Shield of Faith
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Shield of Faith
Shield of Faith
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
eph 6.
Introduction:
We are well acquainted with the Christian's armor as given in . For successful warfare we must put on the whole armor of God, because". . we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
I want to call your attention to one piece of the armor carried by the Christian-the shield of faith. The shield that Paul had in mind here is not the small, round buckler, but the oblong, door-like shield, measuring 4' x 2 ', curved to the shape of the body and carried by the Greek and Roman soldiers. When joined together, these large shields formed a wall behind which a body of troops could hide themselves from the rain of the enemy's missiles.
The Roman shield of the time was called a scutum. This type of shield was as large as a door and would cover the warrior entirely. Such a shield was not just defensive but could also be used to push opponents. When fighting as a group, a phalanx of soldiers could position their shields so as to form an enclosure around themselves, called a testudo (“tortoise”). This was especially helpful to protect against arrows launched from the walls of cities they were attacking. Shields, often made of wood and then covered in hide, when wet, could extinguish flaming arrows.
Clearly, a shield is vitally important to a soldier. It provides a blanket of protection. It is meant to be taken up in all circumstances. It is the first barrier against the enemy’s attack. Often, shields were painted with identifying marks; a Christian who takes up the shield of faith identifies himself as a foot soldier who serves the Commander of the Lord’s army (see ).
14 And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?
I The Fiery Darts - Two Examples
I The Fiery Darts - Two Examples
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
eph
We will never be out of range of Satan’s fiery darts, but they can be quenched and rendered harmless by the shield of faith (literally, the faith).
Satan’s fiery darts cannot penetrate the shield of determined, living, dynamic faith in God. That is why Satan designed the original temptation in Eden to persuade our first parents that God was not to be trusted.
1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
hwb 6.1
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
lets look at two examples
1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
The first temptation in the garden of Eden questioned the goodness of God. “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” ()
The implication was that the limitation was unkind; God was unkind in refusing to allow man to have something that he wanted.
The second temptation questioned the government of God. “Ye shall not surely die” (). Satan planted the idea that disobedience to God was not really a serious matter, that it would not have the adverse result that God had said it would.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
gen 3.
The third temptation questioned the goals of God. “God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (). This most terrible slander of all suggested that God was selfish and jealous, that He was deliberately refusing to allow man to attain full maturity.
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
gen 3.
Eve threw away the only weapon she had: the Word of God. The result? She was deceived, lost her faith in God, and was pierced by Satan’s fiery darts.
Adam followed her into sin. His sin was more deliberate—downright disobedience—but its root was the same unbelief. He saw his beloved wife in her fallen condition and, instead of trusting God to work out her salvation, he deliberately followed her into sin. He too questioned the goodness of God, the government of God, and the goals of God.
Example 2 - Jesus in the Wilderness
Example 2 - Jesus in the Wilderness
Satan presented the same temptations to the Lord Jesus—the second man, the last Adam—in the wilderness. Satan said, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (). The Lord had been on a forty-day fast, so He was desperately hungry. Satan was suggesting that God the Father was withholding an entitlement from Jesus and that He should take matters into His own hands and use the power inherent in His sonship to change His God-given circumstances. Satan was challenging the goodness of God.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Satan presented the same temptations to the Lord Jesus—the second man, the last Adam—in the wilderness. Satan said, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” ().
The Lord had been on a forty-day fast, so He was desperately hungry.
Satan was suggesting that God the Father was withholding an entitlement from Jesus and that He should take matters into His own hands and use the power inherent in His sonship to change His God-given circumstances. Satan was challenging the goodness of God.
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
The second temptation followed the same pattern. Having taken the Lord to a pinnacle of the temple, Satan urged, “Cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee” ().
Satan tempted Jesus to question and challenge the government of God. Satan was saying, “Cast Yourself down. You will not die. God would not let that happen to You. To put God to the test is no serious matter.”
