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Ephesians 6:16

The Shield of Faith

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 15, 2025

The first three parts of the Armor of God are things we “put on.” The belt of truth is strapped around the waist. The Chest plate is fastened over the upper torso. The boots are strapped onto the feet. The last three parts of the Armor are “taken up” rather than “put on.” They include the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. The shield was an incredibly important part of the armor for soldiers who were to engage the enemy who were hurling arrows and spears at them. Thus, Paul begins his instructions regarding “taking up” the shield by saying, “In all circumstances…” (ESV), or “at all times…” (GN) or “In every situation…” (HSCB). The King James Version takes this as a matter of importance in its translation. It begins the exhortation to take up the shield with the phrase, “Above all…” But I agree that the phrase means, as the Amplified Version explains it, “Overall….” This is the idea that the shield is something that forms a wall of protection over all the armor that has already been “put on” by the soldier. It protects his breastplate, his belt, and his feet at times.

Faith extinguishes the devil’s darts before they even reach the breastplate of righteousness. It can be maneuvered to block his attacks on the belt of truth. It can be maneuvered to block the darts aimed at the Gospel of Peace, which have been strapped to our feet. It takes skill to wield the shield in all the ways necessary to block Satan’s attacks. MacArthur observes, “Two types of shields were commonly used by Roman soldiers. One was a small, lightweight, round shield strapped to the soldier’s left forearm and used to parry blows during hand-to-hand combat. The other, which Paul refers to here, was a large shield measuring about four and a half feet high and two and a half feet wide. It was made of sturdy wood covered with metal and a thick layer of oil-treated leather. The metal deflected arrows, while the oily leather extinguished the fiery pitch with which arrows were commonly swabbed. That type of shield was ideal for full-body protection.”

Yes, faith is our full body protection. It will extinguish ‘all’ the fiery darts of the evil one. It extinguishes the darts of doubt. In the battle for our thoughts, we might find ourselves thinking ‘did God really say….’ Guess where that dart of doubt came from. It will extinguish the fiery dart of discouragement. When you think you’ll never be able to…. (fill in the blank), Faith puts out the fire. Delay (why is this taking so long), Difficulty (why is this so hard), Depression (I just want to give up), and Defeat (I’ve had enough!) are all darts that the shield of faith can extinguish when wielded with mature skills. But remember, it all takes practice, practice, practice! The more we practice, the more skilled we become in wielding our shield of faith.

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Ephesians 6:16, Psalm 5:12, Psalm 18:35

God’s Shields

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 14, 2025

The Shield of a Warrior is often used for illustrative purposes by biblical authors. The most prominent use of the Shield is to illustrate God’s protection of His people against all enemies. As soon as Abraham went to war with the five kings around Sodom and Gomorrah, he experienced a panic attack (my opinion). He had waged war and won against a coalition of forces led by the armies of Chedorlaomer. In His panic attack, he had a dream. In it, God appeared to him (Genesis 15:1): “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’” When David was being pursued by his enemies, he said (Psalm 33:20), “Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.” The handbook for bible translators tells us, “Normally shield may be retained in translation if it is commonly used in a figurative sense; for example, as a comparison, “God is my shield” or “God is like a shield to me”; or if the shield is known but not used in these kinds of expressions, it may be sometimes used as an explained figure, “God defends me like a shield protects a warrior.”

God’s favor in the lives of His children is also said to be like a shield. The Psalmist writes in Psalm 5:12, “For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; with favor you will surround him as with a shield.” Everywhere you turn there, you will find God’s favor. It surrounds you! Instead of being surrounded by those who have ill intentions towards you, you are surrounded by the “favor” of a God who loves you and has your best interest foremost in mind, regardless of the circumstances you may be facing. Nothing can get through to you without God’s permission, and whatever He allows to reach us will always work out in our favor!

Another aspect of the shield is associated with the belt of truth, which was the first item Paul mentioned of the armor of God. His protection is like that of a hen over her chicks. Psalm 91, verse 4, tells us, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler (belt).” The mother hen will sacrifice her life for the safety of her chicks. God gives his life for our well-being. As a hen deals with her chicks, so does God deal with His children. In 2 Samuel we see this picture again of the shield referring to our salvation. Verse 36 says, “You have also given me the shield of your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great.” God is gentle with His children even in the midst of great strife. These words of David in 2 Samuel are repeated in one of his famous songs (see Psalm 18:35).

