The Whole Armor of God--Shield of Faith
1/12/2018

 
"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one". (Ephesians 6:16)

 

Since becoming a Christian you have found that you entered a battleground and not a playground.  This war is against the deadly hosts of spiritual wickedness.  It is between light and darkness, life and death, and heaven and hell and no one is exempt from this war. Our Lord has provided all we need to win this battle

 

Albert Barnes' New Testament Commentary explains these flaming arrows:  "Paul here refers, probably, to the temptations of the great adversary, which are like fiery darts; or those furious suggestions of evil, and excitements to sin, which he may throw into the mind like fiery darts. They are blasphemous thoughts, unbelief, sudden temptation to do wrong, or thoughts that wound and torment the soul."  It is because of these fiery darts hurled at us by Satan that we need the shield of faith.

 

In the first century soldiers used two types of shields.  One was small and was used in the battle when soldiers went one-on-one in hand-to-hand combat.  However, Paul uses the word that referred to the large shield approximately five feet high and two and one-half feet wide.  The edges of these shields were so constructed that an entire line of soldiers could lock their shields together and move against the enemy like a solid wall while protecting the full body of the soldier.  Just as soldiers could lock their shields together we can lock arms with our brothers and sisters in the Lord and move forward against Satan and his minions using our shield of faith.  This is one reason why the local church is so very important.  We have help, from our brethren, in this battle.

 

However, each person must take up "the shield of faith."  The Hebrew writer said, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6).  It is our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that protects us from the "fiery darts" coming at us. 

When we are willing to surrender in loving obedience to our Lord through the gospel we will develop the shield of faith to ward off the flaming arrows coming from Satan.  Notice carefully John's statement in (I John 3:4-10): "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. But you know that He appeared so that He might take away our sins. And in Him is no sin. No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.  The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.  No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God.  This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister".

 

 

THOU, O LORD, ART A SHIELD ABOUT ME

 

Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me

You're my glory

You're the lifter of my head

Thou, O Lord, art a shield about me

You're my glory

You're the lifter of my head

 

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

You're the lifter of my head

 

 

 

by Donn Thomas, Charles Williams

© 1980 Spoone Music/Word Music

 

"Daily Devotions by Guy Roberson"

Walnut Street Church of Christ






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