Most of the millennials and Gen Zs would be well acquainted with Steve Rogers, not so sure about the subsequent generations. One thing Captian America has taught is that shield need not be just a weapon of defense, in the hands of the Captain it becomes a formidable weapon of offence.
In the spiritual warfare, which we all are a part of, the shield is an important defense. It protects us from the constant barrage of projectiles from the enemy. Though most Christians today would spend most of their lives oblivious to the warfare, it would be altogether unwise to believe that the faith we inherited due to birth in a Christian family or upbringing will provide immunity in the warfare.
Hebrews 11:6 NLT
[6] And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
https://bible.com/bible/116/heb.11.6.NLT
F.F. Bruce wrote, “Faith is the organ which enables people to see the invisible order.”
Ephesians 6:16-17 NIV
[16] In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. [17] Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
https://bible.com/bible/111/eph.6.16-17.NIV
Another important lesson we learn from Captian America is that although the shield is remarkable in hand-to-hand combat but in ‘Avengers Infinity War’ we see that when facing an overwhelming army, he weilded a Mjölnir (never imagined Norse mythology could teach something about faith!)
In the spiritual warfare armamentarium, the sword of the spirit (Word of God) is the only mentioned weapon of offence, whereas the rest are for defense. In these perilous times we need to unsheath the sword available to us to take on the army. When our Lord Jesus was tested in the wilderness, He countered with the word of God. Jesus frequently quoted the Word when He taught the disciples or when He debated the ‘religious elite’.
Romans 10:17 NLT
[17] So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.10.17.NLT
This implies that the shield is bound to weaken when not fed and fueled by the Word. As we dig deeper into the mines of the Word of God, fortifying both our defences and offense, may we be able to say like Shimon Kefa (Peter), “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the word of eternal life.”
God bless!
joyancejames 
Leave a comment