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Ephesians 6:15, 2 Corinthians 4:4

Passing on the Peace

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 13, 2025

Paul wants us to put on the boots of “the preparation of the gospel of peace that comes from God.” The good news, the gospel, is what offers peace. If we receive Christ, we receive His peace. That means we have peace with God, which carries with it peace within, peace with ourselves, as well as peace with others, which will also naturally follow. It’s in this vein of peace with others that the boots might be most relevant. The boots were designed with spikes in order to help one stand firm. However, they were also designed as lightweight footwear to enable easy and quick movement from place to place. God’s call on us in the great commission is to “go, make disciples…” It’s taking the message of God’s peace to others. So, this part of the armor is designed to take us where the battle rages most fiercely, and that’s in the lives of non-believers. It’s interesting that the purpose of the “war boots” is to bring the good news of “peace.” We are to be peacemakers. Jesus himself said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

David Jeremiah writes, “When I explain the Gospel to people, and they accept Christ into their lives, they often talk about having peace with God. Their war with God has been brought to an end. Without peace with God, we can never be peacemakers. We have no peace, so we cannot share it with anyone else. We can’t give away what we don’t have. In order to become peacemakers, we must have peace with God. That means coming to terms with what Christ has done on the Cross, taking away our sins, and creating a relationship between us and God. When we became Christians, we were given peace with God.” As true believers ourselves, we now have something to offer to others. When we bring that message of God’s peace, indeed we are the messengers that Paul says has “beautiful feet.”

The Scriptures present Christ as the epitome of peace. He has bequeathed us His own peace and, as the Apostle Paul affirms, is the wellspring of our peace with God. He brokered peace with God for us through His sacrifice. This profound message has been proclaimed by the apostles far and wide, to both Jew and Gentile. Those who embrace Christ receive that peace and are then equipped with the ‘readiness’ or a preparedness to share this good news with others. In many ways, the proclamation of this good news of peace with God, available through faith in Jesus Christ, can be likened to a direct confrontation with the enemy. The most significant spiritual battle in the world today is Satan’s strategy. 2 Corinthians 4:4 states, “…the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” As peacemakers, we must let that light shine!

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Ephesians 6:15, Romans 5:1

Peace with God

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 12, 2025

Those who bring good news have beautiful feet. Paul suggests that the Christian soldier should have his feet shod with the “preparation of the Gospel that brings peace.” It’s always good news of great joy when we hear that a war, strife, or contention has been settled and peace has been once again established. The message of the Gospel is indeed a message of peace. It brings peace in three dimensions. It gives us peace with God. It gives us peace with ourselves, and it gives us peace with others. Some suggest peace above, peace within, and peace without. Each and every one of the kinds of peace is good news for those who are at war with God, themselves, or with others.

The best kind of peace and the foundation for the other two is peace with God. It starts with that. The good things of life begin to be all that God intended them to be when we find peace with Him. Jesus’ mission was to establish that peace for us. Paul says in Romans 5 and verse 1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Our faith in the accomplished work of Jesus on the cross satisfies God’s anger and settles our account with God. Trying to live at peace with ourselves and even with others without settling that issue is ultimately a waste of time. There will be no lasting peace within or peace without if there is no peace with God above. Ken Boa puts it this way, “Peace with God is not one of the benefits of justification by faith—it is the benefit, a synonym if you will. It is the greatest need of the human race, for if any person has peace with God, all other needs will be met.”

Kent Hughes also says something similar in one of his commentaries. He writes, “…Jesus also brings peace with God—the ground and foundation of all peace.” Hughes then quotes John Wesley, who said, “Oh what a pearl … is the lowest degree of peace with God. It is worth selling everything to receive it.” Hughes then continues his own comments by adding, “Jesus gives us his peace. This is not something from a package. It is not a philosophical abstraction. It is his own personal peace. ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives’ (John 14:27, italics added). He gives us the peace he had for thirty-three years amidst turmoil and rejections, even on the cross. He shares with us the peace that is now his in glory. This is not a dream. This is reality!”

