THE SHIELD OF FAITH
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~
The Roman shield was made of sturdy pieces of wood, covered with either goat-skin or calf skin. The shield stood four feet long and three-feet wide. Iron rims were fitted along the top and bottom edges, an iron circle was attached to the center of the shield. The boards curved inward and a leather strap was fastened to the shield's back.
Before a battle the Roman soldiers would drench their leather-covered shield in water, so when the fiery arrows of their enemies struck these soaked shields, the flames immediately were extinguished. Often these shields were interlocked together to make a wall to stop the attacker. With the shields locked it would give the soldiers more protection.
FIRST OF ALL the greatest weapon that we have against Satan, is the truth, the Word of God, TRUTH. Without His truth we will always be defeated by our enemy. We must know the Word of God before we can stand against the devil and his evil ways. God's Word builds your faith. His Word is truth and truth is more important more important than anything, even faith! We receive faith by hearing and reading His Word. Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God! How, then, could the“Shield of Faith”be more important then the “Loin belt of Truth,” the Word of God?
The shield of faith is the Christian's protection against temptation. Whenever we trust God will provide everything we need, "the spiritual forces of evil" cannot tempt us with the lie that sin can provide a better life than God will.~Ephesians 6:12~
"All the flaming arrows of the evil one'-every temptation and distraction that Satan may hurl at God's people-can be stopped.~Ephesians 6:16~
When our faith in God is authentic, the powers of darkness are overcome. This is why the apostle John could saw,"This is the victory that has overcome the world, even out faith,:~1 John 5:4~
As for God, His way is perfect, He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.~2 Samuel 22:31~
My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.~Psalm 7:10~
He has prepared His deadly weapons; he makes flaming arrows~Psalms7:13~
You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me.~Psalm18:35
If your “Shield of Faith” were properly anointed by the Holy Spirit, and saturated in the Word of God, these fiery darts would be extinguished on impact!
The fact that these arrows have been effective in bringing you to rage, anger, anxiety, unbelief, worry, and so forth, is evidence that YOU have failed somewhere along the way! It is apparent that YOU failed to deal with wrong attitudes and thoughts in your mind; thus, YOU allowed an open door through which these arrows could pass. If you were living in the presence of God on a daily basis, the Holy Spirit’s anointing would have been upon your life! The absence of the Spirits oil on your life has caused your faith to become stiff and brittle. The reason those arrows broke through your “Shield of Faith” is because you didn’t do what was necessary to keep your faith supple and pliable.
God has provided you a way to avoid being hit by these fiery darts. Paul said, “there hath no temptation taking you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
The Shield of Faith is your way of escape from the fiery darts of the adversary. When your faith is out in front covering all, it quenches every temptation, every fire bearing arrow that the enemy sends your way. When you carry your Shield of Faith those arrows loose their power and fall to the ground. Thus you escape.
~Ephesians 6:10-19~
Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.
Stand 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;
withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,
and on my behalf, that utterance may be given unto me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
~6:10~strong...power. Implies that human effort is inadequate but God's power is invincible.
~6:12~not against flesh and blood. A caution against lashing out against human opponents as though they were the real enemy and also against assuming that the battle can be fought using merely human resources. rulers...forces. Paul's earlier allusions to powerful beings in the unseen world. heavenly realms.
~6:13-14~stand your ground...Stand firm. In this context the imagery is not that of a massive invasion of the domain of evil, but of individual soldiers [Warriors For Christ] withstanding assault.
~6:14~belt of truth. the symbolic clothing of the Messiah in Isa. 11:5. Character, not brute force, wins the battle, just as in the case of the Messiah. breastplate of righteousness. Here again, the warrior's character is his defense. God himself is symbolically described as putting on a breastplate of righteousness when He goes forth to bring about justice (see Isa. 59:17).
~feet fitted with the readiness. Whereas the description of the messenger's feet in Isa. 52: 7 reflects the custom of running barefooted, here the message of the gospel is picturesquely connected with the protective and supportive foot gear of the Roman soldier.
~6:16~shield of faith...extinguish...flaming arrows. Describes the large Roman shield covered with leather, which could be soaked in water and used to put out flame-tipped arrows.
~6:17-18~sword of the Spirit...pray in the Spirit. Reminders that the battle is spiritual and must be fought in God's strength, depending on the word and on God through prayer.
~6:17~helmet of salvation. Isa. 59:17 has similar language, along with the breastplate imagery. The helmet both protected the soldier [Warrior For Christ] and provided a striking symbol of military victory.
***Those who are "strong in the Lord" have victory over the evil one in the great spiritual conflict, especially through the power of prayer~6:10-2,0~.