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
The third temptation, in keeping with the others, challenged the goals of God. Satan showed the Lord all the kingdoms of the world and offered them to Him—on Satanic terms. Satan was slanderously insinuating that God was jealous and selfishly keeping Jesus from kingdoms that were rightfully His.
The shield of faith rebuffed Satan at every point and quenched his fiery darts. To each tempting suggestion, Jesus replied with a verse of Scripture. He simply fell back on the Word of God and thereby demonstrated His unequivocal faith in God.
Our faith in God should be so alive and robust that we never question the circumstances in which we find ourselves, the limitations He has placed on us, or His right to dictate the terms of our lives. We never question the goodness of God. We never doubt His government. Because of our faith we shrink from sin because it offends Him, grieves His heart, and inevitably brings into our lives the consequences He says it will. We never question God’s goals either. If He has not yet brought us into the kingdom, we believe that one day He will. The place, the process, and the time period are all in His purposes. Such faith effectively quenches Satan’s darts.[1]
So, faith is the shield of the Christian soldier, defending him from the fierce attacks of the foe from within and without. The shield of faith is able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. This shield cannot be pierced or destroyed by the fiercest fires of hatred or malice. The arrows of the evil one, though flaming with cruelty, are stopped by the shield and extinguished.
II The Fiery Dart Quencher - Faith
II The Fiery Dart Quencher - Faith
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
eph 6.1
Faith is a necessary, non-negotiable component of the Christian life.
“Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
Paul had often seen the shields Roman soldiers carried into war. The shields were made so that a row of soldiers could lock shield to shield, forming a wall of iron. Such a wall would be difficult, if not impossible, for a foe to penetrate. Each individual shield was big enough to cover the soldier’s whole body. Darts and arrows hurled at the soldier hit the shield and fell harmlessly to the ground.
• We can’t be saved apart from faith in God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,” .
The wicked one (for that is the force of the words “the wicked” in ) throws many fiery darts. He has been studying human nature ever since man was created. Satan helped forge fallen human nature. He is a master psychologist. One person he assails with lusts of the flesh. He has a whole arsenal of darts that can set the senses aflame. Another person he assails with lusts of the eye; someone else with the pride of life. The lust of appetite, the love of applause, and the lure of ambition are among the host of darts Satan uses to kindle fierce fires in our souls. He knows our weaknesses and strengths. He sends his legions of evil spirits to titillate our senses, inflame our desires, corrupt our souls, weaken our wills, deceive our minds, deaden our consciences, and distort God’s truth.
Satan has a thousand wiles and he never gives up. If you successfully resist him now, he will come again later. Perhaps he will tempt you with something in a book or on television, a clever remark by a college professor, or a friend’s snub or sneer. Perhaps he will arouse a sleeping lust or put an utterly lewd or corrupt thought in your mind. Perhaps he will entice you with a brilliant and seemingly flawless philosophy. (Everyone should read C. S. Lewis’ classic on temptation, The Screwtape Letters, and his brilliant passage on temptation in Perelandra.)
• Our entire Christian life is built upon, and sustained by, a consistent believing that God is, and that He blesses those who place their faith in Him. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,” .
The first temptation in the garden of Eden questioned the goodness of God. “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” () The implication was that the limitation was unkind; God was unkind in refusing to allow man to have something that he wanted.
We all live by some form of faith every day we live. We cross bridges and we believe they will support us. We go through tunnels believing they will not collapse. We trust electricity, automobiles, airplanes, ships, and buses, believing they are safe. Our faith in those things is well founded for they have proven themselves over and over.
Faith in Jesus is far and above the everyday faith we practice when we climb into our car and head down the road, or when we drive over a bridge. Our faith is only as good as the object of that faith. When our faith is in Jesus Christ, and God the Father, our faith is in Someone Who cannot fail. Thus, the faith of the Christian has power, because the object of our faith is all-powerful. True Christian faith never fails because the object of our faith never fails!
The second temptation questioned the government of God. “Ye shall not surely die” (). Satan planted the idea that disobedience to God was not really a serious matter, that it would not have the adverse result that God had said it would.
