Many years ago, Captain Cook and his men were sailing through the Indian Ocean. They were tired of ship’s food, which was often dry and tasteless, so they stopped at an island in search of something fresh to eat.
The sailors found there a huge turtle, weighing hundreds of pounds. He was a slow creature, easily overtaken but not so easily killed. So they planned together what to do with him, for they did want a meal of fresh turtle soup.
You see, the old turtle had a very strange shield upon his back, and the men could not harm him, as long as he was underneath. They wanted to get him, somehow, out from under his shield. Now that is exactly what Satan wants to do, boys and girls, to you. He wants to get you out from under your shield, in order that he may make you miserable.
The old turtle’s shield was made of good strong bone, as hard as stone. Ours, dear Christian, is “the shield of faith.” Eph. 6:1616Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (Ephesians 6:16). That means that we just lay hold of, and believe, the Word of God. When God’s Word says: “All have sinned” (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)), faith just says “Yes Lord, I have.” When God’s Word says: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Chirst, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)), faith says, “Yes, Lord, I believe,” When God’s Word says: “Whosoever believeth in Him (shall) not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)), faith says, “Yes, Lord, I’ll not perish, but I have everlasting life.”
That is the shield of faith, dear boys and girls, or rather a small part of it, because it takes faith in the whole Word of God to make the whole shield. It is a perfect shield, much better than the old turtle’s, for he was killed after all. Shall I tell you what happened to him?
The sailors took four long poles. They stood on one side of the turtle, put the poles under him, and tipped him over on his hack. His feet waved helplessly in the air. The sailors prepared their turtle soup and carried home the shield as a souvenir.
Now a souvenir shield is like a very fine Bible, closed up and. put away. It will not save your soul from Satan’s wiles unless you believe it. If you do not believe, in your heart, God’s holy Word, then you have no shield at all, and you are going on to certain destruction — death and eternal banishment from God.
Dear reader, if you are a true Christian, if you know Jesus as your Saviour, hide under your shield of faith. Of course Satan cannot rob you of your salvation if Christ is your Saviour, but his fiery darts can make you miserable, and cripple your service for the Lord, Are you reading His Word (the Bible) daily, and using it against the power of the enemy? Never, never allow any doubts about this Book of God. It is true because God cannot lie and He has written it for you.
“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Epliesicns 6:16.
ML 07/29/1951