Back when I was younger and easier to please, I used to love the original Star Trek. You know that old program where Captain Kirk jumps up on a rock on a desolate planet and makes a speech about truth, justice and the American way of life. Or was that Superman? Whatever.

Later on in life, we pastored a church in Paris for a year and would come home wiped out from three services on Sunday. So I would drop into an easy chair and watch the Star Trek series which had the lady captain. Don’t remember what it was called. Kirk had gotten old and fat by this time and I guess he could no longer hop up on the rock so they let the lady do it.

Usually, somewhere in the program a Cleon starship the size of twelve planets would appear on the screen. “Captain, there’s an unidentified ship approaching,” one of the strange-looking people on the deck would yell.

The lady captain would scowl at the screen then she would cry, “Get those shields up!”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” And at the push of a button a powerful force field protected them. Then you heard “boom!” and the ship shook and the lights flickered.

“Shields down to 90% captain!”

“Boom! Shake, shiver, flicker!”

“Shields down to 45%!”

“Boom!” “Only 15% left Captain!”

Then when the last ounce of juice was left in the protective shield some weird-looking monster would appear on the big-screen monitor and tell them that the jig was up and they had to surrender.

Normally this would bring up all kinds of questions among thinking people. Why don’t they shoot back or at least hightail it out of there? Why does the bad guy always stop at 10% of the shield and let the smart lady figure out a way to defeat him?

But, after a loooonnng day you don’t think about those things. You just stare at the screen and let them do their thing. If you wanted to think you wouldn’t be watching it anyway.

Seven Ways To Put Your Faith Shield Up

I got banged again the other day.

It wasn’t a broadside from a Cleon warship, but bad news caught me by surprise and for a while my emotions were out of whack.

At times like that I need to get my shield up. I haven’t arrived at the stage where I can react like Mr. Spock. I usually feel strong emotions when I get hit. I’m made like that and I expect you are, too.

We need our feelings to know when something hurts; otherwise we’d be like the leper who can’t feel pain. Pain moves us to action. Pain should never paralyze us–just cause us to hold onto our shield harder and move out to change things.

The enemy who attacks us won’t quit when we’ve still got 10% of our protective shield up. He wants to steal, kill, destroy. So what can we do?

“In conclusion be strong—not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless resource. Put on God’s complete armour so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack. For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organisations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil. Therefore you must wear the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground. Take your stand then with truth as your belt, righteousness your breastplate, the Gospel of peace firmly on your feet, salvation as your helmet and in your hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Above all be sure you take faith as your shield, for it can quench every burning missile the enemy hurls at you. Pray at all times with every kind of spiritual prayer, keeping alert and persistent as you pray for all Christ’s men and women.” (Eph. 6:10-18, J.B. Phillips New Testament)

How do I get my shield of faith in place?

1.    Make a heart transaction. Everything I suggest from here on out is worthless if you don’t press through and do it with your heart. You may not feel it, but a heart transaction communicates from your heart and touches God’s heart.
2.    That’s why we read His Word, pray daily, and get together with others to praise Him, silly! It’s not about winning Brownie points in heaven. It’s about getting strong in the Lord, about getting our heart in a trusting, expecting place.
3.    We’ve got to be intentional about lifting up this shield. Your emotions want to surrender. “Captain, we’ve got a leak in the number three burumberer converter. Much more and she’s gonna blow!” But faith fights back. Make up your mind.
4.    Use the Word. “God, look what you said right here. Lord, you’re faithful to your Word and I’m just waiting for you to do what you said.” God loves us to remind him of what He said. He’s just waiting on your faith.
5.    Remind yourself constantly of God’s  promise. Remind yourself of past victories. Remind yourself of how God has helped others. Remind yourself of how much He loves you. Get a stranglehold on God’s promises and don’t let go.
6.    Pray in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18; Rom. 8:26; Jude 1:20)
7.    Do what’s right, even when you’re under attack. Don’t just sit there and let the enemy shoot at you. Do God’s will. Take back ground that the enemy has stolen. Open fire! Swing the sword. Keep the shield up! Trust the Lord Jesus.
So …

“Captain, they’re firing at us.”

“Shields up!”

“Boom!”  the whole ship shudders. (That’s you).

“Shields still holding at 100%”

“Boom, boom!”

“Shields still holding …Lord!”

“Above all, the shield of faith.”

Are your shields up? Are they holding?
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Hmmm …

“Leadership begins with knowing who you are and what you believe. Authenticity is the need for leaders to be themselves regardless of the situation. For this reason, it is more than self-awareness. It is the ability to share the deepest and truest part of ourselves with others.” LaRae Quy