Devotions
Letter from the Pastor (Summer 2010)
As I thought about writing an article that would have impact for us over the course of the summer months, the ‘armor of God’ came to my mind. Paul writes to the Ephesians (and us) encouraging us to “be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” He tells us to put on ‘the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness,’ having our ‘feet fitted with readiness that comes with the gospel of peace,’ and then he says, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Eph. 6:16)
Paul wrote this section of the letter using the imagery of a Roman soldier, and in particular, he mentioned the Roman soldier’s shield to illustrate the safeguard God provides for you and me. The very word ‘shield’ in the Greek is the word thureos, which was used by the Greeks and Romans to describe an oblong door that was wide in width and long in length. The Roman soldiers actually carried something looking quite like this door as their battle shields for protection. This thureos completely covered the soldier, sheltering him from the onslaught of the enemies’ weaponry. So Paul is telling us that God has given each one of us enough faith to make certain that we are completely sheltered for every situation we face when we enclose ourselves in Him.
Faith is the trust and reliance upon the God we know in Jesus Christ that will sustain us at all times and in any situation. Therefore, we don’t need to worry or fret that we won’t have the strength to endure, or enough ability to trust in God to endure any hardship that we may face. We can rest assured that God has imparted enough faith to us to make sure we can remain firmly established in Him. That faith is like a wide and long shield that adequately cares for us in any time of need.
I have read where the Roman soldier’s shield was composed of multiple layers of thick animal hides that were tightly woven together. Up to six layers of tough animal skin was exclusively tanned and tightly woven so as to become nearly as strong as steel. Just think about it. One piece of leather is quite durable, but imagine how strong six layers of leather would be. Because of the precision of its composition, the shield of the Roman soldier was extremely tough and exceptionally durable. …However, if the Roman soldier didn’t properly care for his shield, it could become still and breakable over a period of time. It became particularly necessary, then, for the Roman soldier to treat his armor with the utmost care and attention. …To keep his shield in good shape, the soldier was given a daily schedule to maintain an excellent condition of his shield. Each morning when the soldier awoke, he would grab a small vial of oil, saturate a piece of cloth with it, and begin to rub his leather shield thoroughly with the substance. This kept the shield soft, flexible, and workable.
Any soldier who neglected this daily application of oil, allowing his shield to go without the necessary care was in effect inviting personal death. If not correctly cared for or properly maintained, the leather portion of the shield would harden and crack when put under pressure, and then fall to pieces. So then, the end result of a soldier’s failure to care for his shield would be the loss of his own life. Paul is telling us that this care for ones‟ shield is representative of our faith. Our faith, you see, requires a frequent anointing of the Holy Spirit. Without a fresh touch of God’s Spirit upon our lives, our faith hardens, becomes stiff, and just may fall apart.
When we ignore our faith development by never seeking a fresh anointing of God’s Spirit—through attending worship, reading our Bibles, being in a Christian fellowship group, and/or intentionally serving within our communities, we have a tendency to harden; to become callous toward the things of God. Then when a challenge comes our way, we will not be ready with God’s armor of protection. We will not be able to stand up under attack. A faith that’s ignored nearly always breaks up and falls apart in the midst of confrontation. So friends, don’t just merely assume that your faith is fine because one day long ago you voiced a positive commitment. Instead, realize that your faith forever needs a fresh anointing. Do what’s necessary to maintain your faith, keeping it active and ready at all times for any onslaught from the adversary.
I hope to see you in church this summer,
Rev. Dr. K. A. Robinson
Daily Devotionals
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