The third temptation questioned the goals of God. “God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil” (). This most terrible slander of all suggested that God was selfish and jealous, that He was deliberately refusing to allow man to attain full maturity.
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
In this struggle in the garden of Eden, Eve threw away the only weapon she had: the Word of God. The result? She was deceived, lost her faith in God, and was pierced by Satan’s fiery darts. Adam followed her into sin. His sin was more deliberate—downright disobedience—but its root was the same unbelief. He saw his beloved wife in her fallen condition and, instead of trusting God to work out her salvation, he deliberately followed her into sin. He too questioned the goodness of God, the government of God, and the goals of God.
Satan presented the same temptations to the Lord Jesus—the second man, the last Adam—in the wilderness. Satan said, “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (). The Lord had been on a forty-day fast, so He was desperately hungry. Satan was suggesting that God the Father was withholding an entitlement from Jesus and that He should take matters into His own hands and use the power inherent in His sonship to change His God-given circumstances. Satan was challenging the goodness of God.
The second temptation followed the same pattern. Having taken the Lord to a pinnacle of the temple, Satan urged, “Cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee” (). Satan tempted Jesus to question and challenge the government of God. Satan was saying, “Cast Yourself down. You will not die. God would not let that happen to You. To put God to the test is no serious matter.”
The third temptation, in keeping with the others, challenged the goals of God. Satan showed the Lord all the kingdoms of the world and offered them to Him—on Satanic terms. Satan was slanderously insinuating that God was jealous and selfishly keeping Jesus from kingdoms that were rightfully His.
The shield of faith rebuffed Satan at every point and quenched his fiery darts. To each tempting suggestion, Jesus replied with a verse of Scripture. He simply fell back on the Word of God and thereby demonstrated His unequivocal faith in God.
Our faith in God should be so alive and robust that we never question the circumstances in which we find ourselves, the limitations He has placed on us, or His right to dictate the terms of our lives. We never question the goodness of God. We never doubt His government. Because of our faith we shrink from sin because it offends Him, grieves His heart, and inevitably brings into our lives the consequences He says it will. We never question God’s goals either. If He has not yet brought us into the kingdom, we believe that one day He will. The place, the process, and the time period are all in His purposes. Such faith effectively quenches Satan’s darts.[1]
Text: .
Simply defined, faith is belief and trust. It is believing God and trusting God. Both elements must be present to make faith.
Introduction:
We are well acquainted with the Christian's armor as given in . For successful warfare we must put on the whole armor of God, because". . we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
I want to call your attention to one piece of the armor carried by the Christian-the shield of faith. The shield that Paul had in mind here is not the small, round buckler, but the oblong, door-like shield, measuring 4' x 2 ', curved to the shape of the body and carried by the Greek and Roman soldiers. When joined together, these large shields formed a wall behind which a body of troops could hide themselves from the rain of the enemy's missiles.
These military shields were made of wood, covered on the out- side with thick leather, which not only deadened the shock of the missile, but protected the frame of the shield from the fire-tipped darts used in the artillery of the ancients.
So, faith is the shield of the Christian soldier, defending him from the fierce attacks of the foe from within and without. The shield of faith is able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. This shield cannot be pierced or destroyed by the fiercest fires of hatred or malice. The arrows of the evil one, though flaming with cruelty, are stopped by the shield and extinguished.
By the help of the Lord, I want to strengthen your faith. I want you to go from this building feeling stronger in faith than when you entered.
There are so many things which work to destroy our faith in God. The skepticism and the doubts voiced by an unbelieving world are often used by Satan to shake the faith of the best of God's people.
Again, the unfaithful lives of Christians are often used by the Devil to wreck faith. Therefore, we need to know some very simple but fundamental things about faith and what it can do for us.
I. WHAT IS FAITH?
Simply defined, faith is belief and trust. It is believing God and trusting God. Both elements must be present to make faith.
It was a good answer that was once given by a poor woman to a minister who asked her, "What is faith?" She replied, "I'm ignorant, and I cannot answer well, but I think it is taking God at His Word."
