I don’t read Zechariah very much. In fact, though I have read the Bible through at least twice, I don’t remember reading these verses at all. How did I miss this? I must have been really sleepy that morning.
I find the scripture amazing! What a beautiful vision of the spiritual battle we face as Satan stands right next to us ready to accuse and Jesus rebukes his accusations and exchanges our dirty clothes for beautiful garments symbolic of taking away our sin and clothing us with righteousness.
I came across this scripture three times this weekend. When you open different Bibles to the same passage within a span of three days you begin to feel God is trying to tell you something. It’s not a coincidence but a Godincidence.
The past weeks have been ugly, at least in my head. I’ve felt battered and bruised spiritually. The battle has been fierce, but I’ve noticed that many people have felt “under attack” lately, and I’ve decided that Satan is working extra hard these days to discourage and get us off the right track.
But despite the impact of these attacks, more importantly, I know that God is bigger that Satan. And nothing the accuser tries to whisper in my ear can hurt me unless I believe it. He can only “get to me” if I have a hole in my shield of faith.
A very wise counsellor-friend once told me as I vented about somebody who had hurt me, “Those words wouldn’t hurt you if there weren’t something in them that you believe true. It doesn’t mean they are true, but it means somewhere deep inside you believe or fear they are true.” I needed to replace my truth with God’s ultimate truth. My truth often stirs pain, but His truth brings healing and strength.
Satan’s accusations are the same way. They can only discourage me if I believe they are true. This causes a hole in my shield of faith. When I begin to doubt anything I believe God is doing in my life, who I am in Christ, or any truth about the goodness of God, a hole begins to form in my shield and Satan’s fiery darts can come slamming through. They paralyze me.
I know I’m not alone. I’m not the only “Mary” who fights this battle.
How do we keep our shields of faith strong? How do we repair the holes?
The Word. The ultimate Truth. We have to go back to what we know beyond knowing. Raise your shield of faith with a war cry of Truth. This is our shield of faith. Ask God to lead you to the Bible verses you need today. Write them down. And when the fiery darts of accusation threaten to discourage throw up that shield if faith with the verse you know God showed you.
Remember: We’re on the winning team.
Remember: The battle ground is good because it makes us strong in Jesus.
Put on all your armor, (Eph. 6:13-17) then raise that shield of faith high!
What scripture plugs the holes in your shield?
Much grace,
andy
This is mine today: Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?….No in all these things we are conquerors through Him who loves us. For I am convinced that neither death or life, neither angels or demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35-39).