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~
The Roman shield was made of sturdy pieces of wood, covered with either goat-skin or calf skin. The shield stood four feet long and three-feet wide. Iron rims were fitted along the top and bottom edges, an iron circle was attached to the center of the shield. The boards curved inward and a leather strap was fastened to the shield's back.
Before a battle the Roman soldiers would drench their leather-covered shield in water, so when the fiery arrows of their enemies struck these soaked shields, the flames immediately were extinguished. Often these shields were interlocked together to make a wall to stop the attacker. With the shields locked it would give the soldiers more protection.
FIRST OF ALL the greatest weapon that we have against Satan, is the truth, the Word of God, TRUTH. Without His truth we will always be defeated by our enemy. We must know the Word of God before we can stand against the devil and his evil ways. God's Word builds your faith. His Word is truth and truth is more important more important than anything, even faith! We receive faith by hearing and reading His Word. Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the Word of God! How, then, could the“Shield of Faith”be more important then the “Loin belt of Truth,” the Word of God?
The shield of faith is the Christian's protection against temptation. Whenever we trust God will provide everything we need, "the spiritual forces of evil" cannot tempt us with the lie that sin can provide a better life than God will.~Ephesians 6:12~
"All the flaming arrows of the evil one'-every temptation and distraction that Satan may hurl at God's people-can be stopped.~Ephesians 6:16~
When our faith in God is authentic, the powers of darkness are overcome. This is why the apostle John could saw,"This is the victory that has overcome the world, even out faith,:~1 John 5:4~
As for God, His way is perfect, He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.~2 Samuel 22:31~
My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart.~Psalm 7:10~
He has prepared His deadly weapons; he makes flaming arrows~Psalms7:13~
You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me.~Psalm18:35
If your “Shield of Faith” were properly anointed by the Holy Spirit, and saturated in the Word of God, these fiery darts would be extinguished on impact!
The fact that these arrows have been effective in bringing you to rage, anger, anxiety, unbelief, worry, and so forth, is evidence that YOU have failed somewhere along the way! It is apparent that YOU failed to deal with wrong attitudes and thoughts in your mind; thus, YOU allowed an open door through which these arrows could pass. If you were living in the presence of God on a daily basis, the Holy Spirit’s anointing would have been upon your life! The absence of the Spirits oil on your life has caused your faith to become stiff and brittle. The reason those arrows broke through your “Shield of Faith” is because you didn’t do what was necessary to keep your faith supple and pliable.
God has provided you a way to avoid being hit by these fiery darts. Paul said, “there hath no temptation taking you, but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
The Shield of Faith is your way of escape from the fiery darts of the adversary. When your faith is out in front covering all, it quenches every temptation, every fire bearing arrow that the enemy sends your way. When you carry your Shield of Faith those arrows loose their power and fall to the ground. Thus you escape.
~Ephesians 6:10-19~
Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Wherefore take up the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to stand.
Stand 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;
withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
with all prayer and supplication praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,
and on my behalf, that utterance may be given unto me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,
~6:10~strong...power. Implies that human effort is inadequate but God's power is invincible.
~6:12~not against flesh and blood. A caution against lashing out against human opponents as though they were the real enemy and also against assuming that the battle can be fought using merely human resources. rulers...forces. Paul's earlier allusions to powerful beings in the unseen world. heavenly realms.
~6:13-14~stand your ground...Stand firm. In this context the imagery is not that of a massive invasion of the domain of evil, but of individual soldiers [Warriors For Christ] withstanding assault.
~6:14~belt of truth. the symbolic clothing of the Messiah in Isa. 11:5. Character, not brute force, wins the battle, just as in the case of the Messiah. breastplate of righteousness. Here again, the warrior's character is his defense. God himself is symbolically described as putting on a breastplate of righteousness when He goes forth to bring about justice (see Isa. 59:17).
~feet fitted with the readiness. Whereas the description of the messenger's feet in Isa. 52: 7 reflects the custom of running barefooted, here the message of the gospel is picturesquely connected with the protective and supportive foot gear of the Roman soldier.
~6:16~shield of faith...extinguish...flaming arrows. Describes the large Roman shield covered with leather, which could be soaked in water and used to put out flame-tipped arrows.
~6:17-18~sword of the Spirit...pray in the Spirit. Reminders that the battle is spiritual and must be fought in God's strength, depending on the word and on God through prayer.
~6:17~helmet of salvation. Isa. 59:17 has similar language, along with the breastplate imagery. The helmet both protected the soldier [Warrior For Christ] and provided a striking symbol of military victory.
***Those who are "strong in the Lord" have victory over the evil one in the great spiritual conflict, especially through the power of prayer~6:10-2,0~.
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