God has dealt “to every man the measure of faith.” For a long time I read that verse and wondered if I’d been shorted somehow — like maybe someone else got a bigger portion of faith and I got left with less. But that’s not what Paul is telling us. And the proof is in a shield.

Roman soldiers actually carried two different kinds. The first was called the aspis — a small, round shield used mostly for public parades and ceremonies. It was beautiful, decorated with etchings and engravings, often depicting a past military victory. But it was too small to be used in an actual military confrontation, and it never would have covered a soldier in the midst of real combat.

The second shield was the thureos — door-shaped, wide, and long. This shield completely covered the Roman soldier, which is exactly why the Holy Spirit chose that word — thureos — for the “shield of faith,” rather than the smaller, decorative aspis.

Why does that matter to you and me? Paul is telling us that God has given us enough faith to make certain we are completely covered for every situation. Whatever faith God measured out to you, it was measured to cover you — not to leave gaps. So there’s no reason to worry or fret that God has given more faith to someone else than He’s given to you.

There’s one more detail worth knowing. The soldier’s shield was typically built from six layers of thick animal hide, tanned and woven together so tightly they became almost as strong as steel. But that shield required daily care — the soldier had to anoint it with oil every morning, working it into the leather to keep it from drying out and becoming brittle. Your faith works the same way. It isn’t a “set it and forget it” shield. It needs a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit, or it grows stiff and cracks right when you need it most.

So stop comparing the size of your shield to somebody else’s. Yours was cut to fully cover you — you just have to keep the oil on it.

—Joshua L Mullins