Faith is the foundation of all Christian graces.
Faith is the foundation of all Christian graces.
Dr. Arthur Pink says, "The beginning of faith is faith in the beginning."
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
heb 11.1
There is no true faith that does not begin at recognition of God as Creator.
There is no true faith that does not begin at recognition of God as Creator. We must believe that before we can believe anything else.
We must believe that before we can believe anything else.
After the acceptance of God, we must accept the way for coming to God.
No one can come to God except through Jesus Christ. This must be accepted by faith.
After salvation, it is necessary that we walk and work by faith. Someone may be asking even now, "How can I get faith, and how can my faith be increased?"
romans
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
The beginning, progress and strength of faith are by hearing. God gives faith, but it is by the Word as the instrument.
This answer is given us in , "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." The beginning, progress and strength of faith are by hearing. God gives faith, but it is by the Word as the instrument.
If we are to have faith, we must hear and believe His Word.
It is not hearing the enticing words of man's wisdom, but the Word of God which will increase faith. And how must we hear it? We must hear it as the Word of God.
Believe the Word, read the Word, hear the Word is the way for faith to increase. Read His precious promises and rest upon them. There is no other way to get faith but this way.
WHAT FAITH DOES NOT DO
There are disappointed and disillusioned Christians all about us because they misinterpreted the working of faith.
As an example, I heard a man say not too long ago, "Since I became a Christian, it seems that everything has gone wrong. We have had sickness and suffering. I have lost my job. We have had much trouble, but through it all God has been good and has helped us."
Notice some things that faith does not do:
Does not shield from physical suffering. .
A. Does not shield from physical suffering. .
24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
Does not shield from loss of earthly possessions. I firmly believe that God does bless those who believe in Him and are honest with Him. I have seen this proven many times. But we do not put our faith in Christ and serve Him simply so that we can prosper in a material way.
Does not guarantee ease. Turn to , that great chapter of faith, and you will see that those whose names grace God's honor roll suffered much.
Moses, chosen of God, turned from the ease and luxury of Egypt, "choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season."
See--. How did they do this? Through faith in God.
Does not shield from grief. We will have grief in life, for death is all about us. Our loved ones will be separated from us. God does not promise anything else, for saints and sinners come to die. He does not say that we can simply have faith and live on in this life. Or that we can have faith and sustain the lives of others.
D. Does not shield from grief. We will have grief in life, for death is all about us. Our loved ones will be separated from us. God does not promise anything else, for saints and sinners come to die. He does not say that we can simply have faith and live on in this life. Or that we can have faith and sustain the lives of others.
These are some things that faith does not do. Now, may we turn to the positive side of the matter.
WHAT FAITH DOES
Faith saves. (,)
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Salvation is not by works; it is not by doing, but it is by believing. God has put salvation in such a place that it can be reached by all men.
Salvation is not by works; it is not by doing, but it is by believing. God has put salvation in such a place that it can be reached by all men.
Faith justifies ()
1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
When we are justified, we are made right in the sight of God.
When we are justified, we are made right in the sight of God.
In the same passage, , the apostle speaks again and again of standing, being steadfast in our warfare. It is faith that makes us steadfast when the battle is raging hot. It is faith that gives us the courage to stand when the flesh desires to run.
Compare ; The shield will be sufficient to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one.
D. Faith strengthens. (). When we have faith in God, no task is too hard. God has the power for our lives, if we will tie on to Him. In ourselves we can do nothing; through Him we can do all things.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
E. Faith sings. When I mentioned a moment ago the many hardships that Christians can expect in this life, I did not exaggerate one bit. That is the common portion of man. But I want to emphasize this: though we have physical suffering, loss of possessions, hardships and grief, we can have a song in our hearts in the midst of the darkest night.
It was faith that made Paul sing at the midnight hour. They were not singing because they feared the darkness or the hand of the Roman government. They sang because their hearts were full of faith and they knew that God was with them. Take this motto for your life: "Rejoice evermore." Rest on the promises. Rejoice in the Lord.
