“Shield of Faith” is a bluegrass gospel song written by Ron Block, the banjo player and guitarist of Union Station, Alison Krauss’s band. It appeared on the group’s 1992 album “Every Time You Say Goodbye.”
The song’s central image comes from scripture — the believer’s faith as a shield against doubt and trouble. Block’s lyric urges that such a shield does its work only when it is actually taken up and used, not set aside, a quiet call toward an active rather than a nominal faith.
Ron Block became known not only as one of the finest instrumentalists in bluegrass but as a thoughtful writer of sacred songs, and “Shield of Faith” is among the gospel numbers he contributed to Union Station’s repertoire. Sung in Krauss’s clear voice, it was a well-received part of an acclaimed album.
