Is Your Shield Up?

Photon torpedoes blast. Sirens blare. The crew of the Starship Enterprise prepares for an attack. As the alien force hammers away, the bridge shakes and shudders. Thank goodness for seatbelts.

The first concern? Are the shields are still up and how much damage they have sustained? Vital information. Without them, the Enterprise and her crew will be captured by bad guys or blown to smithereens.

Are your shields up? Your shield of faith, that is. Ephesians 6:16 (ESV) reads, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

Did you catch the first part? It caught me—by surprise.

“In all circumstances.”

Any Trekkie knows to get the shield up when danger lurks on the horizon, but in all circumstances?

Sometimes I forget, or worse, I don’t sense the need.

Why might I need my shield up in good times, in times of peace, with no Klingons in sight?

Credit Where Credit is Due

Keeping my shield up keeps me honest. When I’m flying friendly skies, I can take credit for the good stuff instead of acknowledging that “every good and perfect gift” comes from Him. Faith keeps me centered—on Him.

Watch Your Back

Though life may be going well for me, the battle still rages. If I leave myself unprotected, I might take a flaming arrow in the back.

I’m Not On Leave

Keeping my shield up reminds me who I am—a warrior. And there’s no leave ‘til the Commander sends me home for good. I can’t afford to sleep when I’m supposed to be on guard duty. There’s too much at stake for my family and for me.

So let’s get our shields up. Let’s look for spots where our faith is weak and work with God to strengthen it.

The photon torpedoes are coming.

Questions:

Where do you struggle in regard to faith?

What would help you keep a battle mindset?

Have you ever been caught with your shield down?

Family Application:

What is a shield for?

What happens if you don’t have one?

How does faith protect you?

What might a flaming dart be?

Can you match a truth that will extinguish that arrow?

Tweetables:

Any Trekkie knows to get the shield up when danger lurks on the horizon, but in all circumstances? Click To Tweet
Though life may be going well for me, the battle still rages. Click To Tweet
I can’t afford to sleep when I’m supposed to be on guard duty. There’s too much at stake. Click To Tweet
The photon torpedoes are coming. Click To Tweet

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