The Christian’s Badge and Shield

DRAGNET was a television show that ran from 1951 – 1968. The show starred Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday. The introductory words to the show were brief yet dramatic. “The story you are about to see is true, but the names have been changed to protect the innocent”. Then the deep, declaratory voice of Webb spoke: “This is the city: Los Angeles, California. Over two million people live here with about one million kids. Most of them are good people. When they are not; That’s where I come in. My name is Friday. I’m a Cop. I CARRY A BADGE.”
All the time those words were being spoken a closeup shot of Sgt. Friday’s BADGE covered the entire TV screen. A point was being made – That Badge meant something. Since that time most law enforcement officers in this country now refer to that emblem as a SHIELD. It still means the same thing and it is SPECIAL to those who wear it. That SHIELD stands for AUTHORITY, a Willingness to stand for what is RIGHT and to OPPOSE what is WRONG, to STOP EVILDOERS, to PROMOTE and AID those who do RIGHT, and to PUNISH those who VIOLATE and FAIL to KEEP the LAWS.
The Scriptures talk about a SHIELD in a couple of ways. The word is only mentioned one time in the New Testament. In his discussion of the Christian’s ARMOR and our FIGHT against SATAN and EVIL, Paul writes: “Finally, my brethren, be STRONG in the Lord and in the POWER of His MIGHT. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to STAND AGAINST the wiles of the DEVIL. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against PRINCIPALITIES, against POWERS, against the RULERS of the DARKNESS of THIS AGE, against SPIRITUAL HOSTS of WICKEDNESS in the HEAVENLY PLACES. Therefore, take up the WHOLE ARMOR of God….Above ALL, TAKING the SHIELD of FAITH with which, you will be able to QUENCH ALL the FIERY DARTS of the WICKED ONE.” (Eph 6:10-16).
Satan seems to TEMPT US daily, if not multiple times a day, and it grows WEARISOME! I am sure we can ALL remember the last time he shot a FIERY DART AT US. The Devil aims for our MINDS, our HEARTS and even our SOULS, AND HIS AIM IS VERY GOOD.
That is why the THE SHIELD is “ABOVE ALL.” We need it DESPARATELY. God provides His children with a SHIELD based on their BELIEF in HIM. While the SHIELD of the local sheriff or an FBI agent is an “OFFENSIVE WEAPON” giving them the AUTHORITY they need to do their job and keep the peace; the SHIELD that we are supplied is a “DEFENSIVE WEAPON”. With our SHIELDS, we can GO TO WAR against those PRINCIPALITIES, POWERS, RULERS of the DARKNESS of this AGE, and the SPIRITUAL HOSTS of WICKEDNESS in the HEAVENLY PLACES. We NEED that SHIELD that the LORD furnishes us for two reasons. One, we do not FULLY UNDERSTAND the enemies we face that Paul lists in Eph 6. More importantly, two, There is NO BATTLE and NO WAR we can win ON OUR OWN – We NEED GOD’S HELP!
We are in a WAR with SATAN and his EVIL COMPANIONS every day we live on this earth and the BATTLE RAGES even NOW! On our OWN, we will LOSE EVERY BATTLE and there will NEVER be a VICTORY. But with GOD’S HELP we can WIN THE WAR. As the Israelites prepared to invade Canaan and conquer the land, Moses had these simple words to encourage his people: “You MUST NOT FEAR THEM, for the LORD YOUR GOD HIMSELF FIGHTS FOR YOU”. (Deut 3:22).
GOD STILL FIGHTS FOR HIS PEOPLE, but He does not arm us with swords and spears to defeat the ENEMIES we face TODAY. Instead GOD PROVIDES EACH ONE OF US WITH A SPIRITUAL SHIELD as we noted above. Let’s look at Old Testament Scriptures to see EXACTLY HOW THAT SHIELD HELPS US.
David understood the importance of having GOD AS HIS SHIELD. “Then David spoke to the LORD the words of this song, on the day when the LORD had DELIVERED him from the hand of ALL HIS ENEMIES and FROM SAUL. And he said ‘The LORD is my ROCK and my FORTRESS and my DELIVERER; The GOD of my STRENGTH, in WHOM I WILL TRUST. MY SHIELD and the HORN of my SALVATION”. (II Sam 22:1-3).
David Again: “My SHIELD IS WITH GOD WHO SAVES THE UPRIGHT IN HEART”. (Ps 7:10).
“BUT YOU, O LORD, ARE A SHIELD FOR ME; MY GLORY and the ONE WHO LIFTS UP MY HEAD”. (Ps 3:3).
“The LORD is My STRENGTH and MY SHIELD; MY HEART TRUSTED in HIM, and I AM HELPED; THEREFORE, MY HEART GREATLY REJOICES, and WITH MY SONG I WILL PRAISE HIM”. (Ps 28:7).
“FOR THE LORD GOD is a SUN and SHIELD; THE LORD WILL GIVE GRACE and GLORY; NO GOOD THING WILL HE WITHHOLD FROM THOSE WHO WALK UPRIGHTLY”. (Ps 84:11).
“For it is YOU WHO BLESSES the RIGHTEOUS MAN, O LORD; YOU SURROUND HIM WITH FAVOR as with a SHIELD.” (Ps. 5:12
“YOU WHO FEAR THE LORD, TRUST IN THE LORD; HE IS THEIR HELP AND THEIR SHIELD”. (Ps 115:11).
The CONCEPT of FAITH, TRUST, and OBEDIENCE on OUR PART so that ALMIGHTY GOD WOULD PROVIDE US WITH THAT SHIELD AGAINST THE EVIL ONE may be as IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW as it HAS EVER BEEN in MY LIFETIME SAVE WHEN OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN in a MILITARY WAR. The WHOLE IDEA BEHIND THESE VERSES and THIS ARTICLE may best be SUMED UP in the WORDS of that great old Song,
“AMAZING GRACE”
“Through many DANGERS, TOILS, and SNARES, I HAVE ALREADY COME.
TWAS GRACE THAT BROUGHT ME SAFE THUS FAR AND GRACE WILL LEAD ME HOME.
THE LORD HAS PROMISED GOOD TO ME, HIS WORD MY HOPE SECURES.
HE WILL MY SHIELD and PORTION BE AS LONG AS LIFE ENDURES”.