The Shield of Faith Part I

Shield of Faith Part I

Introduction: The Scottie Pippen Quit Game

Many of you may have heard of the NBA team the Chicago Bulls

If you haven’t heard of the Chicago Bulls, you probably heard the name Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan is arguably the best basketball player to ever to play

In the Mid 90’s, Jordan retired from basketball

When Jordan retired, Scottie Pippen became the leader of the Chicago Bulls

In the playoff, the Bulls met the New York Knicks in the semifinals

In the final seconds, the Bulls were down by one point.

Being the leader Scottie Pippen wanted to take the last shot to win the game.

The problem was that the coach wanted another player to take the shot.

Pippen was so mad that he sat on the bench instead going back into the game.

Pippen quit on the team.

Although the Bulls did win the game, they lost the series to the Knicks.

The Bulls did not lose the series because they did not have the talent.

One could argue that the Bulls lost the series because they lost faith in their leader.

Without faith, they did not think they could defeat their foe.

The piece of armor that we are going to consider this morning is the shield of faith.

Main Points: True faith in Christ is more than mere head knowledge, but it also trusts in Him with the whole heart. True faith is more than just a one time event, rather the Christian lives by faith all the days of his life!

I. The Definition of Faith A. Heidelberg Catechism #21

Before we look at the picture of faith as a shield, I believe it is important that we define faith.

One of the benefits of the Heidelberg Catechism is that it gives us a clear and memborable definition of faith

Heidelberg Catechism #21: What is true faith? True faith is not only a sure knowledge whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to us in His Word, but also a hearty trust, which the Holy Spirit works in me by the Gospel, that not only to others, but to me also, forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness, and salvation are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ’s merits.

B. Faith Involves Knowledge

Notice that faith in knowledge

Knowing something involves receiving information into your mind.

According to this Catechism question, where do we receive information concerning God and Salvation? ___________________________

Answer: From the Word; the Bible.

You cannot have faith in something or someone that you know nothing about.

Faith is not a blind faith that is based on feeling.

Faith uses the brain. A faith without knowlege is not truth faith.

C. Faith involves Assent

Faith doesn’t just receive information like you would a science textbook or newspaper.

According to the Catechism, what kind of knowledge does faith receive? ______________________________

“Sure Knowledge”

The information we receive from the Bible, we agree or believe it to be true.

For example: We believe that Jesus was really the Son of God, He really died on the cross, and He really rose again on the 3rd day. (IT IS NOT FAKE NEWS)

A faith that reads the Bible, yet does not believe that it is God’s Word, or that views Bible has a ficitional story is not true faith.

Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus are not mythical characters. No, they are real men who lived in history.

Even in Jesus’ own words, men such as Abraham and Moses really existed, therefore the stories about these men in Genesis and Exodus really happened!

D. Faith Involves Trust

We must remember that true faith doesn’t stop with the mind.

According to the Catechism, True Faith is not only a sure knowledge, but also what? ________________________________

A heart trust.

A faith that knows Jesus Christ, yet doesn’t whole heartly trust Him for salvation is not true faith.

I had a conversation with a young woman a number of years ago.

I told her about the Bible and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

She took in the information and acknowledged it to be true.

Although she knew that she needed Christ to deal with her problem with guilt and shame, she never did trust in Christ as her Savior.

There was no real change in her life after hearing the Gospel.

She continued living in guilt, loving her sin and went her day as if Christ had done nothing of real importance.

II. Illustration of Faith

A. Faith in Flying

I want to give you an illustration that helped me understand the difference between a true faith and a false faith.

If you have gotten to know me, you would know one of my greatest fears.

I have a fear of flying.

There is is just something about being 30,000 feet in the air in a metal tube with wings that seems unnatural to me.

I did get in a airplane a number of years ago, but I did not like it very much.

I was a nervous wreck!

You can know all the information about the safety of flying and acknowledge that it is really the safest way to travel, but you don’t have true faith in flying until you step into the plane and rest that the plane will get you from A to B.

C. Faith in Christ

Let us now compare truth faith in flying with true faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Heidelberg Catechism #2: How many things are necessary for you to know, that in this comfort you may live and die happily? Three things: First, the greatness of my sin and misery. Second, how I am redeemed from all my sins and misery. Third, how I am to be thankful to God for such redemption.

In Heidelberg Catechism #2, it speaks of the three basic things that we are to know.

Questions 3-129 explain and flesh out these three basic things.

You can know that you are a sinner in need of God’s mercy and grace.

You can know that Christ is the only one who can save you and give you peace with God.

You can know that you are to live in thankfulness to God by keeping His commands and going to Him in prayer

If all this information simply remains in your head, you are as good as dead; spiritually speaking.

Faith not only knows Christ, but faith also grabs ahold of Christ and rests in Him trusting that He has really saved you and through Him, we have forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness, and salvation that God has freely offered to us in the Gospel.

III. The Gift and Activity of Faith

A. Faith is a Gift of God

We know from Scripture that faith is not a work, rather it is a gift of God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

B. Faith is Active

It is God who gives faith, but God doesn’t believe for you.

Faith is active in the life of the Christian.

Our passage in Ephesians 6:16 describes faith as something a Christian is doing by the grace of God.

“ In all circumstances take up the shield of faith.”

C. Faith is a Continuing Action

Believing in Christ is not just a one time act.

Yes, there was a moment in time that you believed, but it is something that is a continuing reality in the Christian life!

Like a Roman Soldier and his shield in battle, your faith goes where you go.

In all circumstances, whether in adversity or prosperity, whether in life or near death faith is there and you never leave home without it.

William Gurnall Quote (1 Minute)

D. Abraham’s Life of Faith

Think of Abraham for a moment, it says in Genesis 15 “That Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.”

Did Abraham’s faith begin and end in Genesis 15?

According to Hebrews 11:8-19 he lived a life of faith in God and His promises until the day he died!

8-10: By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God

13-16: These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. 14 For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 15 If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared for them a city.

17-19 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

IV. The Object of Faith

We must be very careful when speaking about faith as a shield.

It was not the strength of Abraham’s faith that kept and protected him.

Our faith is not in our faith nor in the strength of our faith.

It is the object of our faith that is our true shield.

Who is the object of our faith?

It is the Triune God, but especially the Lord Jesus Christ .

V. Faith Receives and Rests in Christ for Salvation

A life of faith receives and rests in Christ for every aspect of salvation.

Although we might forget to do this from time to time, the Christian will never stop receiving and resting in Christ.

Heidelberg Catechism #61: Why do you say that you are righteous by faith only? Not that I am acceptable to God on account of the worthiness of my faith, but because only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ is my righteousness before God; and I can receive the same and make it my own in no other way than by faith only.

Westminster Confession of Faith Article 14.2 ..."the principle acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life."

VI. Illustration on Resting in Christ

If you are like me, you might have never thought of faith as resting in Christ.

Here is an illustration that might help you understand what it looks like to rest in Christ.

Conclusion

Jesus is not like a star basketball player or even like an airplane.

Sometimes players quit and planes crash.

This is not so with Christ.

Jesus is the Captain and pilot of your soul. He will bring all His elect people safely to heaven.

Jesus never gives up on His team. He is the author and fiinisher of your faith.

Jesus is not going to sit on the sidelines leaving you to fight Satan on your own.

Jesus has already overcome the devil. He hit the game winning shot of salvation nearly 2,000 years ago.

The Apostle John spoke of the victory we have in Christ by faith.

“I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one...For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

As you battle Satan in this life, you can rest that Christ has already won the war!