Faith Under Fire

Play “Armor of God Shield Opener” Video

Our theme verse for our series is found in

Ephesians 6:12 NLT

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6:13–16 NLT

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

Introduction: Here, Paul leaves his readers with words that encourage them to use the tools God has given them to stand their ground against the enemy. The belt of truth was first given when they responded to the good news about Jesus, recognizing the fact that every human needs God and His forgiveness that Jesus provided through His death. Truth is not an invention of man, but is reality from God Himself. The breastplate of righteousness was also given when they confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior and believed in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead. They were brought into right standing with God because they put their entire trust in Him. The sandals of peace came when they made peace with God by calling on the Lord in repentance. Having peace with God brings the peace of God into our hearts and lives, helping us be peacemakers as Jesus said we should be. His peace gives us traction for action as we stand against the enemy.

Today I’d like to look at

Ephesians 6:16 NLT

16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

This passage introduces the shield of faith. In the days of Roman warfare the flaming arrow was a dreaded weapon. This arrow had a heavy iron tip which was dipped into pitch and set on fire. Even the speed of the arrow in the air would not extinguish the flame. It became a deadly flaming missile. These arrows would cause panic within the opposing ranks, especially when they lodged in a shield, causing the shield to burn. A frightened soldier might throw down his burning shield leaving himself, and those around him, unprotected from arrows and spears. You can imagine the resulting chaos.

Paul does not explain the kinds of demonic attacks represented by the flaming arrows, but their characteristics seem quite clear. The dart or javelin was a weapon hurled from a distance. This was no close, personal confrontation. They were not primarily weapons for killing; they were designed to incapacitate, to break up an advancing formation. They were simply obstacles that an advancing army had to deal with before it could close in and do battle with the enemy.

Such a deadly weapon needed a solid defense, which is where the shield comes in. This big shield stood 4-feet high. It was made of 3 layers of wood, with linen sandwiched between each layer. It also had an outer layer of leather or animal hide. To hold it all together a bronze strip was wrapped around the entire edge. If it was hit by a flaming arrow this shield would still burn. So, before they went into battle, the soldiers would soak the shields in water. The wet linen and leather would stop the shield from igniting, even when there was a flaming arrow embedded into it.

Play “Roman Soldiers Demonstration” Video

TC: Since we are talking about a spiritual war that we cannot see, how can we recognize the fiery darts of the enemy when they are hurled at us? Here’s an example:

Satan’s Scheme

It was an exciting offer—a job that Preston had always wanted: marketing for a Christian organization. But it would mean moving his family from California to Wheaton, Illinois.

Normally Preston and his wife, Jenny, would not have hesitated to move. But it was winter, and the Chicago area was bitterly cold. They had three young children, and after his being laid off for so long, they simply did not have the money to buy three sets of winter clothes. Preston and Jenny prayed about the offer. They believed they should accept it, but had difficulty moving forward because the nagging concern for their children would not go away. Preston and Jenny were experiencing one of Satan’s most common attacks.

The apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesians, is deeply aware that evil spirits are poised to attack believers. The Ephesians’ struggles—like Christians’ today—are not “against flesh and blood,” but against demonic beings, “against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers . . . and against the spiritual forces of evil” (). They needed to understand how to defend themselves.

defend themselves.

At the end of his letter to the Ephesians, as Paul thinks back over his words recorded for us in (re: faith and trust in what Jesus Christ did for them and therefore they are new), he continues to use a particular tool to help his readers remember his teaching.

Drawing on the imagery of a Roman legionnaire’s armor to call each theme to mind, he now writes in

Ephesians 6:16 NLT

16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.

Sometimes we lose the meaning of things through over use. When something becomes a catchword it can lose meaning. So I like to interchange words sometimes to get a clearer picture of Scripture. As I think about the shield of faith, I put in the word trust – shield of trust. What is a shield of trust or faith? Soldiers trusted that these shields would extinguish and stop the flaming arrows. But Paul, of course, is writing about something spiritual here. What does it mean to be shielded or protected by faith or trust?

