Faith | Ephesians 6:16

PRELIMINARIES

LOBBY CHAT

Martha’s tubing

New piano

Wall decals

PRAYER

Justice & unity in our nation

Purity & truth in our churches

Gospel furtherance

Our brothers and sisters in Christ

REVIEW

In our text, we are told to:

Be strong in the Lord

Stand with God’s armor

Supplicate with saints

We will see God’s resources for us include:

God Himself

Truth

Righteousness

Gospel of Peace

Faith

Assurance of Salvation

Word of God

Prayer

Church

Ephesians 6:10–16 KJV

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For 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. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

SHIELD OF FAITH

A Roman shield, or Scutum, is a must for fighting within a battle with your legion.

3 bonded wood strips

linen or leather cover

bronze rim on outside edges

Leather absorbed and extinguished arrows dipped in pitch and enflamed

Faith is an absolute necessity for becoming and living as a Christian.

BIBLICAL FAITH

Reliance upon, trust in, and faithfulness to God and His Word

Active trust and belief displayed through obedience to God and His Word

Focus moves from OT trust in the unseen Jehovah or Yahweh to NT faith and submission to Jesus, God in the flesh.

What Biblical Faith Is Not

Simply believing something

Warm aspirations

Blind loyalty

A “shot in the dark”

Isolated from God & His Word

Ephesians 6:16 KJV

16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Above all: over all; on top of each of the other pieces; possibly most importantly

shield of faith: trust in Jesus and His Gospel of deliverance, beyond saving faith—living faith

quench: put out, extinguish (shields covered in leather to quench the fire)

fiery darts of the wicked: flaming weapons (temptations and attacks)

We cannot stand up on our own to the attacks of Satan and the grip of sin.

Satan does want to devour us.

1 Peter 5:8 KJV

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

“Fiery darts”: lies, blasphemous thoughts, hateful thoughts about others, doubts, and burning desires for sin, etc.

If we don’t quench these by faith, they will burn us. So, we need to walk by faith.

Faith turns our reliance from self to God—surrender.

Active faith extinguishes the temptations thrown at us by the satan.

Trusting God through the battle is the most important thing we can do! If we do not trust God, we will only end up fighting ourselves, giving in to the deceitful offers of the enemy, and receiving correction from God. Though we are weak, continual reliance upon God makes us strong.

Without faith, one will not only fail in battles with the satan, but also, they will fail to even enter into covenant relationship with God. Satan will win and overcome in their life.

As we previously stated, faith is not just belief. Actually, in the OT, faithfulness and trust were the expectations of God’s covenant with Israel.

Eternal relationship with God is only found in faithfulness to Him. Hold on, I will explain this further.

Let’s consider a brief overview of biblical faith in biblical narrative form.

Biblical Faith within Biblical Narrative

Faithful God creates mankind, who proves unfaithful.

Faithful God calls Israel to be faithful in blessed relationship with Him and to invite others into this relationship.

While having moments of faithfulness, Israel proves, as a whole, unfaithful to God.

Faithful God fulfills perfect human faithfulness in Jesus the Messiah.

Faithful God calls unfaithful Israel and all humans into faithfulness in Jesus.

Unfaithful sinners enter Jesus’s faithfulness by reliant faith in Jesus.

Faithful Jesus makes redeemed sinners eternally faithful to God.

That’s the covenant of faith to which we are called in Christ Jesus.

True faithfulness to God can only be found in Christ.

It begins and continues with saving faith.

Saving Faith

Genesis 15:6 KJV

6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Romans 1:16–17 KJV

16 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. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Faithfulness of God to those who turn with faith in Jesus and live out and share their faith with others.

The just live by faith in the faithfulness of God through Christ.

John 20:30–31 KJV

30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

God has been faithful to demonstrate and direct us to the proper object of our faith—Jesus.

Saving faith . . .

Faithfulness of the Redeemed in Christ

Hebrews is repeatedly encouraging believers to keep their faith in Jesus and continue in obedience to move on to spiritual maturity and reap the benefits.

The audience is told, “we” are not as those who turn back to destruction (judgment).

I believe the audience is saved but doubting. They receive five heated warnings of God’s judgment on “His people” who do not continue in belief.

A constant analogy is given of unbelieving Israel in the wilderness, most of which did not make it into the promise land—their spiritual maturity.

Note: Remember even Moses didn’t make it. I do not believe the Promise Land was analogous of heaven, but rather, spiritual maturity.

Hebrews 10:32–11:6 KJV

32 But call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions; 33 Partly, whilst ye were made a gazingstock both by reproaches and afflictions; and partly, whilst ye became companions of them that were so used. 34 For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. 35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. 37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. 38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. 39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2 For by it the elders obtained a good report. 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. 4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. 5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 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.

substance—foundation, confidence, title/deed

things hoped for—present and future promises of God

evidence—convincing proof to the believer

things not seen—entire spiritual and invisible world, kingdom of God

With active faith, we please, come to, and seek God diligently.

Faithfulness is the way of those in faithful Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:6–10 KJV

6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

The faithful in Christ live faithfully for the future promises and accountability they await by faith.

See how we will not be faithful if we do not have faith? Faith and faithfulness go together.

James 2:17–18 KJV

17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Faith is seen by the Christian’s faithfulness in Christ. Genuine faith in Christ produces works of Christ in the Christian.

Faithfulness of God to the Redeemed

Romans 8:28–39 KJV

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. 31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? 32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. 34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Mutual Faithfulness to Which We Are Called

Proverbs 3:5–10 KJV

5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he shall direct thy paths. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, And marrow to thy bones. 9 Honour the Lord with thy substance, And with the firstfruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

CONCLUSION

Faith in Jesus and faithfulness found in Him gives us shield-like protection against the attacks of the devil.

Trust in God’s Word as temptations come.

Depend on faithful God to enable you to be faithful amidst attack.

Don’t depend on your own strength or the world’s wisdom.

Have faith in faithful God.