Shield

Ephesians 6:16 In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.

The world comes at us, from the moment our feet hit the ground.  All carefully aimed darts to prick us, defeat us, wound us.  Carried out in front, our shield deflects all that is thrown. It keeps us running the race. It keeps us in the game.
Without faith, all we do is for nothing.  Our life stops at the here and now and there is no bigger picture.  Our faith rests on ourselves; getting that job or this promotion, our kids behaving well or moving to this neighborhood and on and on and on.  Our faith is in these things seen and who hopes for what is seen? Instead our hope lies in the life and person of Jesus Christ.  In the heavenly places not seen, the eternal life hoped for.
Without our faith, why bother holding up the shield time and time, day after day fighting off what will surely challenge and hurt us?
Instead, Christ beckons with the assurance, the firmness that can only be found in Him.  He does uphold, He does deliver.  All that He said He would do was done and is still being done.

2 Samuel 22:31 This God, His way is perfect, the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.