Psalm 91:4 NLT

4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

If we have faith in God’s faithfulness, we will stand strong in the battle. Don’t have faith in your own faith – have faith in God! If we actively trust God’s trustworthiness, the enemy will not find an opening in our lives to shoot in his flaming arrows.

The arrows might represent any spiritual attacks or struggles brought on by the forces of evil around us

Remember Preston and his wife Jenny? Preston had dreamed of putting his talents to work in a Christian organization, but when an offer came, there was an obstacle: The job was in icy Wheaton, Illinois. He had three young children and no money to get them the winter clothes they would need if they moved. He and Jenny were anxious and uncertain. Was God calling them to Wheaton? Or did their anxiety signal that a move was not in God’s will? Their concern was a very real and natural one. But their situation was typical of this scheme of Satan—the “flaming arrows” that he throws up as obstacles in every Christian’s way.

Most of us have had experiences like Preston and Jenny’s. We are living our lives, and suddenly we are confronted by a circumstance that makes us anxious or uncertain. What are we supposed to do?

supposed to do?

Two months ago, Carl was recruited for a new job by a previous boss. Last week the company let the old boss go. Carl is worried. Will he be let go, too?

Emma was laid off from a well-paying job. She finally got another job running a busy office, at fifteen thousand dollars less than her old job paid. But now her coworkers are undercutting her with their employer. Emma is frustrated, depressed and angry. Should she stay?

A Biblical Example

That happened to Abram and Sarah. After years in the Promised Land with no children, they became anxious and discouraged. Sarah urged Abram to have a child with her servant, Hagar. Filled with doubt and disappointment, Abram did as Sarah suggested. The result was Ishmael—and millennia of conflict between Arabs and Jews that continues to this day. Abraham and Sarah, panicking under pressure, failed to raise the shield that God provides for believers.

panicking under pressure, failed to raise the shield that God provides for believers.

When trouble and persecution come, we need to understand the wonderful resource that will extinguish those flaming arrows. We need to take hold of—and raise up—the shield of faith.

Satan takes delight in tossing just such “fiery darts” at you and me. His “fiery arrows” are those stressful circumstances that make us fearful, uncertain about what we should do next.

Jesus described such situations in one of His parables as “trouble or persecution” (). When we face any situation that creates anxiety, doubt or uncertainty, the chances are that Satan is throwing fiery arrows at us, hoping to incapacitate us.

Matthew 13:21 NLT

21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.

So here is the main thought of today’s message: The more we trust God to sustain us, the more protection we will have against the enemy of our souls. The greater the trust, the greater our shield against the attacks of the enemy.

Proposition: The more we trust God to sustain us, the more protection we will have against the enemy of our souls. The greater the trust, the greater our shield against the attacks of the enemy.

TS: So, let’s look at some areas of trust for a few minutes that will help us beef up our defense against the flaming arrows launched by the dark forces of Satan’s kingdom.

I. Trusting God in the face of condemnation

Those with the “gift” of accusation also imagine themselves as having the gift of discernment into the motives of others. It really is amazing how we often credit ourselves with good intentions when we fail. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.” However, when somebody else does something wrong, we assume they planned the whole thing out and were hoping for the very worst for us.

When we accuse someone of something, we often assume that we know why they did what they did. We presume to have some special insight into their heart and into their situation. God can and may give us such information, but not to use in making accusations against others. There is already one who accuses us, and he’d just love to sign you up as an apprentice accuser!

We looked at a verse a few weeks ago, but it really gives some insight into how the enemy rolls.

Revelation 12:10–11 NLT

10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, “It has come at last— salvation and power and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters has been thrown down to earth— the one who accuses them before our God day and night. 11 And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.

Another way to look at this is that they trusted God with their sense of self-value and worth in the face of this onslaught of accusations against them. They trusted not in their own goodness, but in the work Jesus did on the cross, dying to place them in right standing with God. And that was the word of their testimony – Look what the Lord has done! He forgave me! He delivered me! I am not a lost cause! I am not a failure – thanks to Jesus and what He did when He died in my place!

