Faithful Protection || Underneath the Armor || Week 4

We are in a six-week series that I’m calling: “Underneath the Armor.” We’ll look deeper at the armor of God shown in Ephesians 6:13-17. Each week, I will discuss a different armor piece, what it represents, and how the themes are shown throughout the Bible. I’ll break down the original Greek words Paul wrote so we can understand them as clearly as possible. Let’s begin by reading the Armor of God scripture and highlighting what we will discuss today. It’s Ephesians 6:13-17, which says: 

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so that you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 

14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of righteousness. 

15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 

16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 

17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

This shield must be tough to protect us from the devil’s fiery arrows. The Greek word Paul uses here is thureos (thoo-reh-os’), which means shield. This is the only time this word is used in the New Testament. There is no shield like it, which shows that we cannot compare what this shield is. Imagine a door or a gate that is large enough to protect your entire body. This image is what the shield looks like. The metaphorical definition of a shield is our faith birthed from God. It’s a tool that fully protects the believer, covering all parts of them during the spiritual battles. Our faith is the tool that protects all parts of our being in the middle of our spiritual battles. 

What is faith, then? I often define my faith based on Hebrews 11:1:

1 Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see. 

I have left the definition as this because I question, “Is there more to it?” There is. Faith, used in both passages, is the Greek word pistis (pis’-tis), which means faith or faithfulness (see Gal 5:22 for reference.) In essence, it’s used to represent persuasion. It’s a strong and welcoming conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah. Through Him, we gain eternal salvation in the Kingdom of God. 

The shield of faith is the belief that Jesus is our Savior and gives us eternal life. The shield of faith protects us from Satan’s fiery arrows. The shield helps protect us from the pain-ridden miseries and the inevitable agonies that can come to us like an arrow on fire. By the way, the pain-ridden miseries and the inevitable agonies define the Greek word for the evil one. The evil one is referred to as the devil. It’s now all interconnected. 

Keeping the faith requires confidence. Jesus tells us what this can mean in Matthew 21:21:

21 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. 

Many have been left confused by Jesus’ words here. Most of us have not experienced so much faith that we can pick up a mountain and throw it. We can do that if we have faith and don’t doubt. We can do that if we remember that Jesus is our Savior and provides eternal life. I can see why people have been confused.

“What does my eternal life have to do with tossing mountains?” This is why we can’t cherry-pick scriptures. Having faith is half of Jesus’ command. We also need to not doubt. Doubting who Jesus is, doubts who we are, and doubts our abilities. In those situations, I’m as good as useless. Yet, nothing is impossible when I remember who Jesus is and who I am through Jesus. I’m not saying that I run out to the closest mountain and attempt to toss it somewhere. I’m saying that I have more confidence and courage that God has given me the ability to do what’s needed. We talked about this last week. Confidence and courage represent God’s peace that he gifts to all of us. Leaning on this requires faith. It requires us to remember who Jesus is (our Savior) and that he saves us in all situations. 

There’s another part of this. After Jesus tells us what to do, he says we can do “things like this and much more.” What are those things? They can’t be mountain throwing because that comes after, and Jesus uses this idea as an example. Let’s search for the context clues. 

There are three verses before what Jesus says in verse 21 that show us what he’s talking about. Verses 18-20 say this: 

18 In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry,

19 and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.

20 The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”

How did something that seems impossible to us happen so quickly? Through faith and without doubt. What is your fig tree? What things are not producing fruit right now that you must remove to get what you need? Anything can be accomplished through what Jesus can do and what we believe through Jesus. 

Let’s talk about this some more in Matthew 17:20

20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.

We went from mountains to mustard seeds. (Good sermon title!) Let’s take this literally. A mustard seed is 0.039 to 0.079 inches/1 to 2 millimeters. Mt. Fuji is 12,388 feet/3,776 meters. Let’s put this on equal terms. Mt. Fuji is 148,656 inches/3,776,000 millimeters. It would take approximately 2,832,000 millimeters (2,519,493 inches) of mustard seeds to move Mt. Everest. That’s a lot. If we look at it differently, it would take 0.00004%/0.000026% of the size of Mt. Fuji to move it with mustard seeds. What am I trying to say through all the numbers and all the math? 

It takes a little faith to do something massive. Those big situations that terrify you are accomplishable with just a little courage and confidence that Jesus is who he is and provides what we need when needed. This is convicting for me right now. Starting tomorrow (as I write this), I have orientation for a brand-new job that I’m starting. This is a job I’ve never done, nor do I have any fundamental skills to do it. I’m working in the Deli department at my local Kroger’s. I honestly haven’t seen the job description. I’m terrified. I’m scared. I’m worried about messing up and making a fool of myself. Yet, I’ve felt like this is a test from God to trust him. To have faith that he knows what he’s doing and follow the path before me. This means I can lean on God to provide the courage and confidence to do what’s needed in this position. It’s not something I can create on my own, but it’s something that is birthed by God through the Holy Spirit that resides in me. It requires me to trust that God will do what God does.