Are you Using the Shield of Faith?
I have faith in the willingness of Christ to save anyone who will receive Him as Saviour. Whether that person be in the heart of Africa or in our own city, His promise is, ". . him that cometh unto me, I will in no wise cast out."
We can have faith in the power of Christ to save to the utter-most. "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
In , we read, "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. "It is a joy to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ and to know that He is able to save. I would not want to preach if there were a doubt in my mind regarding His power.
Therefore, it is my faith in the blessed Saviour which sends me into the field to preach and witness. "Above all, taking the shield of faith Friend without Christ, His promises are true. He will save you now, if you will only believe. Not a fiery dart of the wicked has ever pierced the shield of faith. No one has ever been lost who has stood behind that shield. It is yours today for the taking.
According to Verses 10-13 the saints of God are engaged in a great cosmic battle against a powerful, relentless enemy. Our enemy is “the devil,” v 11. He attacks us by using his “wiles,” v. 11. He employs “tricks, schemes, and methods” to undermine our faith, and to attack the glory of God.
God desires that we be able to “stand” against the attacks of the enemy, vvs. 11, 13, 14. To “stand” means “to hold a critical position during a time of enemy attack.” Biblical standing is the image of “a soldier refusing to yield even one inch of ground to an attacking foe.” It is the image of a soldier on the defensive, protecting the ground that has already been taken from the enemy.
God has blessed His people by giving us some very precious things.
• We have truth.
• We have His church.
• We have His Word.
• We have His grace.
• We have His salvation.
• We have His blessing.
• We have so much more too.
The problem is, our enemy, the devil, does not want us to have the things we have been given by the Lord. He will do everything in His power to strip all those things away from us. What he can’t take away from us, he will so everything in his power to nullify. If he can’t take it, he wants to strip it of its power in our lives.
If we would keep what we have in the Lord, we are going to have to “stand” and hold the precious ground we have been given.
If we are going to “stand,” we must “put on the whole armor of God.” We have already examined The Belt Of Truth, The Breastplate Of Righteousness, and The Boots Of Peace.
• The Belt Of Truth speaks of a life that is built upon faithfulness to the Word of God and to the God of the Word. It speaks of our being truth in both our testimony and in our living. This “belt of truth” gives the believer stability so that they are enabled to stand. The “belt of truth” also provides a place for the other pieces of the armor to rest. Without the “belt of truth” the soldier of God will find the other pieces of the armor useless. Unless our lives and testimonies are rooted in, and lived out in truth, we will not be able “to stand in the evil day.”
• The Breastplate Of Righteousness speaks of a holy life. It speaks of a life that is lived in conformity to the Word of God. A holy life is a powerful defense against the attacks of the enemy. When we allow sin to dwell in our lives, we give Satan a “beachhead” from which he can attack us and exploit us, . Sin give Satan the ammunition he needs to assail the glory of God, and to destroy and devastate our testimonies and reputations. Personal holiness closes the door to Satan, and it protects us from him when he attacks us.
• The Boots Of Peace speak about our foundation in Jesus. When our “feet are shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace,” it means that we saved by grace and we know it. Nothing can change our minds. Satan may try and cause us to doubt, but when we wear The Boots Of Peace, we are sure and secure in our salvation, and we cannot be moved. This, we become a hard target for the enemy and his attacks. Furthermore, The Boots Of Peace give us such confidence in what the Lord has done for us that we want others to know about it too. So, we share the good news of the Gospel with those who do not know the Lord in the hopes they will come to know Him too!
The next piece of armor we want to study is The Buckler Of Faith. The Bible says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Let’s see why this piece of the armor is so important that the Lord would say that we are to have it “above all.”
IV. V. 16 THE BUCKLER OF FAITH
I. HOW THE SHIELD OF FAITH IS DESIGNED
“Shields” were very important to the Roman soldier. There were several kinds of shields in use by the Romans during that time period. Two of those kinds were the most commonly used.
