Paul charges us to ‘take up the shield of faith’ in order to repulse the devil’s attempts to distract, deceive & discourage us. But, what is this ‘faith’? Christians are not just generic ‘people of faith,’ nor vaguely ‘spiritual.’ Biblical faith is not mere assent to church creeds, nor simply passive trust. The bedrock of Christians’ belief is Jesus Christ; he’s the ‘capital’ for their lifelong commitment. The Bible’s term for ‘faith’ (Greek: pistis) encompasses belief, trust, & loyalty (faithfulness), issuing in action. This key word describes the faithfulness of God & Christ, the believing that unites us to Him, plus the fruit of faithfulness in our lives. When we respond to the Lord’s leading with believing obedience we build our faith and faithfulness; faith’s ‘shield’ is enhanced. Faithful following enrolled the OT saints in God’s ‘Hall of Faith,’ where each record starts with the words, “By faith…” May we leave a similar mark!