Faith does not stop the arrows from coming. It stops them from burning you.
On day 15 we talked about faith as insulation. Today’s passage gives the same idea a picture: a soldier’s shield.
Notice who the struggle is really against. It is not the deacon who hurt you or the pastor who let you down, even when they did real wrong. There is a bigger battle behind it, and God gives His people armour for it.
Faith given by the Holy Spirit is like a Swiss army knife: it equips us for whatever we face. Not because it makes every problem disappear, but because it lets us stand in the middle of them. Look at what the shield of faith does, and at how this passage ends.
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Last time you wrote that you would:
This is where you will look back at yesterday. For today, just notice how you are coming into this.
An honest prayer
Pray this as it is, or in your own words.
Lord, I have been wounded by arrows I never saw coming. Today I take up the shield of faith. Teach me to stand firm in Your strength, not mine.
Read
Ephesians 6:10-18 (OTB)
10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His mighty power. 11Put on the full armour of God, so that you can stand firm against the devil’s schemes. 12For our struggle is not against mere human opponents, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore, take up the full armour of God, so that you may be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, and the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet prepared with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16Besides all this, hold up the shield of faith, which enables you to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. 17Receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.