Spiritual Warfare 5
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The Shield of Faith
The Shield of Faith
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
INRTO:
I. Take up the Shield of Faith:
Above all: OG “Besides these” He is saying, in addition to these: Truth, Righteousness, Gospel of peace. There is another part of the Armor. The shield of Faith.
a. Up until now, Paul's description of the armor of God has been limited to items we wear. Having put on the belt, having put on the breastplate, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
b. Each one is something you wear. But the shield of faith, you have to take up yourself. If you are a Christian (ELAB) you have have. It’s up to you to use it. You have to take it up. Two parts of the armor of God that you hold on too. The shield of faith and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.
c. Elab the Roman solider. Grid his belt, put on the breastplate, shod, or strap on his shoes. But when it came to his shield, he would grab hold of it and take it with him.
d. For us, Paul calls it the shield of faith.
Faith: Without faith it is impossible to please him.
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
c. Faith is putting your trust in God word. God’s word is the truth. VS 14 “Having girded your waist with the truth”
d. Truth (in Gods’ word) and faith go together. (Cement, concert)
Elab when Peter catches fish.
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
e. Peter had fished all night, and had nothing to show for it. Jesus, lets go back out and let down the lets. Peter says, we fished all night to the point of exhaustion. To Peter this didn’t make since. Faith is following Gods word even when it doesn’t make since.
f. For Peter, it didn’t feel right. Faith is not a feeling. Faith is doing things even when when it doesn’t feel right. Satan is a master of messing with your emotions.
But he says. “Nevertheless, at your word I will let down the net”
g. The results, more fish then he could handle. All because he acted on what Jesus said.
h. That is what we have to do with our faith. You don’t understand, you may not agree, it just doesn’t seem right. But, because Gods word say so, you act on it.
Peter and the 11 were in a boat on a stormy night. Jesus comes walking to them. Elab the story.
How was Peter able to walk on the water? Faith. There were 11 others men in the boat. Why didn’t they walk on the water? They had the faith, they just didn’t use it.
j . Have you ever said this? I wish I had more faith. You all the faith you need, you just have to use it.
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
a. You do need more faith, you just have to act on the truth and hold up and hold onto the shield of faith.
b. Peter acting on the faith he had, but what happened to Peter? He started sinking into the water when the waves and and felt the wind. He focused on the situation and not Jesus. When he stepped onto the water he held up his shield, but the winds and the waves caused him to let down his shield.
(Lets get back to the shield)
Having: girded, having put on, having shod.
The shield is different. Paul tells us that the shield is something we must take up, something we are required to take up.
Ealb on what the shield looked like. It was for protection.
II. Protection of the shield of faith.
16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Who do we need protection from? “Wicked one”
VS 10-13
Fiery darts: The infantry, the foot solider would be in the front lines of the battle. The archers would be in the back with their bows and arrows. (Maybe some the the solders told Paul some stories)
There were times when you can the attack of the fiery darts are coming. Others times they come by surprise.
a. They dip the arrows tow, pitch, some type of tare type of material. Image being a solider and you see 100’s of flaming arrows in the air. They take up their shied of get behind it for protection.
b. A shield would guard the solider. While a physical shield protects us physically, faith can protect our spiritual lives even in the middle of physical trials.
c. A shield deflects. Satan is always hurling his fiery darts of fear: Words word, the truth, tells us over and over, Fear not, don’t be afraid. So when Satan start shooting those fiery darts of doubt your way. Take up the shield of faith. The truth that goes with it.
6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
6 The Lord is on my side;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
d. Doubt:
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
a. He put doubt in her mind.
b. Satan will put shoot the fiery darts of doubt at you. Take up the shield of faith.
24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
c. When there is doubt there is unbelief.
Worry:
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
d. He is going to be shooting those fiery darts at you. But the only time they can hit us is when we let our shield of faith down- When we stop believing that God is in control; that He is working everything out for our good;
e. The shield of faith will “quench” extinguish.
e. We all should want victory over the devil. God gives you the shield to take up, and when you take it you, you will have victory.
f. We have take hold of your faith and hang on to it.