“…in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”- {Ephesians 6:16}
Paul in Ephesians 6:10-16 shows the reality of a spiritual battle that is very real and also the way to live out the Christian life in victory, and this “by faith” in Him who has loved us and gave Himself for us. We can live in victory. Paul shows them how.
And you too can live this way, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” -{1 John 5:14}. You are in the place of Victory “In Christ.” We overcome by faith in Him and what He says in His Word. It does not mean it is plain sailing that we are unopposed by an evil one who is openly opposed and hostile towards God’s creation both saved and unsaved. But God has given us “everything pertaining to life and Godliness.”-{2 Peter 1:3}. We can take up “the shield of faith.” The “shield” was used the Roman soldiers and was called a “scutum.” “The shield” was not some small round shield that basically covered around the arm but was the size of a door that protected the whole body. It was four and a half feet high by two and a Half feet wide.
When fighting the soldiers often linked up side by side to protect them, to form an enclosure around themselves, this was called a “testudo” {tortoise}. This helped them against arrows that were fired at them from above from the walls of the cities they were attacking. These men were out front and would at times line up side by side so there was a wall of protection from these shields. Behind the wall the archers would launch their arrows towards the opposition and the wall would creep slowly and together further and advancing unto they came into hand combat.
“Shields” were often made of wood and covered in hide, when they were wet were able to put out the flaming arrows. They were not only defensive but could be used as offensive in the ability to push back their opponents and was imperative and so important in the armor of the soldier.
Paul in Ephesians 6:10-16 says, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
Clearly, a “shield” was vitally important to a soldier in those day. It provided a blanket of protection. It is meant to be taken up in all circumstances. In our spiritual battle, God has provided for us “the shield of faith.”And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”-{Heb 11:6} And “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”-{Rom 10:17}. And our faith is cultivated, built up in His Word! Abraham demonstrated this as he believed God for the promise of a son He had given him…and he grew in faith and as he did God was glorified!
“In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God,“-{Rom 4;18-20}
We can grow in faith and through applying His Word we see how we may “Guard our heart.” Paul gives his readers the picture of a soldier, not for a photo-op, but ready for what? Battle.War! And he painted the picture of what each part of the soldiers armor is used for and to fight the evil thoughts . We can use “the shield of faith,” His Word, as Jesus did in Matthew 4 when the evil one attacked him, and tried to misuse Scripture to seek ultimately for Jesus to act independent of the Father, and disobey Him by falling down and worshiping satan!
God gives us His armor for this spiritual warfare against “the schemes of the devil…” and “extinguishing all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” What are they? Those arrows of temptation to our mind, thoughts such as doubt, despair, depression, fear, anxiety, hopelessness, greed, lust, bitterness, resentment, grudges, pride, impurity, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, the pride of the life. Temptations to trust self and not the Savior or the Scriptures. Accusations, condemnation and such, are but some. Our senses are bombarded whether is is “fiery thoughts” to the mind, through media, others, it is constant. Some days can be worse than others it seems.
How do we extinguish, quench “all these flaming arrows,?” By faith! Believing God. Believing what His Word teaches about Him, sin, the cross, Resurrection of the LORD Jesus, ourselves, who we are “In Christ.” Taking Him at His Word and trusting, relying upon Him and what He says. “The Just shall live by faith.”-{Read Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; Gal 3:11;Heb 10}, Four times the LORD says this. He emphasizes the importance of faith in Him. A Life of dependence, reliance upon Him, as opposed to a life of self sufficiency, self deception.
THERE IS NO FLAMING ARROW THAT HE IN US IS NOT COMPETENT TO EXTINGUISH THEM ALL! HIS WORD, BY HIS SPIRIT STRENGTHENS OUR FAITH!
Faith says “I choose to believe God and what He says.” We can EXTINGUISH, put out all the temptations to our mind that the evil one shoots at us, by using God’s provision, the shield of faith which is a part of the spiritual armor.
When the evil one tempted Eve in the garden, he planted a doubt before her, asking if God said it and does He mean what He said, surely not. Subtle, a “fiery dart,” he was asking her to doubt God, instead believe, trust him, and not God. The same thing happened Jesus in Matthew 4 where he tells Him to “turn these stones into bread,” to act independent of the Father and was asking Him to believe him, and reject His Father in doing so. All temptation ends with, there is something good, pleasurable in this for you, believe me, not God, I’ll take care of you! The temptation to Jesus not to believe God, but to distrust Him and satan says, trust me instead. The alternative to trusting God is to trust the father of lies, the evil one, who is a liar! “the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar,”-{1 John 5:10}. The one who does not believe God calls Him what? “A Liar!”
Unbelief is a serious sin as it is not ignorance, that I did not know, but I knew and refused to believe God!