James 1:6 talks about faith and where it comes from: 

6 “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” 

We can lean on people and trust that they will help us in whatever way possible. Yet, our faith, our belief that Jesus is our Savior and gives us eternal life, rests on God alone. We don’t put anything above that. What does my personal belief in Jesus have to do with trusting people? It’s what comes as a result of it that I’m talking about. We must believe not only that God exists but also that he cares for all people. We’re called to love each other as Jesus loved us. This includes going to prayer often and expecting that God will both hear us and answer us. Not answering us in the way we hope but answering us overall. We need to not be critical of God but be confident that God will align our desires with his purpose. Will it work out 100% of the time? No, and we have to be okay with that. It sucks when God closes the door to a path we liked or won’t even unlock, but God’s got something better. God is a good god and operates out of love.

This new understanding of our faith is something that will last a lifetime. Romans 1:17 talks about this: 

17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 

Paul quotes Habakkuk 2:4 here. Before we dig deeper into that, let’s talk about a couple things that this verse says. In last week’s blog, we talked about how the “Good News” is the Greek word euaggelion, which describes the entirety of the Bible. The Bible tells us how God makes us right in his sight. In Week 2 of this series, we discussed how righteousness is the Greek word dikaiosuné, which means God’s divine approval. The Bible tells us how God will approve of us, which comes only by faith (or divine persuasion). How is Habakkuk teaching us this?

Habakkuk 2:4 says: 

4 “Look at the proud! They trust themselves, and their lives are crooked. But the righteous will live by their faithfulness to God.” 

So, what Paul is saying is only a half-quote. We’re missing the full quote and a complete understanding of what Habakkuk says. The Babylonians trusted in themselves and would fall, but the righteous will live by their faith in God and their faithfulness to God. This reminds us to trust God and how he’s allowing and directing all things according to his purpose. We’ve discussed how the Greek word for faith is pistis, which means divine persuasion. What is the Hebrew word Habakkuk uses for faith? Does it differ from the Greek? 

The Hebrew word for faith that Habakkuk uses is emunah (em-oo-naw’), which is defined as firmness, steadfastness, or fidelity. It’s often used to represent the word “faithfulness.” This word is often understood as literally “firmness” and figuratively “security.” It’s the feminine form of emun (ay-moon’), defined as faithfulness. This word is often understood as being trustworthy. Emun comes from the Hebrew word aman (aw-man’), which means to confirm or support. This word represents “building up” and “supporting” literally. This word figuratively represents trusting, believing, and morally being true or certain. There’s another word Isaiah uses that is interchangeable with the original aman, which means “turn to the right.” It comes from the concept of yamiyn, which describes the right side of the body, such as the right hand. It’s describing the stronger side of the body. 

With that word study, what do we need to take away? We discussed terms like firm, secure, confirm, support, trust, belief, and certainty. Yet, the biggest standout is that it comes from turning to the right or stronger side. I believe there’s a connection to repentance here, which I understand translates to mean “to turn.” To turn away from the worldly life and to turn to a godly life. To turn away from the side that provides temporary relief from weakness and turn to a side that embraces our weakness as strength through Christ. When we turn to the stronger side, how would you feel? More secure? More supported? Would you have more trust in who God is? Would you have a firmer foundation in your Christian walk? The Hebrew understanding of faith involves a turn in your life. The Greek understanding of faith is to persuade you to make the turn.

That’s a lot more powerful understanding than just going by Hebrews 11:1.  It was so powerful for Paul that he quotes Habakkuk 2:4 again in Galatians 3:11. It says: 

11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 

Wait! I can’t be made right with God by following the law, but the Bible is supposed to teach me how God will approve of us? Isn’t this contradicting? At face value, yes. The Bible teaches proper rules and boundaries about following God and caring for other humans. However, following these rules isn’t how God will approve of us. When we dig deeper, though, it’s not contradicting. 

In previous blogs, we’ve discussed that Jesus was a sacrifice for us to have a direct relationship with God. Before Jesus did this, there was a legal system to atone for sins and who can walk into the Holy of Holies in the Temple. When Jesus died, the Temple curtain was torn completely down the middle (a supernatural feat if you look up how this curtain was made,) signifying that there are no barriers between humanity and God anymore. We can go boldly and confidently to God with everything in our hearts (Ephesians 3:12). If we believe in what God did for us through Jesus and proclaim that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, then we are Christian (Romans 10:9-10). I wonder, “Can’t people claim this and still do wrong things?” Yes! It happens more frequently than you think; our history shows us this. This is where we must understand what it truly means to follow God. We have to understand the Ten Commandments, Jesus’s favorite commands, and the Bible’s principles about what it means to love God and love others. What can these seem like? Rules. The things that are no longer needed to be made right with God. Welcome to the complexity of understanding this ancient literal text!

The idea is to look at these commands through the lens of who God is and how we can replicate this in our lives and communities today. I recommend starting with understanding the characteristics of God. Check out the BibleProject’s series on Exodus 34:6, which lists five characteristics of God that are repeated countless times throughout the Bible. God is compassionate, merciful, slow to anger, loving, and faithful. Take the time to learn and understand these characteristics and see how you can act more like this today. 

