HOW TO USE THE SHIELD OF FAITH
The shield of faith is part of the armor of God that we are told to put on every morning. I do this faithfully and ask God to be my shield to protect me from the fiery darts of Satan that come at me in the form of deception, distraction, and discouragement. I wouldn't think of beginning my day without doing this.
This morning I read something out of "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers that I am going to begin to incorporate into my prayer regarding the shield of faith that I put on. Chambers gives a warning out of Matthew 13:22 that "'the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches' and the lust for other things will choke out the life of God in us." He says, "We are never free from the recurring waves of this invasion."
I realized reading this that I need to pray that the shield of faith would protect me from the "recurring waves" of these cares of the world, as well as from the attacks of Satan. Since we cannot keep these attacks from occurring we must stay constantly protected from them. This needs to be a daily practice until the day we die. It isn't a "one and done" prayer.
Chambers goes on to say, "If the frontline of attack is not about clothes and food, it may be about money or the lack of money; or friends or lack of friends; or the line may be drawn over difficult circumstances. It is one steady invasion, and these things will come in like a flood, unless we allow the Spirit of God to raise up like a banner against it." I realized that the "banner" I can raise up against these things is a piece of armor I have already been given to put on, the Shield of Faith.
"O Lord God, I put up the shield of faith today. Faith is believing that You are who You say You are and that You can do what You say You can do. You have said that You, Yourself, are a shield for me. I ask You to shield me from the deception, distraction, and discouragement of Satan. I also ask you to protect me from the desires and worry that come from my own flesh. May the shield of faith also protect me from worry about clothes and food. Don't let that consume my thoughts. Protect my emotions from being controlled by my friends or my lack of friends. Protect me from stressing over money or the fear that comes from lack of money. Protect me from whatever circumstance or obstacles I am facing today. These attacks will always come like repeated waves every day. Shield me, O Lord of Heaven's Armies, so that they do not get through."
