Shield of Faith

The shield of Faith described by the Apostle Paul in Epehsians 6 was interesting enough to warrant more discussion. First of all, this Roman shield was the size of a door. It was large and wide, made up of up to 6 layers of animal skins, making it tough and durable.

Every morning the Roman soldier would get up and oil his shield, keeping the shield well oiled, kept it from cracking. Before going into battle, the soldier would soak the shield in water.

The enemy would use arrows that were hollow inside, but contained inflamable solution that would explode on impact. The soaking wet shield would douse all flames when they hit the shield, thus creating a solid field around the soldiers. The soldiers would advance in what was known as the 'turtle formation'. Like a turtle, slowly creeping forward, with shields locked in place, you have an early tank, imprenatable, and solid. With the sandals with their exceptional grip (studded bottoms) these soldiers were well able to stand against any enemy, with a solid footing. (Read my blog on the sandals - "Devil Stomping")

What an awesome image for Christians! Feet shod, imovable, shields soaked in the water of the word. In Epehsians 5 we see the image of the word soaking the believer. The shield of faith is also oiled daily in the Holy Spirit, thus preparing the believer for any attack!

Have you soaked in the word today?