Shields

March 6, 2019

When St. Paul describes the armor God provides for Christians in their battle against evil, one of the pieces is the shield of faith “with which we can quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.” Being so far removed from the first Century, most of us are unaware of some of the details of a Roman soldier’s accoutrements, details which are significant for life today. There were two shields a soldier could wield, one being a small, round shield strapped to one arm and used in close quarter combat along with the sword. It was easily maneuverable so as to counter the blows of an enemy sword.

In Ephesians 6 where the armor is spelled out, a different word for shield is used. It was a huge, curved rectangular shield made of wood and covered with leather and pitch. This shield was used in a formation dubbed “their turtle,” in which the soldiers would advance against an enemy by forming a square, the soldiers in on all sides holding their shields so as to completely cover their bodies, with only their spears sticking out between them. The soldiers in the middle of the square held their shields above their heads to protect against arrows, spears, and objects thrown from a walled city. They were literally the equivalent of tank warfare in their day. 

What is of interest to me is the fact that these shields were deployed in such a way as to protect about 2/3 of the soldier’s own body, but also about 1/3 of the body of the soldier next to him. Staying in tight formation was their main protection, as by oneself, the shield was too large and heavy to be of much use.

We Americans are fond of the image of the Lone Ranger, the Lone Avenger, Rambo, or any of a number of solitary heroes who engage the enemy on their own terms, emerging victorious against all odds. Life however, is rarely like that. We need one another. Christians who try to live their faith all by themselves find that when they isolate themselves, the fire of the Holy Spirit cools like a log moved to the edge of the fire. And if we want to improve our life or faith skills, it is imperative for us to spend time with those who have walked this path before.

I am struggling, trying to play string bass for the pit band at our high school musical. Talking with the pianist yesterday, he told me he has played in about fifty musicals, and this is by far the most challenging. “You sure picked one to start with,” he said. Fortunately, I sit next to him, and he doubles on many of the bass parts. His shield covers more than its third for me. By myself, there is no way I could manage this musical. As it is, I miss entrances, foul up my timing, and spend most of the musical trying to figure out where in the world we are. But the rest of the band is better than me, and they make me better than I am. Linking up with better people is good, and I am thankful for their shields tonight.