“Above all, taking the shield of faith…” (Eph. 6:16). As Christians are to “put on the whole armor of God” (Eph. 6:11), each piece of armor is vital, including the shield of faith. It is intriguing that the Lord chose “the shield” to represent the Christian’s faith. In the Roman world, they used a “scutum,” which was a rectangular shield (about 4 feet tall and 2.5 feet wide) and also semi-cylindrical. The immense size and curved-back design of the shield was intended to protect the entire body of the soldier from the attacks of the enemy. And, when placed side-by-side, the shields created an impenetrable wall of defense.
God says, “Take your faith.” Your faith is to function like a shield, “to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” The devil is eager to devour you (cf. 1 Pet. 5:8), and the primary defense that you have against him is your faith. How large is your faith? How large is your shield? Is your faith large enough to protect you from every attack of the enemy? Have you lined your faith/shield up, side-by-side, with those of like precious faith? The battle must be won!