MONDAY

SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 6:16

Have faith in God! Surely an aspiration we all share! However, it is also something that can feel a bit elusive at times as we ponder what faith in God actually looks like. We would likely all agree that trusting God matters a lot, and that it is (or should be) at the center of our lives. We’re just sometimes not exactly sure what all that means. Is it a way we feel about things? Is it a sense of certainty? If we have questions or doubts, does that mean we don’t have faith? Is it a posture we take, or a stand we stay committed to no matter what else happens—perhaps not unlike what it means to trust in a friend and stand with them through thick and thin? Not only is it a question we may find ourselves pondering, but it is also one that is worth resolving! Fortunately, there are lots of examples in Scripture of what this looks like. Today’s passage is one that contributes to our understanding of what faith is and how it impacts us. Perhaps as we reflect on this, and the other passages we’ll be considering this week, our understanding of what it means to have faith will come more clearly into focus. In today’s passage, Paul uses the metaphor of the armor of God to describe the role faith plays in the spiritual conflict in which we find ourselves. As you read today’s passage, consider the following questions:

• In what ways do you experience your faith and trust in God as a shield? What does faith “protect” you from?

• Sometimes people talk about questions or information as if those things are a threat to faith. Does faith require us to reject questions or suppress information, or does it give us the ability to continue to trust in God even as we process things? What is the difference between those two?

• The passage describes the shield of faith as being able to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one. What form do the “flaming arrows” take for you, and what about them seems the most potentially hurtful? In what ways does faith help extinguish those things that seem to be intended to cause us harm?

• What if faith were less about finding a place to retreat and hide, and more about being able to stand assured of who we are as God’s children, even in the midst of challenges? What do you think about that?

• How does this passage fill in a bit of the picture of what it means to have faith in God? What do you find yourself drawn to the most? What questions or additional thoughts does it stir in you?

Take a few moments to share with God in prayer what surfaces for you as you reflect on these verses and your own faith journey with God.