Ephesians 6:16
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
I have always enjoyed all things “history.” One of the things I remember from studying armor throughout the ages is the development of the shield. The shapes and sizes of shields, as well as the material used to build them, varied from culture to culture. Shield construction was also dependent upon its intended use.
The Roman Empire in particular comes to mind as I write this entry. As the troops marched toward battle, they used full-length shields which were somewhat curved. Several feet in length, the soldiers could find protection behind this curved shield (see picture below).
Now, the shield was most effective when combined with the shields of the other soldiers. On the front line, each soldier would put their shield edge to edge, forming a wall. The soldiers behind the front line would lift their shields above their heads, linking their shields end to end with the others, creating a kind of roof (see picture below).
(NOTE: Shield pictures above courtesy of A2 Armory, at a2armory.com)
The Roman Empire in particular comes to mind as I write this entry. As the troops marched toward battle, they used full-length shields which were somewhat curved. Several feet in length, the soldiers could find protection behind this curved shield (see picture below).
Now, the shield was most effective when combined with the shields of the other soldiers. On the front line, each soldier would put their shield edge to edge, forming a wall. The soldiers behind the front line would lift their shields above their heads, linking their shields end to end with the others, creating a kind of roof (see picture below).
(NOTE: Shield pictures above courtesy of A2 Armory, at a2armory.com)
With such protection, enemy arrows would indeed find it difficult to penetrate the fighting force. Thus protected, the army could advance and overtake their enemy with few casualties.
The shield of faith is a vital addition to the armor of God. But how is it used? What is its significance to our lives? Why does the Apostle Paul use the words “above all”? This is what I want to talk about in Part 6.
Everyone has some level of faith, whether that faith is in God or self or anything else. It is that faith which enables us to move forward with life. For example, you have faith in your car and your driving ability. Therefore, when you get in your vehicle, you believe it will continue to run until you get to your destination, and you believe your own ability is good enough to get you to your destination safely. If you didn’t have this faith, you would never start out on your journey.
Faith in an unfailing, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God enables us to move from day to day, knowing He will be with us and see us through whatever it is we must face. But Paul talks about a shield of faith. How does this time into the overall theme of faith?
First, let’s look at the “fiery darts” he mentions. Imagine arrows dipped in oil or tar, set ablaze, and shot from a bow. Not only do you have something that will penetrate a target, but there is the very real potential for collateral damage caused by the fire. This is exactly what the devil does: he shoots the arrows of doubt, fear, anger, temptation, etc, and if that isn’t enough, he sets them on fire first, so that they cause the greatest amount of damage possible.
Our faith in Jesus Christ enables us to have a shield to protect us from these deadly arrows. We are still subject to the incoming projectiles, so all we can do is find protection. This protection, though, cannot simply be some stationary place to find cover. We must continue advancing despite the onslaught; thus, our need for a shield.
The Roman shields pictured above were mostly made of wood, which is still somewhat prone to burn. The shield of faith in Jesus, though, is firm and solid. When used correctly, it is effective in offering protection to our entire body (physical and spiritual), and enables us to move forward through life, even against the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Quench. Interesting word. It means to smother, extinguish, put out, or reduce. The shield of faith can do this to the fiery arrows of Satan. So, how do we use it? Again, it’s a daily thing.
The arrows are already in the air, and they are heading straight and true toward their intended target: you. We have three choices: run away, stand still, or move ahead. Running away keeps us from arriving at our destination, so that’s out. Standing still is a sure-fire way (pardon the pun) to get yourself killed, so that’s out, too. Moving ahead can also get you killed, but not if you have a shield to protect you.
The fiery darts can hit in many different ways: in our mind, in our heart, in our body. The trouble they bring can manifest itself in many ways as well: in our own life, in the lives of those around us, through circumstances, through temptations, and on and on. What we must do, then, is learn that whenever or whatever the effects of the fiery darts might come our way, we must use the shield of faith. We use this shield not only to block the incoming arrows (which is one way to use it), but to quench them, extinguish them.
All of us have known trouble, have confronted a terrible problem or a particularly difficult trial. It is easy in such instances to give in, to focus only on the problem at hand, and lose sight of God (and the victory He gives to His children) in the process. When this happens, the arrows have done their job.
No matter what it is you’re facing, make the conscious effort to focus on the Lord, His power, and what He can do in and for you. Is there any problem too big for your God? Is there any, ANY power which can overcome Him and His will? The answer, of course, is ‘no.’ But, let’s be honest, when we’re going through a bad time, it’s hard to remember that, or keep going forward even though you know it.
That is where the faith part comes in. Faith (with the help of a thesaurus) can also be called confidence, trust, reliance, assurance, conviction, belief, devotion and loyalty. All these things speak not of empty hope, but of something with a rock-solid foundation. If you look past yourself and your own fears and weaknesses, and focus instead on what God is able to accomplish, your faith is strengthened against any and all enemies. During those rough times, the shield of faith gives you a renewed devotion and loyalty to the Lord, and makes you totally assured and confident in Christ’s ability and faithfulness to see you through. This is indeed, a remarkable weapon for us. But we must use it.
Train yourself to put it to use. When you are tempted, when things seem to be going from bad to worse, when discouragement rears its ugly head, when fear paralyzes you, stop, take a deep breath, and say, “There is nothing too difficult for the Lord. In the name of my Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, I rebuke these fiery darts, and ask for the strength to continue forward.” Do this again and again, every time, and you will discover that despite the ferocity of our foe, you are consistently resisting, and moving ahead.
