“My main ambition in life is to be on the devil's most wanted list."

- Leonard Ravenhill​
​

Paul says:

Above all.

That matters.

Because everything else is critical—

but this is central.

The shield.

In Roman warfare, shields weren’t small.

They were large.

Full-body coverage.

And they were designed to stop arrows—

especially flaming ones.

That’s exactly what Paul says:

“to extinguish all the fiery darts…”

Not some.

All.

Let’s be clear:

You will get shot at by el Diablo and his ilk.

Not maybe.

Not occasionally.

You will get hit with stuff like …

Pressure.

Doubt.

Fear.

Confusion.

That’s not failure.

That’s reality.

The problem is not the attack.

The problem is what you do when it comes.

Because if you don’t have a shield—

you absorb it.

And when you absorb enough—

you start to break down.

That’s why faith matters.

Faith is not passive belief.

Faith is active trust.

It’s choosing to believe what God said—

even when everything around you contradicts it.

That’s not easy.

Because what you see—

often feels more real than what you believe.

But faith doesn’t operate on what is visible.

It operates on what is true.

And those are not always the same thing.

So when the attack comes—

faith steps in.

Not to remove the situation—

but to stop it from penetrating.

That’s the difference.

Faith doesn’t always change what’s happening immediately.

But it changes how it affects you.

It blocks.

It absorbs.

It extinguishes.

That’s power.

But here’s the key:

You have to take it up.

Paul doesn’t say:

“You have faith automatically active at all times.”

He says:

Take it up.

That means intentionality.

Engagement.

Choice.

Because when pressure hits—

Your default is not faith.

Your default is fear.

Your default is doubt.

Your default is reaction.

So you have to override that.

You take up faith.

You choose:

“I’m not going to believe what I feel.

I’m going to believe what God said.”

That’s the moment.

That’s the fight.

And that’s where most people lose.

Not because they don’t have faith—

but because they don’t use it.

Faith unused—

does nothing.

Faith applied—

changes everything.

And here’s another piece:

Faith speaks.

It’s not silent.

It declares.

Jesus said:

“If you have faith… you will say…”

That matters.

Because your words reinforce your belief.

When you speak truth—

you strengthen your position.

When you stay silent—

you often drift.

So faith:

• Believes
• Speaks
• Stands

And when you operate like that—

you stop what the enemy throws.

Not because you’re strong—

but because you’re anchored.

And anchored people—

don’t move easily.

So when the attack comes—

you don’t panic.

You lift the shield.

And you hold.

Until it passes.

That’s how you stand.

Clash Ministries is here to do two things, namely, put brains and cojones on Christians. Yep, our holy job is renewing minds (Rom.12:1-2) and emboldening hearts (Prov.28:1). Your generosity helps us throttle the enemy by equipping God's people to live bold, wild and free in Him. You are a vital part of this ministry and we could not do this without you. Thank you for your faithful gifts and partnership and remember to always ... stay rowdy!

Zelle Giving In your Banking App, use Zelle and search: Clash Ministries clashministries@gmail.com Zelle Giving

PayPal Giving You can partner with Clash Ministries at five different levels or give a one-time donation with PayPal. PayPal Giving

Doug Giles is Pastor of Liberty Fellowship in Wimberley, TX, and is the founder of ClashDaily.com​

Follow Doug on Instagram and Twitter @TheArtOfDoug.