• One was a small, round shield that was secured to the soldier’s arm by two leather straps. This shield was used to parry the trusts of an enemy blade in hand-to-hand combat. This small, lightweight shield is not the one referred to here.
• The word used here is, “thureos.” It comes from the word “thura,” which means door. Thus, the “thureos” was a large, door shaped shield.
• These shields were about four and a half feet high and two and a half feet wide. This shield was designed to cover the entire body of the soldier. This was possible because men in the First Century were much smaller than men are today.
• The shield was usually made of a solid piece of wood, covered wither with metal or heavy oiled leather. A man could put his entire body behind it as it absorbed the javelins and arrows of the enemy. In the case of flaming arrows, very often the arrow would snuff out as it buried itself in the thickness of the shield. During battles these great shields would often bristle with smoking arrows like porcupines.
• The shield was curved along its length to provide some protection to the soldier’s sides.
• The shields were protected by a leather cover until they were needed for battle.
• The shield was one of the most important pieces of armor possessed by the Roman soldier.
When Roman soldiers went into battle, those carrying the larger shields marched in the vanguard of the army. They marched side by side with their shield’s together. The Romans called this a “phalanx.”
Often, when the Romans faced their enemies, the ranks of soldiers which followed the first rank would raise their shields over their heads. They would butt their shields against those of the first rank. With the shields of the first rank soldiers held side by side and with the following rows holding their shields over their heads, the Romans presented their enemies with an impenetrable barrier.
Arrows, swords, and spears were useless against the Roman phalanx. Any missiles thrown by the enemy would fall harmlessly to the ground. At times, the Romans phalanx was as much as a mile wide.
I. How The Shield Of Faith Is Designed
II. HOW THE SHIELD OF FAITH DESCRIBED
The “faith” Paul refers to here is not the “body of Christian belief.” He is not referring to the doctrines we believe. He is referring to simple “faith” in God. This “faith” refers to the belief in Jesus Christ that brings salvation. It also speaks of our daily faith in Jesus that leads to blessing, daily provision, and strength for the journey. This kind of “faith” is simple faith in Jesus. Simple trust in the Lord that saves us, grounds us, strengthens us, calms us, grows us, establishes us, etc.
• We can’t be saved apart from faith in God. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,” .
• Our entire Christian life is built upon, and sustained by, a consistent believing that God is, and that He blesses those who place their faith in Him. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,” .
Faith in Jesus is far and above the everyday faith we practice when we climb into our car and head down the road, or when we drive over a bridge. Our faith is only as good as the object of that faith. When our faith is in Jesus Christ, and God the Father, our faith is in Someone Who cannot fail. Thus, the faith of the Christian has power, because the object of our faith is all-powerful. True Christian faith never fails because the object of our faith never fails!
The “shield of faith” is necessary because it provides us with our connection to the Lord. It is also necessary because it protects us from the enemy who desires to slay us.
I. How The Shield Of Faith Is Designed
II. How The Shield Of Faith Is Described
III. HOW THE SHIELD OF FAITH IS DEPLOYED
The Bible says that “the shield of faith” will enable us to “quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” In ancient times, the tips of arrows would be wrapped in pieces of cloth that had been soaked in pitch. This would then be set on fire and shot at the enemy. When the arrow hit its target, the flaming pitch would splatter in every direction, igniting everything flammable it touched. Arrows could cause damage by piercing bodies. The pitch could cause serious burns in their skin, and it could burn their equipment and gear.
The Roman “thureus” shield would provide and adequate defense against these fiery missiles. If the shield was metal, the arrow and its fiery tip would be deflected. If the shield was leather, it would be soaked in water prior to the battle, and the wet leather would quench the fiery arrows and protect the soldier behind the shield.
Every day the saints of God are assailed by the “fiery darts” of the devil. The arrows he launches against us are usually the arrows of temptation. The enemy assaults us with temptations to immorality, hatred, envy, anger, covetousness, envy, fear, despair, distrust, doubt, pride, and every other conceivable sin. Satan comes against us, continually attacking us, and tempting us to sin. The “fiery darts” of temptation have the potential to inflict great damage on our lives, but the “shield of faith” has the power to quench all the devil’s fiery darts!
