Do you ever stop to ponder what you’re prone to put your faith in? Is it your spouse, your retirement accounts, or perhaps your good looks?
There is the obvious “Christian answer” being that of course we put our faith in Jesus. Right?!
But when the rubber hits the road, is this really true? When my child makes a poor decision that has public repercussions, where is my faith? Or when my investments lose value and I have to drastically cut my living expenses, where is my faith? When I face bone-crushing rejection, where is my faith?
These are the kind of real life experiences that give us pause and make us reevaluate exactly where we are placing our faith.
Ephesians 6:16 says, “In every situation take the shield of faith, and with it you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
Did you notice how this verse said that we are to take up the shield of faith in every situation? Not just the situations where it’s easy to keep the faith, but in Every. Single. One.
Paul also wants us to realize that placing our faith in Christ alone is the only way that we are going to fight off the flaming arrows of the enemy, which come hot and fast. If we keep putting our faith in the wrong places (i.e. our loved ones, money, or physical appearances), then we will be disappointed when they inevitably fail us. Doing so also leaves us exposed to the enemy’s attacks. But when we trust God to defend us, then we can fend off the enemy and our faith is strengthened!
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s pick up that shield and put our faith where it belongs. After all, He is our best defense.