My husband is a HUGE fan of movies, and has a handful that are forever going to be in his Top 10. To name a few, we have “Braveheart”, “Gladiator”, “Lonesome Dove” (such a long movie!), “The Last of the Mohicans”, “300”, and the rest I will not list (they get to be a bit ridiculous – like “Dumb and Dumber”). Some movies are considered, in his opinion, classics. Some have awesome story-lines and others he simply loves for the one-liners that can easily be incorporated to our day-to-day dialogue. Some lines just go around in my head at times when my alter-ego starts conversing with my more sane psyche.
Oftentimes, I’ll be doing dishes and one of the kids will wander over because they’re so bored – they have nothing to do! This is when the alter-ego starts imagining that I whip around with a sudsy spatula in hand and I yell out, “Are you not entertained?!” This only happens in my head of course. My sane response is the typical, “Find something to do or I’ll find some chores for you…” or a listing off of all the different things they could be doing aside from bothering me about their boredom. One of these days, I may just surprise them with the line from “Gladiator”. Another favorite that I often have going through my head is from “Braveheart” when Mel Gibson is getting everyone pumped for battle – “They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom!” This is typically changed a bit in my alter-ego state to “They may take our time, but they will never take our sanity!” I guess the jokes on them, right?
When my husband is excited about something – whether it be God’s goodness, investments he’s researching, football news, or a favorite movie – he can’t help but want to share them. Kind of like how I’m excited to share this series with you (as well as other posts). Since we’ve gotten married, my curiosity has gotten the best of me, and I’ve watched some of my husband’s favorite movies. This is what has further led me into the *interesting* alter-ego coming through. But it has also led me to connect battle strategies that Romans and similar civilizations used (Gladiator, 300, Ben-Hur, Spartacus, and even the Scots). Some of these strategies were also known, even if only a little, by Paul and the church in Ephesus that he was writing to.
We know there were protective measures taken into account when designing the armor – the belt to protect the gut and the reproductive parts, the breastplate to protect vital organs like the heart and lungs, and even the shoes to afford the soldiers to be able to travel great distances on foot without getting sores. There were also strategic measures that went into the design of the armor – the belt held everything in place, the breastplate could blind the enemy via reflecting the sun, and the shoes were equipped with cleats to make quick maneuvers possible. Then we come to the shield…
Like every piece of armor, the shield design adjusted over time as strategies changed. Shields typically weighed between 15 and 22 pounds, and ranged from a round shape, to oval, to rectangular. During the first century, the shield (also called a scutum) additionally had a protruding “knob” that helped in deflecting arrows. Soldiers were trained to use their shields in different ways – they would use them to knock the enemy down, deliver blow after blow once they were down, and a favorite is the “tortoise” formation. The soldiers would group together and position their shields to form a “shell” that would encompass and protect all of them from the arrows – flaming or otherwise. The initial training the Roman soldiers went through lasted approximately 4 months, but with the adjustments to armor and the tactics progressively changing, there was much more training they went through over the course of their 25 year term of service.
While the soldiers adjusted to using the different shapes the shields came in, the purpose was clear – protect, deflect, and pummel. This is the first piece of armor that was specifically designed to protect as well as cause injuries to the enemy that Paul mentions in his letter. Ever watch the clips on YouTube where two separate people, each wearing an inflatable “bubble”, run straight at each other and they bounce off and go flying across the yard? My 4 year old daughter loves videos like that – she often asks if we can watch “people fall down” on the computer. Word to the wise, not all are appropriate – try watching on mute or only watch AFV clips. Not only were the soldiers trained to use the shield for blocking arrows, but they also used them to knock the enemy down (or sent flying across the battlefield). Once footing is lost, the enemy is left scrambling.
When Paul lists the shield as part of the spiritual armor needed, as I mentioned before, he did so with the understanding of how the shield was used – it directly related to attacking the enemy at times, but also for blocking the enemy’s flaming arrows.
As I’ve studied the Armor of God, both as a child and as an adult, I understood some of the pieces (to an extent) but the shield was always a bit of a mystery. The shield of faith… what exactly is faith? Some may call faith a religious belief, but I believe religion has a tendency to dilute the Gospel with man-made opinions. The Bible doesn’t say, “Faith, without religion, is dead…” No, it states that faith, without works, is dead (James 2:26). Faith is a complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Some people have faith in something without even knowing it. I have faith – complete trust or confidence in – that God is always good. Some might nod along without thinking that statement through, but how often have you questioned God in anger when something bad happened?
When I miscarried 3 babies in 2 pregnancies within 6 months early on in our marriage, I railed at God! I felt betrayed – so many people were telling me things that pointed fingers at God being behind it – God knew what He was doing, or there must have been something wrong with the baby so God was actually sparing me hardship, and we can’t possibly know the mind of God and a favorite being there must be something you’ve done wrong and this is the judgment. These pat phrases spoken in an attempt to lend comfort or to express my “unworthiness” do not line up with God’s promises (Exodus 23:26) or the righteousness I have through Jesus’ sacrifice (II Corinthians 5:21 and Hebrews 4:16). It took me a long time to understand some of this, and I still have quite a bit to learn, but when I miscarried again just 2 years ago, my reaction was completely different from before. I didn’t shake my fist at God because God. Is. Good. My faith has grown from shaking my fist at God when bad things happen, to trusting and having complete confidence in God’s goodness.
The areas of my faith that are strong (my shield in place and not wavering) may be weak areas for someone else – and vice versa. Very much like I Corinthians 12:12-31, the passage that talks about the body having many parts, etc., etc., the shield’s effectiveness in certain circumstances greatly depends on Christians coming together and lending their shield for others. Our experiences with God are to be shared with each other, not in ways to brag, but as a testimony of faith. If one falters over healing because they’ve never seen it happen, others who have no doubt should come alongside their fellow soldier and lend their Shield of Faith. Same with those who have experienced God exceed their expectations in their finances should hold their Shield up for someone who is experiencing financial hardships. The list can go on and on for situations in which our Shield of Faith can be used and shared.
I’m certain that when we’re told to confess our sins with one another (James 5:16), it’s not simply about telling people all the ways we’ve broken the 10 Commandments, but rather where we fall short in our faith – areas in which we find our faith faltering; ways in which we doubt. When we share these instances, we’re expressing that we’re vulnerable in certain areas. This alerts others to a need for a Shield of Faith that we’re lacking. Your Shield of Faith can be so much better with the share. Besides, it’s not about being victorious over someone who sits in the next pew at church, but about being victorious over the evil one – the devil. Be on the look-out for the flaming arrows, have your Shield of Faith at the ready, and share your Shield.
The Romans were so effective in so many areas, and their military was definitely one of them. They knew the strength they had when they worked together as a singular unit. They knew the power they possessed when they worked together – both in defensive maneuvers as well as offensive. The enemy is out there, scouting out areas of weakness that can be used to destroy. Let’s utilize the Shield of Faith as a team to protect from the flaming arrows – and then to knock down and decimate the enemy. We are victors, but our strength is so much greater when we work together.
Add Air Force One to the list. “Get off my plane!”