In years past, soldiers often protected themselves with shields, and in Ephesians 6:16, the Bible speaks of “the shield of faith.” Since shields provide protection, faith must be a way to protect ourselves when the enemy attacks. However, a shield is only effective when it is raised; it won’t help a soldier while it is on the ground or at his side. He must lift it up and use it to cover himself from attack. When the devil attacks us with unpleasant circumstances or thoughts that cause us to worry and be afraid, we should immediately lift up the shield of faith. The way we do that is by deciding right away that we will trust God instead of trying to worry our way to victory. It is very helpful to say out loud, “I trust God in this situation!” Say it firmly with conviction. Jesus talked back to Satan by saying, “It is written,” and quoting Scripture (see Luke 4), and we can do the same. God’s Word is powerful, and it is effective against everything the enemy tries to do in our lives.
Throughout the Bible, we see wonderful accounts of men and women of faith who totally trusted God in situations that appeared impossible to solve, and they experienced God’s delivering power. Each of them had to release their faith and confidence in God and refuse to worry or be anxious.
If you’re a Christian who goes around burdened or weighed down all the time, something is wrong. You may have had faith in Christ for salvation, but that doesn’t mean you are living by faith. The most difficult burden we have to carry in life is self. Managing self, our daily living, feelings, temptations, temperament, and inward affairs all can become a heavy burden if we do not place ourselves entirely in God’s hands by faith.
Next, we must lay aside the burden of health, reputation, work, home, children, and everything else that concerns us. The Bible tells us that God is faithful (see 1 Thessalonians 5:24); that’s one of His major characteristics. We can count on Him to come through for us, so we should trust Him totally and completely. When we do, we’ll be ready for anything that comes our way.
There will always be situations that cause you concern, but with God’s help, you can live above all of them and enjoy life. Learn to say with your mouth and with sincerity in your heart, “God, I trust You completely; there is no need to worry!”
One woman had a heavy burden that kept her from sleeping, took her appetite, and endangered her health. One day she found a gospel tract telling the story of Hannah, a woman who also had very heavy burdens in life, but eventually learned to give them all to the Lord. Hannah said she was finally able to realize that she could not bear her burden, but had to let God bear it for her. She shared that we must take our burdens to Him, leave them, come away, and forget them. If the worry comes back, we should take it to him again; continuing to do this over and over until at last we have no worries and we have perfect peace. Persistence is the key to defeating Satan. You must show him that you mean business. Keep your shield of faith lifted at all times and you will have the victory.
I had to learn that God would not work as long as I worried, but the moment I trusted Him, He put His plan into action, and through faith and patience, I enjoyed the thrill of watching
Think about It
Are you going to worry or pray and release God to go to work?
How can you demonstrate your faith in God in a situation you might otherwise worry about today?
