The Shield of Faith

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Eph 6:10–20. The shield of faith (v. 16). The shield was large, usually about four feet by two feet, made of wood, and covered with tough leather. As the soldier held it before him, it protected him from spears, arrows, and “fiery darts.” The edges of these shields were so constructed that an entire line of soldiers could interlock shields and march into the enemy like a solid wall. This suggests that we Christians are not in the battle alone. The “faith” mentioned here is not saving faith, but rather living faith, a trust in the promises and the power of God. Faith is a defensive weapon which protects us from Satan’s fiery darts. In Paul’s day, arrows, dipped in some inflammable substance and ignited, were shot at the enemy. Satan shoots “fiery darts” at our hearts and minds: lies, blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts about others, doubts, and burning desires for sin. If we do not by faith quench these darts, they will light a fire within and we will disobey God. We never know when Satan will shoot a dart at us, so we must always walk by faith and use the shield of faith.1 1 Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 58.

What shields believers in spiritual battle is confidence and trust in God. Hebrews 11:1,6,! John 5:4

What we believe is important for spiritual victory. Jude 3,Philippians 1:27

Believers battle together. Ephesians 6:!6

“Where in the world did that terrible, ugly thought come from?” we sometimes ask ourselves. It didn’t come from the world. It’s a fiery dart launched from hell. You might be in church, in prayer, or doing something very noble, when—boom—a fiery dart aflame with lust or gossip, cynicism or anger enters your mind. The only protection for this kind of assault is the shield of faith.… When Roman soldiers went into battle, their enemies would not only shoot fiery arrows directly at them, but would launch them into the air above them. So what did the Romans do? The front row would hold their four-foot-by-two-foot shields in front of them side by side to form a protective wall. The remaining soldiers held their shields over their heads—“above all”—forming a roof of protection. What are you to do when you’re being barraged with the fiery darts of lust, cynicism, envy, anger, or gossip? Do what Paul told his young protigie Timothy to do: “Run from them, and follow after faith, righteousness, charity, and peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (see 2 Timothy 2:22). In other words, run from sin and take cover under the shield of faith with your brothers. Come into the congregation. Come to prayer meeting. Come to Bible study. Corporate worship, study, and prayer form a covering that is not found individually. Many a person has fled a particular lust only to encounter a worse one because he didn’t run to the congregation of them who follow after faith and righteousness, love, peace, and purity. When you’re hit with fiery darts, gang, get to church. Run as fast as you can to those who will provide a shield of covering for you.1 1 Jon Courson, Jon Courson’s Application Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003), 1266.