It is to say God means well but cannot be trusted, satan can, believe him! Both Eve and Jesus were tempted to distrust God and what He said! It is the same with you and me, the temptation is always to distrust God and trust satan instead! Does that seem strange to say, ‘trust satan.’ Naturally we would rise up and say, “I would never trust satan!” And yet when we refuse to believe God and embrace a lie, who is behind the lie? The Bible says, “the father of lies.”-{John 8:44}. So we by our choices would rather choose to believe him than the God of all truth! Jesus is the Truth-{John 14;6} and His Word is truth -{John 17:17}. Truth is a Person and He reveals it in His Word which is Truth! And the purpose of truth for us is to set us free! -{John 8:31-32}. Free from the lies of the evil one, free to walk in newness of life in the power of the Holy Spirit. “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”-{Galatians 5:1}.
Lies bind us, promising “freedom,” while God’s Truth Liberates and frees us.
God Is To Be Trusted;
“Every word of God is tested;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. “-{Prov 30:5}
“The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.“-{Psalm 19;7-11}.
“But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”-{Matt 4:4}
EVERYBODY lives by faith, trust, reliance, convinced to rely on something or someone. Entrusting ourselves into His hands is the Christian’s eternal trust.
The Christian believe in God, the one True Living God. Jesus Christ His Son. Their faith is anchored, entrusted entirely in the LORD and what He says. There used to be an old saying,”God said it, I believe it, that settles it.” But whether someone believes it or not, if God said it that settles it! “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.”-{Rom 10:17}. Everyone is guided, governed by something or someone. His Word is to govern the Christian and when “the fiery arrows” come to tempt us to distrust, dishonor God, we quench the evil fiery arrows that are aimed at us and meant for our destruction by responding with faith in Him and what He says. We respond by using the protection of “the shield of faith.”
The evil one shoots what at us? Lies!
And even when he points out our sin, he fails to point out we have been forgiven all our sins according to Colossians 2:13-14.
“When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” The word “canceled” means to “erase” all of our sins past, present or future He has obliterated all of them on the cross, therefore NOW there is emphatically No condemnation for us who are “In Christ!” Glory! His Truth!
We are continually cleansed through the Blood of Christ– 1 John 1:7,9…Every fiery dart he sends to us is a liar, and just like responding with those two passages in Colossians and 1 John that is what using the “shield of faith” is responding to the lie with God’s Word… the TRUTH as He has revealed it! “…and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin…If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Every lie we choose to believe is to distrust God and say satan is more reliable, trustworthy than God and His Word! We choose whom we will place our faith in!
Sin deceives by promising freedom, and instead binding a person up.
“But God…”
“And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),…”-{Ephesians 2:1-5}.
We are now “In Christ,” and we have been gifted all we need “for life and Godliness…”
“In Christ,” we have been set free from the bondage to sin and free from the penalty of sin, the power of sin, the authority of satan, the wrath of God, to newness of life “In Christ.” Forgiven, adopted into his family, the Holy Spirit to teach, empower us. The Scriptures to guide and govern us in the way that is right. no condemnation now “In Christ” but full acceptance based on His performance. No separation from His Love, Access to His Throne to receive mercy, grace and help in time of need! New creatures with new standing with God, New Power, children of God who are greatly Loved!
Consider some of these Provisions of His Shield of faith for us to use to extinguish, quench the fiery darts, arrows that seek to destroy, dishearten, depress us and dampen our enthusiasm for God and divert us from devotion to Him. But consider some of His promises for us to be used by faith…
- “seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.”-{2 Peter 1:3}
- “For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.“-{2 Peter 1:3-4}. Everything we need to live this life God has provided and precious and magnificent promises to be used.
- “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. “-{Phil 4:19}
- “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;”-{2 Cor 3:5}
- “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”-{Phil 4:13}
- “If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? “-{Rom 8;31-32}
- “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.“-{Romans 8:37}
- For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.“-{Romans 8:38-39}
- “for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,”- {Hebrews 8;35}.
These are some verses we can use as part of “the shield of faith,” to quench the fiery arrows of the evil one. His Word is full of His provisions for our faith to be strengthened to live pleasing to Him and for the spiritual warfare we are in and live as victors, over-comers “In Christ!”
How are we changed?
By renewing our mind… “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”-{Romans 12:2}…and being doers of His Word. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”-{James 1:22}. Knowing the Word is not enough, we have to obey it and this we do ultimately as an expression of love to Him-“He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” – {John 14:21}.
Recognize the lie
Reject the lie by choosing to
Renew your mind
Replace With The Truth
Apply The Truth!
Repeat each time you are tempted with a lie!
“…in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”- {Ephesians 6:16}.