There are many shapes and sizes of shields, depending on where you are from and who’s army you are fighting for. The shield is used defensive but can be a great offensive weapon as well. You can use to bludge tool on other defensive shield walls. You can hold your shield arm straight toward your adversary giving you a one to two-foot extension keeping them back.

Round Shields: Vikings were about two foot round, made of wood and layer with fabric or animal hides. They were for personal uses and needed to be very portable and small to make it easier to take on and off ships.  Greeks were larger round, three-foot or larger and made of bronze, thought to be buffed to a high shine to reflect sunlight to blind their enemy. They were designed to protect part of the soldier and part of the person next to you.

Heater Shields and Kite Shields both as the name kite may imply has a tapper at the bottom of the shield. This tapper may come to a point or rounded off. This tapper allows the soldiers to take full angle blade swing unobstructed. The point could be pushed into the ground to give a stronger defensive stance.

Square shields: War-Door this shield is just as it sound a square piece of wood with square corners. Scutum (Roman) is also very square but with rounded (a small radius) corners. Soldiers would stand next together other with these square shields overlapping an inch or two creating a defensive wall or barrier. Some would also have hooks that the shields would lock into each other for better strength.

All of the wood constructed shields would use layers of wood laminated together with a crude style of glue. Once they were dried and shaped they would be covered with layers of fabric or leather. If the soldiers knew they were coming upon archer they could soak the fabric/leather in water then any flaming arrows would be extinguished.

“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;”

‭Ephesians‬ ‭6:16‬ ‭ESV‬

When an adversary is attacking you know that your shield (faith) is enough to protect you. Our shield of faith can be drenched in water (word of God), this will cause the shield to withstand flaming darts. Through this verse we can see that our adversary is attacking from a distant, darts/arrows are long-range weaponry, while our shield is both a long-range and short-range defense.

Faith is from God, and never something that can produce ourselves. Romans 12:3 states “…each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” we can extend trust and we can believe in a person or purpose but those are actions and not faith. Hebrews 11 tells us what faith is.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

Faith is acting on a situation knowing that it has to change even if I don’t see it as yet. If the word of God declares it then I am able to apply it to my life. The bible states in Isaiah 53:5 to my life “…with His (Jesus) stripes we are healed”. I take this verse by faith (a shield) and use it defensively and offensively. Offensively, at work when others in the office are getting sick I say “I don’t get sick”. Over the last seven years, I have had one sick day. Then I use the same verse defensively and pray it over myself.

Not applied (using) faith is like having a shield but deciding not to picking it during a battle. In every circumstance our life we have the opportunity to apply faith.

Application

• Read and study the Bible, applying faith to the promises that God has given
  • Salvation
  • Healing
  • Prosperity
• Daily speak those verses over you and your family (drenching your shield of faith with the water of the word)
• Know that your faith (that comes from God) will withstand the long-range and short-range attacks of the adversary