Armed and Dangerous, a Study in God's Armor for MenSample

Courage Under Fire “In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” – Ephesians 6:16 It was Mike Tyson who said that everyone has a plan until he gets punched in the face. Maybe you can relate… Often throughout our lives things seem to be going smoothly. And then, all of a sudden, there’s a hiccup, a crisis of faith, a challenge to our health, a shortfall in our finances, or a broken relationship. It is during these times we really feel the pressures mount and the onslaught of an unseen enemy – although all the signs of his assaults are very visible. During these times, we also tend to feel far from God. Almost like God has forgotten about us and the devil hasn’t. Yet, it is during these times that we need to not forget about God ourselves. For if we do, the fire will keep raining down on our souls, raiding us from all our hope. This is why Paul reminds us of our faith that shields us against the schemes of the devil. These schemes are designed to cast doubt and steal any joy from our hearts. But when we choose faith, we can endure. We cannot stop the enemy from coming, but we can choose faith in God as our covering. Have you taken some shots lately? How about taking some cover also? Our faith takes shots, but as long as we take cover under God’s protection, our faith grows, our doubts fade, and our hope remains firm. In fact, when we experience trials and tests, we can also be encouraged by knowing we have value in God’s eyes. For if we were not valued and loved by God, we would not have been a target for the devil. The word ‘encourage’ can be broken into two root words from the Old French; ‘ en’ – which means to put into, or stand in something – and ‘ corage’ , which means to have strength in the face of danger or pain. So, when we say we can be encouraged by our trials of faith and the tests we face, we can also take courage under fire, stand in strength and be brave, with our hope set firmly on God. As we will also see today in Peter’s first letter, faith under pressure purifies our souls. But if our faith is placed in God during these trying times, we also stand under the protection of His mighty power. This turns us into fire-forged warriors, battle-tested and readily equipped for the Kingdom of God. Armed against and dangerous to the powers of darkness. A shield’s worth can only be determined by the thrust of a spear, the blow of a sword, or the firing of arrows, and so too our faith’s worth can only be determined by the adversity we face in this world. But take courage, for the One in whom you trust, has already overcome this world (John 16:33) . Read 1 Peter 1:3-8 Check Your Armory: What trials are you currently facing? What do you view as a victory over this? How can you stand firm with a ‘shield of faith’ in the battles of everyday life? How have you seen challenges develop a courageous spirit within you? What do you need to pray for today?