The closer we are to each other, the more we can share the truth and faith we’ve found in Christ.
…praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. (Ephesians 6:18–20)
We need each other to share shields, and to build armor together.
Not all people have their shield built to the same degree or specifications as others. We are all in process, and the building never stops—because our belief in God can and should grow until we die. Shields are always under construction … and under attack.
So, the loving thing to do is to share shields with others individually and also in collective settings. Whatever shield we have, we can share it, as it is becoming more and more complete. And we can withstand the test of more and more arrows.
A young lady in one of Mark’s small groups has seen a lot of tragedy in her life. She is under the pile and the arrows continue to fly. She is on the ground, unsure about how to get up. She sent an email to Mark asking for prayer for several specific areas of her life. It was great to see her reach out while lying on the ground knowing the arrows wouldn’t stop and she didn’t feel like she could move any more. That email kicked off a larger email from Mark to the entire small group to lift her up in prayer and bring shields over to her to shield her in prayer while she fought to get back up, so her armor would be more effective. All their shields together protected her better than just one shield, especially since her armor felt heavy in the midst of the tragedy in her life. That’s what a small group, or friends in a Sunday school, or a breakfast group, or a group of friends together can do for each other. It’s what we are supposed to do for each other. We’re in this fight together.
It’s good she asked for help.
We wouldn’t have known otherwise.
This depth or reaching out about soul issues is vital. Praying for spiritual health and growth is imperative.
The closer we are to each other, the more we can share the truth and faith we’ve found in Christ.
Many people don’t have people like this in their lives to call on. They can’t share shields. They are face down on the ground with a constant bombardment of arrows from all sides making it harder to get back on their feet to protect themselves. If you think satan will let up on someone who’s down, you don’t understand how he thinks. When someone is alone and under the pile that is the perfect time to fire arrows. At some point, the enemy hopes they will give up, discard most of their armor and run off the battlefield never to return. But our amor is built for sharing so that doesn’t happen.
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