Shield of Faith

When I was a supervisor in the bakery sales I remember our office receiving a phone call one morning from one of the restaurants we served and they informed us that there had been an explosion at their restaurant that morning and that our salesman was apparently in the building where the explosion happened.

I got in one of our bread trucks and drove it up to the scene of the explosion only to witness a horrific sight as I drove up to the restaurant that bone chilling morning. I could hardly believe my eyes as I looked at the back part of the building that had been blown to pieces and the bricks were a massive pile of rubble.

My first thought is, our salesman is dead. There is no possible way anyone could survive such an intense explosion in such a small area.

To my astonishment our salesman survived. I wondered how it could be humanly possible that he could survive with only minor scrapes. It was because when the boiler exploded the door to the boiler room knocked Mike down and the door landed on top of him and protected him from all the flying debris and took the brunt of the force of the bricks and other stuff flying through the air. If it had not been for the door landing on top of him, he surely would have perished.

When it comes to our shield of faith, it is not a small shield like the gladiators used to carry, but it is rather a large rectangle that is covered with leather and dipped in liquid to quench all the fiery darts of the enemy.

From the 1970’s into the 90’s there was a well known commercial on television promoting American Express Card. And then there one line slogan- “Don’t leave home without them.”

From the 1970’s into the 90’s there was a well known commercial on television promoting American Express Card. And then there one line slogan- “Don’t leave home without them.”

The Christian’s shield of faith, “Don’t leave home without them.” The idea is if you have an American Express Card you can travel with confidence.

If we walk out the door with our shield of faith, we can walk out the door with confidence. I don’t know what’s going to happen once I walk out the door, but I know that I am covered and protected with my shield of faith in my left hand.

I. The description of Satan’s fiery darts

A. They fly strategically

He knows where to aim and he knows when to aim and he knows when to pull the string back and let the flaming arrow fly.

He knows where to aim and he knows when to aim and he knows when to pull the string back and let the flaming arrow fly.

(NIV84) 16 For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world.

Lust of the flesh

Lust of the eyes

The pride of life- boasting of what he has and does.

A person who puts a lot of stock in thinking about themselves, talking about themselves, and placing a higher value on things of this world rather than spiritual and eternal things.

A person who puts a lot of stock in thinking about themselves, talking about themselves, and placing a higher value on things of this world rather than spiritual and eternal things.

Dr. Karl Menninger, in Whatever Became of Sin?, reminded us that vanity, egocentricity, arrogance, self-adoration, selfishness, and self-love are really synonyms for pride. Theologically, pride asserts itself into pride of power, knowledge, and virtue.

Writing in Power, A New Social Analysis, Bertrand Russell noted, “Every man would like to be God if it were possible; some few find it difficult to admit the impossibility.”

Cravings of sinful man-NIV84 | ‎ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

The disposition of man is to seek to satisfy the cravings and passions of his heart apart from God. To engage in an activity that is morally wrong.

Cravings of sinful man-NIV84 | ‎ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

The disposition of man is to seek to satisfy the cravings and passions of his heart apart from God. To engage in an activity that is morally wrong.

The disposition of man is to seek to satisfy the cravings and passions of his heart apart from God. To engage in an activity that is morally wrong.

All these refer to the desires which are fixed on sensual objects as pleasures, profits, and honors.

Man’s passion for possessions- when it is not kept by godly boundaries- man becomes covetous and envious and if those arrows are not blocked by the shield of faith they will grow into someone engaging in illegal activity like theft or hurting someone to take something from them that you want for yourself.

his passion for intimacy- will be inflamed with ungodly thoughts if he or she does not put the fiery darts out with the shield of faith.

his passion for food- will be unhealthy unless those flaming darts are extinguished with the shield of faith.

his passion for fame or popularity… I want to be recognized, I get my significance by being noticed, congratulated and awarded.

(NIV84) 3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

“Enslaved”-“cause to lose freedom of choice or action”

ἐπιθυμία is evil, not because it is irrational, but because it is disobedience to the command of God.

In the OT and Judaism ἐπιθυμία is an offence against God, who demands of man total obedience and love from the whole heart, .

Craving has to do with our passion. Satan plants thoughts in our mind and then wants us to carry out that passion in our body.

B. They fly swiftly

Eve’s conversation in the garden with the serpent- Satan did not waste time planting thoughts in Eve’s mind to lead her away from Christ.

Eve’s conversation in the garden with the serpent- Satan did not waste time planting thoughts in Eve’s mind to lead her away from Christ.

(NIV84) 3 But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.

Israelites delivered out of Egyptian bondage and not soon after their deliverance they are engaged in immorality and idolatry.

Just as quickly as a tornado can rip through a town destroying everything in its path, Satan can just as quickly aim and shoot and pointed dart in an attempt to cause injury to our faith.

C. They fly secretly

Below the radar as it were. You can be looking at the radar screen and it goes by undetected. David

Below the radar as it were. You can be looking at the radar screen and it goes by undetected. David

When we lived in St. Petersburg, Florida, we would go to the beach. It was always hard to relax and have a good time with our children, though, because there were too many threats: jellyfish, stingrays, sharks, undertow.

One time we had some relatives that came to St. Petersburg and brought their boat with them. We decided to go out to an island a couple of miles offshore called Egmont Key. We had a great time because we didn't think we had to worry about the normal threats. The water was blue, the sand was white. We swam w ith our children carefree in the Gulf of Mexico.

A few days later we were telling some friends about our wonderful day. Being more familiar with the area, they informed us we had been swimming in one of the most shark-infested areas around! We were in danger, but completely oblivious to it.

Barry Merritt, Toledo, Ohio

Example of David on the roof looking at Bathsheba.

