Shield(s) of faith

Can you picture an ancient Roman battle?  Specifically a scene where the enemy is lobbing fiery arrows at the Roman soldiers?  If you can, I imagine that you are picturing the Roman soldiers standing side by side with their body-sized shields interlocked, even some holding their shields up over the group's heads.  Full protection.  Those fiery arrows aren't penetrating that system.

I don't know if I conjure this image from the many references in church to "putting on the armor of God" and Sunday School posters of a Roman soldier's uniform or from the latest Hollywood movie.

As I've been talking to God about the armor of God, specifically engaging the fight against the injustice of child-sex slavery in our world, this image of the Roman shields continues to come to mind.  As I work through all of the elements of the armor of God (Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Faith and Salvation) it is only this reference to the shield of faith that brings to my mind a full army.  All of the rest I picture, from the Sunday School posters, the singular Roman soldier in his uniform.  But for the shield I picture many shields, linked together forming an impenetrable force.

It is this picture that gives me courage in the battle, the spiritual war that rages around me.  I know that the evil one is regularly lobbing fiery arrows at me.  Showering me with lies, deception that has the power to destroy me.  I also know that some of those arrows are more likely than others to go over or around my shield of faith.  I find in regards to certain lies that my faith is weak.

As I talked to God about the armor of God this past Friday on my Streetlight security shift it occurred to me that I am not in this battle alone.  Though I patrol the campus on my own, I do not engage this spiritual battle alone.  I'm not talking about "alone" without God, but "alone" without other people.  In fact, I always begin my security rounds thanking God for going before me, going with me, and going ahead of me in fighting this injustice.

But in regards to our faith the Scriptures are repeatedly clear, we are a body, a community, not individuals in this world.  I recognize that I desperately need the shield of faith held by my friends, family, and brothers and sisters in the family of God to link with mine and extinguish those fiery arrows that threaten to get past my shield.

Faith is believing in what we cannot see because of what we can see.  Sometimes I can see the arrows of deception and I can move my shield into place.  When I cannot see it clearly enough I need to speak up and tell my friends what I am sensing so that they can tell and show me the truth and move their shield of faith in place to help protect me.

It takes courage to admit weakness.  Weakness of faith.  To say out loud, "I think this is a lie of satan, but I just can't tell."  To tell a friend about the destructive voices in my head.  And to huddle under their shield until the volley passes.

To listen to a friend.  To move your shield into place.  To let them rest and recover while you carry the faith for them.