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Ephesians 6:15, Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15

Beautiful Feet!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 11, 2025

I’ve never been a “foot man.” Actually, I’ve always thought God could have done a better job designing our feet. They are really weird if you look at them and think about them. It’s one of those things we learn to take by faith. God knows what’s best, and as the creator, he made them to fit his preferred purpose for them. You kind of get the idea that when Paul talks about each person being different parts of a body, each having their own function, he is referring to the feet when he speaks of the “unseemly” parts. Yet, Paul quotes from the Prophet Isaiah (52:7) regarding the appearance of the feet that bring messengers of good news. Isaiah says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness…” Paul uses this verse to talk about those who bring to others the good news of Jesus Christ (See Romans 10:15).

I’ve been publicly proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ for 50 years from the pulpit or devotional writings, and I still have ugly feet. Paul must be talking about something else! Isaiah’s words describe the good news of the deliverance of God’s people from slavery in Babylon. Paul uses Isaiah’s words to refer to the good news of deliverance from sin of all those who receive and believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Redford writes, “Those who bear such good news are pictured as having beautiful feet. Usually, the heralds who traveled many miles to convey a message arrived at their destination with dusty, dirty feet. The appearance of their feet was anything but beautiful; the beauty was to be found in the contents of the message delivered. Later, Paul will describe the Christian’s armor as “fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15).

It declares the end of hostility and the victory over evil. It involves setting all the prisoners of war free. Wright explains it this way, “It will be the great rescue, deliverance—from the literal captivity of the Israelite exiles to all forms of oppression, addiction, and bondage. The reign of God breaks the chains of evil, sin, and Satan and removes the ultimate dangers of judgment and death. Salvation is an incredibly rich and complex word throughout the Bible. It was the distinctive, defining character of YHWH in the Old Testament and the personal name of Jesus in the New. So, when God reigns, there will be peace. Life will be good, and we will be saved. This is the summary content of the ‘evangel’ borne by the beautiful feet of the Lord’s messenger. This is gospel truth.”

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Ephesians 6:15, Philippians 4:1-8

Peaceful Thoughts

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 10, 2025

According to Ephesians 6:15, Soldiers are always prepared for spiritual warfare by putting on God’s armor. The first item was the belt of truth. The second item was the breastplate of righteousness, and the third item was the war boots. It’s a subject of debate as to what is meant, but it seems obvious that whatever that specific word means, it refers to what a soldier would wear when he goes out to war. That’s why I call them the “war boots.” It seems to fit the context well. These boots were spiked on the bottom to help secure the soldier’s footing as he would stand firm against the onslaughts of the enemy. They were also designed as light wear, enabling the soldier to march long distances to reach the front lines where the battle was the most intense.

Paul uses footwear as an illustration that focuses on two truths. First, the spiked nature of the boots enabled the soldier to find footing to resist the attacks of the enemy. There will always be resistance. The enemy’s main tactic is to disrupt our lives. He works through fiery darts and brings thoughts (it’s a battle for our mind) that disrupt our peace, break relationships, and destroy the community. But the war boots that Paul exhorts us to put on have to do with the “gospel that brings peace.” Therefore, first and foremost, we must stand firm in the way we think.

When Paul was writing to the Philippians, he specifically addressed how they were to stand firm in their thinking. In Philippians 4:1, Paul says, “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.” The word “thus” is pointing at the instructions he is about to give them. 6-7 explains that the key focus must be on Christ. It says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Please notice that it’s “peace” that will guard your hearts and “minds.” Then verse 8 directs our attention to how to conduct mental Warfare. It says, “brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” We are to stand firm by disciplining our thought life. This emphasizes the necessity of mental warfare in our spiritual journey, making it a crucial aspect of our preparation.

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Ephesians 6:14

His Righteousness

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 9, 2025

It’s not a surprise when we find ourselves under attack by the spiritual forces of evil in this world. Jesus made it clear that “in this world, you will have sorrow.” But he also assured us that He had “overcome the world.” The end result of that is that all things will work out for our best regardless of the present circumstances of our lives. Peter actually tells us in 1 Peter 4:12, “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through…” Notice the “fiery trials” phrase is reminiscent of the “fiery darts” that are the weapons of our spiritual foes. Peter goes on to reassure us regarding these fiery attacks. He says, “…these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to the entire world.”

