In verse 16, Paul shifts the active verb from put on or having put on to take up. The change is significant because taking up something requires movement and is not just part of getting dressed for battle. Rather the Roman soldier’s shield was a full body size shield that resembled a door and protected the entire body. The shield is an external piece of the armor that is not attached directly to the body.

Spiritually, Paul describes the role of the shield of faith as protection against flaming arrows of the evil one. Those arrows include doubt, fear, temptation, discouragement or anything that seeks to destroy our faith. Active trust and His promises blocks the whispers and extinguishes them before they do any permanent damage.

The shield is useless if we leave it on the ground and try to combat doubt, fear, or temptation in our own strength, but when we “take up” the shield by relying on God to get us through difficult situations, the whispers stop or at least get quieter.

Keeping the shield of faith in good repair might include verbally disputing the things our minds tell us. For example, when old tapes start playing in our head, stop and say something like, “nope, that’s not who I am anymore. God says I’m a new person.”
Countering the “flaming arrows” with a truth quickly extinguishes the thought.

What part of your daily routine could represent taking up the shield of faith

dailyinspiration #ShieldOfFaith