We all have lusts within us which are easy to ignite. All that is needed is the tiniest flame and we are a roaring fire. So we are assaulted with hot shafts of sensuality, foul, diseased arrows of degrading passions, smoking arrows of materialism.
And we burn so easily! As the arrows fly toward us, our rationalizations come so naturally: “If God didn't want me to have this, then why did he make me with such a desire for this thing, this person, this pleasure? My neighbor has it. He does it. And he is doing so well…”
We’re really good at justifying sin, aren’t we? We marry a lost person, and try to justify it by talking about how much we love the other person. We gossip, and we justify it by talking about how concerned we are about the person. We do ten thousand other things and try to justify them in countless ways. In the end, it all comes down to the same thing. When we sin, and try to justify that sin, we are guilty of doing Satan’s will over the Lord’s will. That is never anything but sin!
But then comes God's Word:
• “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s,” .
• “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit,” .
• “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things,” .
As we believe God's Word, the shield flies up and the arrows fall to ashes. It is as C.S. Lewis said: “We must pray for the gift of Faith, for the power to go on believing not in the teeth of reason but in the teeth of lust.”
Satan desires to defeat us, that is very clear. His primary means of accomplishing that getting us to sin. When we sin, we do so because we have come to believe that sin can provide something for us that God cannot provide. Sin is always rooted in doubt of the goodness of God’s character. When we sin, we doubt God. When we doubt God, we disbelieve God, , which in effect, says God is a liar and can’t be trusted to do what He said He would do.
So, Satan causes us to doubt God by leading us to sin against God, and by causing us to justify our sin against God. When we fall into this trap, we are guilty of degrading God’s character and elevating the devil’s. No good can come from that.
In the Garden of Eden Satan launched his first “fiery dart.” He tempted Eve to doubt God and to distrust the Word of the Lord. Since then, the devil has lit every arrow he fires at the people of God from the same fire. He tempts us in the same manner in which he tempted Eve then. He tempts us all according to the same pattern. That pattern is found in . It is also found in , which says, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
Interestingly enough, the Lord Jesus, when He was tempted by the devil in , was attacked with the very same “fiery darts.” Jesus deflected the way Eve should have. The Lord Jesus deflected the devil’s darts the way we should deflect them. Jesus deflected them with the Word of God.
If we would stand for the Lord against the attacks of “the wicked,” which refers to the devil, then we must stand against him holding up the “shield of faith.” We must lift the Word of God together and stand side-by-side creating an impenetrable wall that Satan cannot defeat with his scheming.
The Word of God, the truth of God, is what we must have if we would see the “fiery darts” of the enemy quenched.
• “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar,” .
• “As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him,” .
• “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith,” .
Conc: So, what is “the shield of faith?” “The shield of faith” is simple trust in God. It is taking Him at His Word, and believing Him in all things. It is putting Him and His will ahead of everything else in life. So that when Satan launches his “fiery darts” at us, we are able to hold up “the shield of faith,” and what them all fall harmlessly to the ground.
When we trust God, we can stand against all the attacks of the enemy. “The shield of faith” is more than a piece of armor to be taken out for our protection when needed. “The shield of faith” is what makes the Christian life possible. The Lord says, “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith,” . This kind of faith is the very lifeblood of the believer.
“The shield of faith,” which is simple childlike faith and trust in the Lord, is a shield that the arrows of Satan cannot penetrate. That shield will protect you here. And, like the ancient Roman soldiers who were slain in battle, and carried off the field on their shields, the shield of faith will carry you home to glory and bring you into the presence of the Lord!
Do you stand protected by “the shield of faith?” Are you rooted and rounded in the truth and ready for the attacks of the enemy? If there are needs in this area, let’s come talk to the Lord about them now.
I. The Belt Of Truth
II. The Breastplate Of Righteousness
III. The Boots Of Peace