Life Plan Devotion #76 [God's Armor--Shield of Faith, Part IV]

Hi, Everyone.
The Lord blessed me with good sleep, but that meant I didn't have quiet time until everyone left at 7:00, so I'm late in posting today. I apologize. I hope all of you are able to "find me." Have a great day.

Life Plan Devotion #76 [God's Armor--Shield of Faith, Part IV]

     Last time, we looked at the phrase "taking the shield of faith," found in Ephesians 6:16, "Above all, taking the shield of faith..." [New King James Version]. Today, let's see what the Shield of Faith looks like. Tomorrow, we'll look more closely at what it does.
     The Greek/Roman soldier's oblong, curved 4' by 2' shield was, both individually and collectively, their most important defensive weapon. Soldiers could join their shields together, in front or overhead, placing themselves behind a fortified wall. Their wooden shields, covered in thick leather, protected them well. The Shield of Faith is meant to be as valuable a weapon in spiritual warfare.
     According to Romans 12:3, "God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith" [King James Version]. That tells me that God has placed in every person the same amount of what I like to call "faith potential." That makes sense since "God is no respecter of persons" (Acts 10:34). It is up to each of us, whether or not we yield to faith and whether or not we yield to the Shield.
     The believer has the potential for great faith, the faith showed by all those pointed out in Hebrews chapter 11, the Hall of Faith chapter. When you read that chapter, you will see that many of those precious believers suffered great persecution, but they never lost their confidence in the Lord, and they (even the ones who lived before the time of Jesus) knew the victory they had in the Lord. Today, most of us don't suffer persecution like that, thankfully, but we do have an enemy who would like to defeat us, and if he can't steal our salvation, he'll certainly try to steal our joy, on a daily basis.
     When we look at our own life, as a believer, and perhaps that of others we know, it certainly seems as if there are various sizes of shields of faith. Some hold up a very small shield, and others hold up a very large shield, and that, my friends, is why some experience defeat and others, while still in the fight, experience ultimate victory.
     In the Shield of Faith, size matters. Your challenge is to increase your faith. Don't wait for God to do it, because He's already given you everything you need. Experience will teach you that the more you use it, the more you'll see it works, and the more it works, the more you'll use it. Now, it's up to you. You've got to yield to the Shield!

Revelation 2:13
[Jesus speaks to the church at Pergamum words He would say to us today] "'I know that you live in the city where Satan has his throne, yet you have remained loyal to Me...'"

What this has to do with weight loss: When you recognize that Satan will use even your weight-loss journey to try to defeat you, you know that you can use your Shield of Faith to protect yourself. It's available to you, and as you yield to the Shield, you will hear the words, "You have remained loyal to Me." Victory is assured, when that happens.

Prayer for Today:
"Heavenly Father, I'm so grateful for the measure of faith You've given to me. My desire is to increase it and to yield to the Shield of Faith, every moment of every day. I want victory, and nothing less will do! The Shield of Faith works. Help me to work it, in Jesus' Name. Amen."

Go forth today, and yield to the Shield of Faith.

Blessings,
Mary