Thursday, December 4, 2014

Captain America and the Shield of Faith

Captain America is my favorite superhero. Not because he has amazing abs or super great fight skills. It's because even without all of that, he would still be the same good guy, just without superhuman abilities. All Captain America has ever wanted to do is the right thing. He is honest and courageous. He puts others before himself and he doesn't compromise with evil.

The other night we watched "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" again,  because I have a habit of forgetting what happens. As we were watching I told Cody that what I want for Christmas is a shield just like Captain America's. That thing is amazing. And then as I paid more attention to his shield I realized that it's remarkably like the Shield of Faith mentioned in Ephesians 6.

Captain America keeps his shield with him always. He uses it to protect himself and to fight evil. It is probably his most valued possession and chances are he would feel a little lost without it in a fight. Yes, he could hold his own without it, but he is so much more powerful and capable with it.

This really brought home to me the importance of having faith. Always. With faith in God, a person can do anything. When you carry your faith around always it protects you. It helps you fight evil, it gives you courage, it helps you to know what is right. In the Armour of God, faith is represented as the shield because you can use that shield to protect your whole being.

If you really pay attention, you can learn a thing or two from Captain America. Most importantly to have a super awesome shield of faith. If you feel like your shield of faith isn't what it should be, you can always strengthen it. If you need some suggestions and encouragement for that, check out this amazing talk by Henry B. Eyring called Spiritual Preparedness: Start Early and Be Steady.