The commands are ways of living that reflect who God is. The Bible shows us the righteousness and the mercy of God. How so? We see his plan to save his chosen people from the bondage of sin and how we will be prepared for eternal life. This comes from faith and faith alone. This comes from turning away from the world’s lifestyle and the lifestyle of God. This isn’t a dull, boring life. The Bible teaches us to eat, drink, and be merry, all for the glory of God. Being a Christian can be fun! It can almost look like what others do, but it’s understanding why we do it. Believing that God provides for us and guides us along a just and right path requires faith. It requires a turn from the cycle of failure that we often find ourselves stuck in and turning to the new life that God promises. 

I’ve talked about how the law and faith interact. Paul even says something about this in Romans 3:27-28: 

27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 

28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

Christianity uniquely teaches that there is nothing good we can do to make us right with God. There’s no achievement we can make or progress we can gain that will close the gap between God’s perfection and our imperfection. This concept makes me think of what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13. 

2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but I didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 

3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. 

Paul lists tons of powerful things that he could have that would make him like God and Jesus. Yet, it would be meaningless if it wasn’t for God’s love. It would be worth nothing, both externally and internally. We could do every good thing in the world. Yet, if I didn’t have the love of God in my heart, it would be worth nothing. It sounds extreme, and it is for believers. Many non-believers are doing, have done, and will do wonderful things for the world. The believers who do good things for the pride, publicity, and praise from others are who this is for. The basis for how Christians should act is God’s love. It is to love as Jesus loved us. For it is his love that will last forever. 

We’ll close this blog by looking at the question: Why did God choose faith to save us? 

Faith eliminates the pride of human effort because faith is not a deed we do. Faith requires the conscious decision to daily turn away from the worldly lifestyle and turn towards a godly one. It’ll require consistent work. It’s not a one-and-done decision. It’s not something we claim and then ignore for the rest of our lives. It’s a work that happens through the strength of God and God alone. There have been many times when I’ve felt so weak and ready to give up, but the Holy Spirit has carried me. It is through weakness that God’s strength is shown.

Faith exalts what God has done, not what we do. What does exalt mean, because I’m sure that’s not a word you use daily? To exalt means to hold someone or something in very high regard. Faith raises up what God has done over what we do. As mentioned, God will use our weaknesses to show his strength. We’re tired, hopeless, exhausted, anxious, nervous, and uncomfortable when weak. We’re not willing to exert the extra energy to do what’s needed, but through God and leaning on him, we find that extra energy boost to get things done. When that happens, we lift up what God has done. We don’t lift up the fact that we did it on our own. 

Faith admits that we can’t keep the law or measure up to God’s standards – we need help. I’ve mentioned that it’s THROUGH GOD that our weaknesses are turned into strengths. It’s learning the principles of God and relying on the Holy Spirit to apply those principles to our daily life practices. We’ll look at the standard of how God wants things done and recognize that we can’t do it. I think of the story of the rich young ruler. Let me share that with you. 

16 Someone came to Jesus with this question: “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 

17 “Why ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. But to answer your question – if you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments.” 

18 “Which ones?” the man asked. And Jesus replied: “‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. 

19 Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself. 

All those things sound reasonable. Don’t kill. Don’t cheat. Don’t steal. Don’t lie. Respect your elders. Love others. Sounds good. Most of us can claim that we do this already. Let’s continue.

20 “I’ve obeyed all these commandments,” the young man replied. “What else must I do?”

21 Jesus told him, “If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 

22 But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. 

Yeah. I’m supposed to sell my stuff and then give the money to the poor. I’d be walking away sad, too. There’s an exciting thing happening in this story. To gain eternal life, we must not kill, cheat, steal, or lie; we must respect our elders and love others. To be perfect, we must sell all our stuff and give our proceeds to those in need. We can do one thing, and we’ll need help with the other one. Faith shows us that we need help in becoming Christlike. 

Faith ignites and sustains a person’s relationship with God. All this is predicated on the fact that we have a relationship with God. We need to create a habit that involves deepening our relationship with God to deepen our relationships with others. How does this happen? Read your Bible and study God’s character. Understand God’s ways and apply the principles of being his image to your life. It sounds monumental, but I promise it’s doable. We have to apply ourselves and remember that we’re not alone. There is a community of believers that wants you to thrive in the best way possible. We have almost a community of 100 people through this blog that are rooting for you. There may be a church community that you’re involved in that wants you to thrive, too. We weren’t created to do life alone. We need to allow people to join us on the journey.

Let’s close this blog here. This was a powerful fifteen minutes to share with you. God is good, and I feel his Spirit alive and active here. The shield of faith protects us from the attacks of the devil. We have the protection of God from the world’s evil, and it’s birthed through faith. It’s birthed through turning away from the world’s blows and turning to the protection that can only be found in God. Next week, we’ll talk about the helmet of salvation. I’m excited to dive deeper into salvation because it’s a term that we often use in church and Bible study but not in our general life. Until next time, stay blessed!