Another way to look at this is that they trusted God with their sense of self-value and worth in the face of this onslaught of accusations against them. They trusted not in their own goodness, but in the work Jesus did on the cross, dying to place them in right standing with God. And that was the word of their testimony – Look what the Lord has done! He forgave me! He delivered me! I am not a lost cause! I am not a failure – thanks to Jesus and what He did when He died in my place!

Accusations are intended to cause pain and stress and doubt. They are meant to breed insecurity, suspicion, and just weaken our faith. Ultimately, when we lose faith we stop believing God and start believing our lying enemy. These flaming arrows can cause a person to begin doubting God – His word or His heart, maybe even His power. Flaming arrows can strike fear into our hearts and cause us to lose our focus. That is why we must keep the shield of faith right in front of us, soaked with the water of God’s word and His Spirit.

Here are a few reminders from the Bible to soak your shield with when the flaming arrows of condemnation come your way.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

1 John 1:9 NLT

9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Philippians 1:6 NLT

6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

Hebrews 10:14 NLT

14 For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.

II. Trusting God in the face of temptation

It is no surprise that we have an enemy who uses this tactic against us at some of the worst possible times. Sometimes the temptation comes in the form of taking the easy way out. Just tell a small lie and it will get you out of a whole world of trouble. Or just take that as partial payment to yourself. They don’t need it and won’t miss it, and you deserve it. Or people will think better of you if you wear this brand or drive that car. Who cares about the price?

-It is no surprise that we have an enemy who uses this tactic against us at some of the worst possible times. Sometimes the temptation comes in the form of taking the easy way out. Just tell a small lie and it will get you out of a whole world of trouble. Or just take that as partial payment to yourself. They don’t need it and won’t miss it, and you deserve it. Or people will think better of you if you wear this brand or drive that car. Who cares about the price?

The first lie we find in the Bible is spoken in the Garden of Eden through the serpent. “You won’t really die! God is holding out on you. He doesn’t really care about you. He’s just trying to keep the best of everything for Himself.” Are we willing to trust God and His way of doing things, or do we think we know better than He does?

1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

III. Trusting God in the face of adversity

When things just don’t go the way I think they should go, (suffering, tragedy, chaos, etc.) what happens to my trust level?

When things just don’t go the way I think they should go, (suffering, tragedy, chaos, etc.) what happens to my trust level?

The kind of faith that serves as a shield to us is the kind that recognizes God’s character and nature and believes that He will never leave us or forsake us – just as He promised! And one way God fulfills that promise is through other members of His family whom He places in our lives.

See, these 4-ft high shields were built for more than just individual use. They were designed to lock together to form a wall of defense. Soldiers could also raise several of them above this wall of shields at an angle and be protected from the flurry of arrows that could come from an enemy who was shooting from higher ground or arching their arrows so they would come down on top of them.

We need to realize that God gave us a family so we could help one another and interlock our faith through encouragement and support. You weren’t designed to be a 1-man army! You were prepared to be part of a team where we all work together. When one member suffers, all suffer. When one member rejoices, all rejoice together! This is so important to remember – especially when we face trouble and grief in this life. We can trust God, and we can also lean on one another!

Remember Preston and Jenny, the couple at the beginning of today’s message? After lots of prayer they decided that God was calling them to icy Wheaton. Preston took the job, which was at Scripture Press Publications. The first Sunday in Wheaton the family visited a church, and someone there noticed that the children were not dressed warmly enough. When the story came out, the members of that congregation showered the family with jackets, sweaters, snowsuits, mittens and scarves. God was faithful, and He provided Preston’s family with all they needed.

Conclusion: As we wrap this up, how is your faith shield doing? Is it stopping the flaming arrows of condemnation, temptation, or adversity? Maybe your shield seems a little dry today. Remember, soldiers soaked these shields before battle to they would quench the fiery arrows when they hit, and not catch things on fire. We can soak in God’s word, and in His presence. The more we spend time with Him, the stronger our faith will be – the more we will trust Him! If your faith seems a little weak today, and you’d like prayer for more trust, stronger faith in God, I’d love to pray for you.

Faith Under Fire