Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung, said there are three typical spiritual problems that modern people deal with daily. These are debilitating feelings of insignificance, inadequacy, and hopelessness. He said that these spiritual problems are caused by a feeling of insecurity.

I am renovating an old pop-up camper right now. The main reason is that we want to feel secure when we sleep there. When I bought a pop-up trailer, it looked good, but the wall was the problem. Lisa said she did not like the old pop-up camper because the walls were not sturdy enough for her. She said she couldn’t get a deep sleep when she felt insecure. So, I’m putting down the thin fabric and building a solid wall “no choice.”

If you want to get deep sleep, safety must be guaranteed. If you want a secure and stable life, you have to stay in a safe place. Feeling safe and secure is central to our health and wellbeing. For Christians, spiritual security is the key word to guard our hearts, minds, and lives from spiritual warfare.

Signs of Spiritual Warfare

How do I know if I am under attack? There are two kinds of spiritual indicators. First, meaninglessness, unexplained anxiety, and self-deprecation are signs that you are being attacked. There are fiery arrows that the wicked shoot to kill the Christian’s confidence and joy in Christ.

God never takes away our hope or devalues us, but He pours us out with heavenly confidence and joy. In Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” If you suffer those kind of spiritual problem, that is not God’s plan for you.

Second, if you are burning with uncontrollable anger, blaming yourself and others, and destroying your inner joy, it is a sign that you are under attack. When an evil spirit came forcefully upon King Saul, He poured out his uncontrollable anger on David, and his heart was burning with anger, so he threw the spear at David. in 2 Timothy 1:7, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Therefore, Knowing that you are under attack by these spiritual symptoms, you need a shield of faith that will protect you from all the fiery arrows of the evil one.

Biblical Solution

Today’s scripture tells us what is the Scripture meaning of complete Christian faith looks like and what is the spiritual meaning of shield that protect us from the flaming arrows of the evil one.

I would like to focus on the biblical meaning of these two words shield and faith because it is a combined word. 

Faith and approval

The first is faith. People think of faith as their strong conviction in God. Some have said that faith is what I believe. It does not require proof or evidence from others.” However, complete Christian faith is not only what I believe but also needs the approval of Jesus Christ because we could not generate the faith ourselves but it is a gift of God. In Ephesians 2:8–9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God” Therefore, two parts needed to complete the Christian faith? First one is our conviction and the other one is Jesus’s approval.

Christian faith requires the approval of Jesus Christ. Jesus asked Peter. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.”

Shield and Door

The other one is a shield. The shield in the Bible is not talking about the shield that captain America hold in the movie. The meaning of shield is a gate or door. If you get in the iron dome through the gate, you will get in full protection from the attack.

The ancient Roman soldiers used of oblong shield which looked like a door. When they were being attack, they put shields against each other to form a large dome to protect each other. When fellow soldiers come, they open their shield and let them in their protection, but the enemy approached them, they close the door with shield. 

Jesus Christ is Our Shield

In spiritual sense, the Lord Himself is our shield. In John 1:7 “I am the door of the sheep,” whoever enters in him will be saved and be protected. Romans 8:35 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Jesus Christ is standing for us as the open door and ask us to come in his protection.

Conclusion

in Matthew 16:18 “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

The Church and the Shield

Matthew 16:18 clearly tells us the Church represent the spiritual shield of God. Jesus Christ is our rock and our shield. But now Jesus Christ is at the right hand of God in the kingdom of Heaven and will come to us. Before his ascension, he built the church on the faith of Peter, which is the Christians’ faith, and said, “I will build my church, and the powers of Hades will not overcome it.” Jesus entrusted the church and gave spiritual authority to fight back to protect his people from enemy attacks.

Therefore, when you are coming into the Church, you are joining in his body. Your spirit fully protected for the enemy.

In Psalms 91:4, “He will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge.” God represented His shield his with the feathers of a bird’s wing. He said that God’s spiritual shield is plural, not singular. In other words, Church is the community of believers and get together with their shield and make iron dome to protect each other. 

Practical Applications

Do not confuse the Church as a religious institution. The Church is Christians’ spiritual home to put their name on the book of life.

The Church is your spiritual home. If you believe Jesus Christ is come again and judge all the world, put your spiritual membership in the Church because Jesus Christ will come and judge the world but not the Church. The Church is the ark of salvation for you.

2022.07.31.Pastor Cloud Poy

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