not pick up a counterfeit. Satan would like you to grab his Sunglasses of Blind Faith and run into battle. Follow every whim and idea blindly. With little effort, you will stumble right into one of his carefully placed snares. Man tries to offer something of more substance: the Button of Belief. Shaped like a shield, but not near as heavy, it is very fashionable—imagine what people will think of you when they can readily see what you believe. Of course, once you have chosen a good set of beliefs, you should stick with those beliefs—beliefs aren’t supposed to change. If they did change, how could we ever establish exclusive clubs among those having similar buttons? Be aware, though, since not much is required of belief, it won’t provide any protection.
Paul tells us that faith must be our shield. Only faith can protect us from, as Paul says, the flaming arrows (fiery darts) of Satan. However, there is a greater importance in having faith than just defending darts. In Hebrews 11:6, Paul says that without faith it is impossible to please God. Impossible. We simply cannot please God without faith. We may try to please Him with worship, tithe, attendance, even witnessing, but without faith it can’t be done. Notice though, the text does not say “without great faith it is impossible,” it just says without faith.
You see, there are different sizes of shields—because there are different sizes of soldiers. A soldier is only given a shield he/she can handle, but every soldier is given a shield. In the same way, each soldier in God’s Army is given faith. How much? Romans 12:3 says that God gives us each a measure. This is a vague term, isn’t it? How much is a measure? Just enough. That’s how much faith God gives: just enough. Always the right amount for victory.
We aren’t all given the same amount of faith, but we are all given enough faith. You may start out with a smaller amount than your fellow soldier sitting beside you at church, but that doesn’t make you less of a Christian. It’s not about the size of your faith, but the size of your God. Jesus said that if we had faith the size of a mustard seed we could move mountains (Matthew 17:20). Nothing is impossible, even with the tiniest amount of faith. Faith compared with a mustard seed isn’t simply small, though, but also like a seed it will grow (see Matthew 13:31, 32). It may begin as the smallest seed, but turns out to be the largest plant in the garden. Likewise, as we cultivate our faith it will grow. One way our faith is cultivated is through reading God’s word (Romans 10:17).
Then, it has to be used. As Paul said in Ephesians 6:16, the shield has to be taken. A shield cannot protect unless we pick it up and use it. James 2:17 says that “faith without works is dead.” It doesn’t matter if we think we have little faith, big faith, weak faith, or strong faith, we have to use the faith we are given or it will do us no good. If we have faith that Jesus will forgive our sins, then we will confess our sins. If we have faith that He is coming again, then we will live like He is coming.
This is the exciting part: as we use the faith God has given us it will grow, larger and larger, protecting more and more. Until we graduate into heavy infantry: Jesus said, “Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father” (John 14:12). We will not only be able to do things He did, but greater things. Our faith in Christ can grow so large that the impossible will become reality. No wonder the Bible says we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength!
Limitations are only set when we don’t use our faith. It says in Matthew 13:58, that Jesus couldn’t do mighty things for the people of Nazareth because of their lack of faith. How many times have we missed out on Jesus’ mighty works because we were afraid to use our faith? We don’t fail because we don’t have faith, but because we won’t use it.
There’s only one cause for for unused faith: taking our eyes off Jesus (consider Peter walking on the water). No longer focusing on Him results in no longer trusting in Him, depending on Him, or surrendering to Him. If we want to stand firm in our faith, we must keep our eyes on Jesus. Paul says it best, “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith … Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted” (Hebrews 12:2, 3). This is the solution to any faith issue: fix your eyes on Jesus!
Do you find it difficult to act in faith? Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Do you want to increase your faith? Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Whether you have little faith or great faith, fix your eyes on Jesus! Great and mighty things will happen with your eyes fixed on Jesus—He makes our faith complete. The battle will rage on, the winds will blow, the waves will crash around you, and the darts will continue to attack. When they do, keep your eyes on Jesus and you will have victory!