No, we shouldn’t be surprised. But we better be prepared. In Matthew 26:41, Jesus instructed us to “watch and pray, lest we enter into temptation.” He means that we are to be on the alert for the temptations that will come our way (as He was tempted in the wilderness) so that we may resist being dragged into the sin that’s presented. Peter also gives us similar advice in 1 Peter 5:8. He warned us, “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” To be prepared, Paul said, we must “put on the full armor of God.” We need to be girded up, strengthened with the weight-lifter’s belt of truth. As long as our core is protected by the truth, we will find confidence in the battle.

We also need to be sure to don the breastplate of righteousness. God’s righteousness, expressed in Christ’s life, is the only sufficient righteousness. Our righteousness has already failed us in that we’ve already fallen prey to the temptations and schemes of the evil one. We’ve already sinned. Jesus exhorts us to “be perfect as your father in heaven is perfect.” For man, that’s impossible. Yet, in God’s grace, He put our sin on Christ’s breast. Christ bore the breastplate of judgment upon the cross and into the very presence of God on our behalf. Through faith in him, we have “HIS” righteousness. There is courage indeed in HIS righteousness, whereas, in our righteousness there is only despair. Our righteousness has no value. James Boice described it this way: “The accumulation of human righteousness is a bit like playing Monopoly. The game has colorful money and is enjoyable to play, but only a fool would take Monopoly money and go into town to buy groceries. A different kind of currency is used in the real world. It is the same spiritually. There are people who think they are collecting assets before God when they are only collecting human righteousness. God tells them that they must leave the play currency to deal in his goodness. Our goodness has no value in heaven.” It’s only His righteousness that will suffice to open heaven’s gates on our behalf.

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Ephesians 6:14, 2 Corinthians 5:21

The Breastplate of Righteousness

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 8, 2025

Just as the High Priest was instructed to do in the Old Testament, Jesus, our great High Priest, wore the breastplate of judgment. He brought the perfect sacrifice on our behalf into the very presence of God. The veil separating God from man has been torn in half, and Jesus entered by wearing our names on His heart. This sacrifice was for our sins, and the barrier has been broken. With the truth of Christ’s sacrificial act on our behalf, we have been given breastplates to wear also. These breastplates protect us from the onslaughts of the enemy. Our two breastplates are the breastplate of “faith and love” and the breastplate of “righteousness.” The cross of Jesus is not just a symbol, but it is at the center of my courage in the battles of life. I put on the breastplate of faith when I trust in what Christ has done for me on the cross. He paid the penalty. He made the sacrifice to expunge my sins from the records. He put my sins upon his breast and entered into the presence of God with the ultimate sacrifice. For me (and you!) He lived! For me (and you!), He died. There is no greater love than this. His love shields me and protects me from all harm. Though there is sorrow for a time, I know the end result. Job didn’t know! But he wore the breastplate of faith: “Though he slays me, yet will I trust in Him…naked came I into the world…naked from it I will go… the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away…blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Since God’s deep love for us (John 3:16) brought Christ’s sacrifice for our sins on the cross, I’ve been made clean, and through faith, I’m made whole and righteous in God’s eyes. The cross is the center of my courage. Faith is the secret of my courage. Trusting God’s promises regardless of life’s situations is the best protection we can ever find. In 1 John 5:13, we read, “I have written these things to you who believe (wear the breastplate of faith and love) in Jesus Christ so that you will know (with absolute certainty) that you have everlasting life.” God’s love is the substance of my courage. We have no fear with Christ’s love and our names on his breast! “Perfect love casts out fear.” “If God is for us (and He is!), who can stand against us?” No one!

His perfect righteousness is the source of all my courage. The breastplate of righteousness is not my own righteousness. It’s His! When Jesus bore our sins on his heart into the presence of God he became sin. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin…” But there is more to that verse. The result of Christ’s wearing the breastplate of judgment on our behalf is “…so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” The breastplate we wear, righteousness, is not our own righteousness, which is at best questionable, but it’s His perfect righteousness. As the sky turned black with Jesus on the cross as payment for our sin, His righteousness was being credited to our accounts. As our sins were credited to Christ, his righteousness was credited to us. This righteous standing is the source of all righteous living. It’s out of who we are in Christ that we stand against the temptations, trials, struggles and sufferings that come against us in life. Our courage has its source in who we are! When we have faith in Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf, motivated out of God’s love for us, we put on the breastplate of righteousness.

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