You and I cannot predict when Satan will unleash a fiery dart at us. Part of his strategy is to catch us off guard. He looks for areas of weakness, which could in fact be what we think is our area of strength.

D. They fly sequentially

Example of Job- he goes through a series of fiery darts one after another.

Example of Job- he goes through a series of fiery darts one after another.

1st fiery dart- Job lost his oxen (his big tractors), his donkeys, and his employees were killed-

2nd fiery dart- - sheep burned up and the employees overseeing them.

3rd fiery dart- - Lost his camels and more employees.

4th fiery dart- - His sons and daughters were killed from a wind storm.

II. The shield of faith protects against the enemies of God

“Statistics alone demonstrate the centrality of faith and trust in Christ. In Paul’s writings he uses the word “faith” 142 times and the verb “believe” 54 times. For Paul, what it means to be a Christian is to believe, for often Paul describes his readers as those who believed, or those who have faith.”

“Believe” is used in the gospel of John 98 times.

In Acts we see the same kind of emphasis-

“But many of those who heard the message believed”

They believed Philip, as he preached the good news...”

“Many believed in the Lord”

“We believed on the Lord Jesus Christ”

“Everyone who believes in Him is justified”

Faith, belief and trust are characteristics of Christians.

“Salvation is given to everyone who believes” , and to those who believe in the gospel he proclaimed.”

“Those who place their trust in the gospel receive the Spirit of God and eternal life.

David defeated Goliath

Joseph defeated immorality

Daniel defeated false accusations

Nehemiah defeated discouragement

Jesus defeated temptation

The shield of faith enables me to walk with God

The shield of faith enables me to walk with God

Without faith it is impossible to please God.

III. The shield of faith empowers me to obey the truth

“A man slipped and fell off a cliff while hiking on a mountaintop. Luckily he was able to grab a branch on his way down. Holding on for dear life, he looked down only to see a rock valley some 1,500 feet below. When he looked up it was twenty feet to the cliff where he had fallen.

Panicked he yelled, “Help, Help! Is anybody there? Help”

A booming voice spoke up. “I am here, and I will save you if you believe in me.”

“I believe, I believe” yelled back the man.

“If you believe me, let go of the branch and then I will save you.”

The young man, hearing what the voice said, looked down again. Seeing the rock valley below, he quickly looked back up and shouted, “Is there anybody else up there!”

John Owen says “We are justified by faith alone, but not by faith that is alone. Faith rests and receives Christ alone for right standing before God, and obedience is a fruit of faith.” pg. 72

“Faith is a condition of justification, for it is an instrument by which we are united with Christ who is our righteousness.”

“justifying faith puts its trust in what God has revealed in his Word and should not be confused with mental assent to doctrines.” pg. 71

pg. 73 Faith Alone- The Doctrine of Justification, by Thomas Schreiner

pg. 72 Faith Alone- The Doctrine of Justification, by Thomas Schreiner

Romans 4:18 ESV

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.”

Romans 4:19 ESV

He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb.

Romans 4:

Romans 4:19

Romans 4:20 ESV

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God,

Romans 4:21 ESV

fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

The victory to overcoming the world is our faith

Faith is the key to overcoming lust, overcoming lies, overcoming defeat, overcoming discouragement, overcoming conflict, overcoming addiction, overcoming inconsistency, overcoming dishonesty, overcoming failure, overcoming hardship, overcoming condemnation- belittling yourself, condemning yourself, beating yourself up, all or nothing mentality.

Faith enables us to be overcomers.

When we obey the truth, we grow in confidence.

Hebrews 10:35–37 ESV

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;

IV. The shield of faith encourages me in Christian fellowship

The shield of faith compels me to be with God’s people. People of like-minded faith. People who desire to walk with God.

We lock our shields together and can accomplish much more together than we can apart.

Story- In her book It’s My Turn Ruth Bell Graham tells a story about her growing up days in Tsingkiang, China, where her father was a missionary physician. The business manager at the local hospital told about a jolly gentleman named Mr. Kao Er. One day as he attended prayer meeting, bandits broke into his house and kidnapped his two children, an 8 yr. old son and a baby daughter.

As word spread, the local Christians and missionaries gathered in earnest prayer.

Never one to miss an opportunity to witness, Mr. Kao Er had a large sign painted and posted in front of the hospital gate. It said in effect: The bandits have kidnapped our children and have demanded a thousand yuan ransom. I am not a wealthy man. I cannot pay a thousand yuan. I cannot pay five hundred yuan. I cannot even pay fifty yuan. But I believe God. If it is His will, He is able to bring my children back without any ransom.

Passersby were amazed by his message, and it was widely expected that the children would be quickly killed.

Weeks passed, and in the course of time a band of soldiers broke in upon the hive of bandits. As they pursued them, they heard a sound from the ditch beside the road. One soldier stopped to look, and there he found a skeleton like child lying in the ditch where the bandits had hastily thrown him. It was Mr. Kao Er’s son. He had been imprisoned under a large overturned vessel, and was on the brink of starvation. Be he was alive and recovered.

But what of the baby girl?

Later there was another battle between the bandits and the soldiers. This time, the wife of the bandit chief was captured, and she was found nursing two babies—not twins—too near in age to both be her own. The daughter, too, was returned to her parents.

Ruth recalls sitting one Sunday in the little gray-brick Chinese church, I watched Mr. Kao Er, carrying his still too weak to walk son, and his wife, carrying the now healthy, chubby baby girl, walked forward to publicly give thanks to God and to dedicate both children to Him.

Robert Morgan Preachers Sourcebook of Creative Sermon Illustrations.