Those who know me, who are familiar with my style, will know that I like to identify what is, to me, the key word in a verse of Scripture. In Ephesians 6:16, I think that word is ALL. There is no weapon so terrible, no attack so fierce, that our faith in Jesus Christ cannot overcome. If you say, “Yes, but my faith is weak,” my answer to you is this: the only way to strengthen a muscle is to use it. Exercise it, and it will grow. The same is true of faith. To have a shield of faith, you must not merely claim to know Jesus. You must be consistent in your prayer life, in gathering together for worship and fellowship, in study. It must be a practical part of your daily life. If not, the shield cannot help you withstand the incoming arrows.
I, for one, am glad we have this shield. Whether we use it or not is entirely up to us. I guess it’s a matter of whether we want to fail or succeed. God has given us the tools. It’s up to us to put them on and let the Lord show us how to use them.
NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:17
© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.
The shield of faith is a vital addition to the armor of God. But how is it used? What is its significance to our lives? Why does the Apostle Paul use the words “above all”? This is what I want to talk about in Part 6.
Everyone has some level of faith, whether that faith is in God or self or anything else. It is that faith which enables us to move forward with life. For example, you have faith in your car and your driving ability. Therefore, when you get in your vehicle, you believe it will continue to run until you get to your destination, and you believe your own ability is good enough to get you to your destination safely. If you didn’t have this faith, you would never start out on your journey.
Faith in an unfailing, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent God enables us to move from day to day, knowing He will be with us and see us through whatever it is we must face. But Paul talks about a shield of faith. How does this time into the overall theme of faith?
First, let’s look at the “fiery darts” he mentions. Imagine arrows dipped in oil or tar, set ablaze, and shot from a bow. Not only do you have something that will penetrate a target, but there is the very real potential for collateral damage caused by the fire. This is exactly what the devil does: he shoots the arrows of doubt, fear, anger, temptation, etc, and if that isn’t enough, he sets them on fire first, so that they cause the greatest amount of damage possible.
Our faith in Jesus Christ enables us to have a shield to protect us from these deadly arrows. We are still subject to the incoming projectiles, so all we can do is find protection. This protection, though, cannot simply be some stationary place to find cover. We must continue advancing despite the onslaught; thus, our need for a shield.
The Roman shields pictured above were mostly made of wood, which is still somewhat prone to burn. The shield of faith in Jesus, though, is firm and solid. When used correctly, it is effective in offering protection to our entire body (physical and spiritual), and enables us to move forward through life, even against the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Quench. Interesting word. It means to smother, extinguish, put out, or reduce. The shield of faith can do this to the fiery arrows of Satan. So, how do we use it? Again, it’s a daily thing.
The arrows are already in the air, and they are heading straight and true toward their intended target: you. We have three choices: run away, stand still, or move ahead. Running away keeps us from arriving at our destination, so that’s out. Standing still is a sure-fire way (pardon the pun) to get yourself killed, so that’s out, too. Moving ahead can also get you killed, but not if you have a shield to protect you.
The fiery darts can hit in many different ways: in our mind, in our heart, in our body. The trouble they bring can manifest itself in many ways as well: in our own life, in the lives of those around us, through circumstances, through temptations, and on and on. What we must do, then, is learn that whenever or whatever the effects of the fiery darts might come our way, we must use the shield of faith. We use this shield not only to block the incoming arrows (which is one way to use it), but to quench them, extinguish them.
All of us have known trouble, have confronted a terrible problem or a particularly difficult trial. It is easy in such instances to give in, to focus only on the problem at hand, and lose sight of God (and the victory He gives to His children) in the process. When this happens, the arrows have done their job.
No matter what it is you’re facing, make the conscious effort to focus on the Lord, His power, and what He can do in and for you. Is there any problem too big for your God? Is there any, ANY power which can overcome Him and His will? The answer, of course, is ‘no.’ But, let’s be honest, when we’re going through a bad time, it’s hard to remember that, or keep going forward even though you know it.
That is where the faith part comes in. Faith (with the help of a thesaurus) can also be called confidence, trust, reliance, assurance, conviction, belief, devotion and loyalty. All these things speak not of empty hope, but of something with a rock-solid foundation. If you look past yourself and your own fears and weaknesses, and focus instead on what God is able to accomplish, your faith is strengthened against any and all enemies. During those rough times, the shield of faith gives you a renewed devotion and loyalty to the Lord, and makes you totally assured and confident in Christ’s ability and faithfulness to see you through. This is indeed, a remarkable weapon for us. But we must use it.
Train yourself to put it to use. When you are tempted, when things seem to be going from bad to worse, when discouragement rears its ugly head, when fear paralyzes you, stop, take a deep breath, and say, “There is nothing too difficult for the Lord. In the name of my Savior Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, I rebuke these fiery darts, and ask for the strength to continue forward.” Do this again and again, every time, and you will discover that despite the ferocity of our foe, you are consistently resisting, and moving ahead.
Those who know me, who are familiar with my style, will know that I like to identify what is, to me, the key word in a verse of Scripture. In Ephesians 6:16, I think that word is ALL. There is no weapon so terrible, no attack so fierce, that our faith in Jesus Christ cannot overcome. If you say, “Yes, but my faith is weak,” my answer to you is this: the only way to strengthen a muscle is to use it. Exercise it, and it will grow. The same is true of faith. To have a shield of faith, you must not merely claim to know Jesus. You must be consistent in your prayer life, in gathering together for worship and fellowship, in study. It must be a practical part of your daily life. If not, the shield cannot help you withstand the incoming arrows.
I, for one, am glad we have this shield. Whether we use it or not is entirely up to us. I guess it’s a matter of whether we want to fail or succeed. God has given us the tools. It’s up to us to put them on and let the Lord show us how to use them.
NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:17
© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.
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