YOUR BUCKLER—DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT

YOUR BUCKLER—DON'T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT IT
Sunday, July 3, 2022 by Leona Choy

What's the difference between a shield and a BUCKLER in the Bible passages which reference it? I did some research. A shield in Old Testament days and in the Roman military was a large piece of armor intended to protect the entire body; the warrior stood or fought behind it. The primary use of the BUCKLER was to protect the sword hand. The buckler was for hand-to-hand combat. It was held facing the opponent with the arm outstretched.

Warrior King David creates a picture of God protecting His children much like a bird protects its young. “He shall cover you with his feathers, and under His wings shall you trust: His truth shall be your shield and buckler.” (Psalm 91:4) A Christian requires God’s protection. Proverbs 2:7 tells us that “He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.” When we're walking uprightly, standing tall, standing up for God's truth, we have made ourselves targets. Mark this well; be prepared for attacks from the enemy. Practice warfare with your buckler.

This both defensive and offensive piece of armor was usually round and made of metal but occasionally of hardened leather or layers of wood. It would be used on the left arm; the shield and sword would be held in the right hand. A shield was carried by straps and worn on the arm whereas the buckler was held in a “fist” grip. Bucklers were typically round and frequently between 8 to 16 inches in diameter.

The buckler was a companion weapon to the large shield. Its smaller size didn't diminish its power or necessity. David used only a small stone to bring a giant down. The buckler is useful in deflecting the blows of an opponent's weapons when the enemy is close at hand. It was highly maneuverable and required rapid response. The wielder of the buckler could use it to shield his sword hand's position from view, keeping his opponent from guessing his next strike. It was called a “metal fist” when used to directly attack an opponent by punching blows with either its flat surface or its sharp rim. (Psalm 35:2 MSG) “Harass these hecklers, God, punch these bullies in the nose. Grab a weapon, [buckler] anything at hand; stand up for me! Get ready to throw the spear, and aim the javelin at the people who are out to get me. Reassure me; let me hear you say, 'I’ll save you.'”

Why do we need a buckler in 2022? My youngest grandson Jeffrey serves in the Army as a combat engineer with an airborne division. His weaponry is modern and sophisticated, powerful and lethal. Much of it is for long-range battles with the enemy. It is not the old-fashioned, primitive weaponry with equipment like the apostle Paul described in Ephesians chapter six. We see there a detailed spiritual analogy for each piece of Roman armor. Our contemporary spiritual warfare is most often close combat for which we will find a buckler essential.

You could think of a buckler as a metal tennis racket. When flaming lies come at you from all directions, send them back with a forceful return in the mighty power of God's truth, preventing us from being wounded.

The devil adapts his strategy to the times but without abandoning what has worked well for him through the ages of history. He began with the Garden of Eden deception. It worked on Eve and works today on each of us. Lies are one of the devil's major tactics today. His fiery darts come at us in the form of blatant lies and half-truths. His authorized spokesmen are everywhere, mainly in our faces constantly spewing lies through every form of the media. A master of psychological warfare and everything false or fake, the devil aims for our heads and works on our intellects. Only God's Almighty Truth can protect us from his mental attacks which may have nothing at all to do with reason or common sense.

Be on your guard. The devil misquotes God's Word as he did in tempting Jesus who declared, “I AM the Truth.” Jesus reprimanded the unbelievers of His day. (AMP John 8:44) “You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.” Our enemy turns the truth upside down; black and white are opposite, what was right is now wrong. What was good is now bad.

How should we know what is true or false if we don't know the truth for ourselves? For someone who does not know the truth, a lie seems to be true and even logical. That is why His truth is our shield and buckler. His truth is effective defensive armor to deflect fiery darts and prevent them from wounding us. Truth must be believed in order to defend it. To be able to identify the counterfeit, we must know for ourselves what is genuine, what His Word says. God’s Word is the priority place to go for protection and strength for combat. Let's read it, absorb it, commit it to memory, obey it, and be encouraged by it.

The Bible is an awesome history of the men and women of faith who trusted God before us—the one place where we can find the fullness of God’s truth and promises. It's never outdated. And the BUCKLER is the latest effective weapon in modern spiritual warfare. Truly—we shouldn't leave home without our BUCKLER for in-your-face combat with the deceitfulness of the lying spirits trying to gang up on us.

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Comments

Valerie Deremer Gila From Frostburg, MD At 7/4/2022 1:11:00 PM

Again, your words were exactly what I needed, and I truly will not leave home without my "Buckler." This was such an interesting article, Leona, especially in these days in which people are so deceptive. Even those we love can be involved in a plot against us or sling hurtful words, Love you, Val

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