Shield of Faith

Title: The Battle Continues

Background/Context:

We have been moving through Ephesians and last week Jeremy challenged us on the Gospel of Peace.

Paul is writing this letter to Christ-followers in Ephesus while he is in a prison in Rome. He likely sees a Roman solder everyday that is dresses with all the pieces of armament that we have been describing. Ephesians 3:1 and 6:20 remind us that Paul is a prisoner.

Reminder that all of the armor is needed. Reread Ephesians 6:13 “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6:11 says it also, “Put on the full armor of God” why? “so that you can take your stand”.

Message Title: The Battle Continues

Do you believe you are in a battle? One of the issues that challenges us in our culture is that many of us really don’t think we are in a battle. If we do think we are in a battle it is easy to focus only on the physical or cultural side. We see the physical world and any thought or idea of a spiritual or supernatural world is hard to believe.

Paul lived in a culture that was anti-Christian. Jesus, his disciples and many of his followers where killed or exiled. Paul cuts through all the noise of his culture to help his readers and us see there is a battle, there is an enemy, who it is and how we can win. It is easy to see the physical things so our enemy can become our neighbor, co-worker, boss, family member or someone else.

Christ-followers could have easily seen Nero as the enemy. He did terrible things and then blamed the Christians for it. It was have been easy for Paul to stay our enemy is the state, Nero, Rome, etc but he doesn’t. He says our enemy is no flesh and blood but the powers in the supernatural world. The first 30 years the church suffered at the hands of the jewish leaders and the second 30 years the church suffered at the hand of the state (Nero). He was the one who was So we can easily ignore it. We must be as scripture says wise and serpents and innocent as doves.

Our enemy can work through physical things but in the end he is our enemy, not the people or the institution in this world. If we truly believe the gospel then we must believe that none of us are beyond the reach of the grace and forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

We must be careful not to believe that the devil is behind every issue we face but we also must be aware that he is at work in this world, in this community, your family and in your own soul.

Text: Ephesians 6:16

Ephesians 6:16 NLT

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

Prayer

Main Point or Theme:

There are 3 things you need to know if you are going to continue in this battle. you have an adversary, you will be shot at and the shield of faith will protect you.

You have an Adversary (enemy)

Illustration:

Every superhero film as a villain or adversary. Whether it is Avengers, Star Wars, Superman or the Matrix; each superhero film has an adversary. The #1 grossing superhero film of all time is Avengers: Endgame. The film is filled with superheros that have joined together to take on the most powerful adversary of all; Thanoes (Picture). This villain like most has a back story that is complicated as he sees what he is doing as helping. We don’t just see this in films but culturally we see this to be true as well. A quick study of any countries history and you will see a list of that countries enemies.

Teaching:

Pastor Jeremy worked backwards through the verse last week so I am going to do the same this week. The end of verse 16 we are reminded that we have an enemy, which is known as the “evil one” in the ESV. Jesus spoke several times about the adversary in the gospels; in Matthew 13:38-39

Matthew 13:38–39 NLT

The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.

he explains through a parable that this evil one is the devil.

Scripture has several names for this adversary: Dragon (Rev 20:2), a serpent (Rev 12:9), the evil one (John 17:25, Eph. 6:16), a tempter (Matt 4:3;1 Thess 3:5), the accuser/satan (Job 1:6-12; Matt 4:10), the devil (Matthew 4:1-11) and he prowls like a lion (1 Peter 5:8).

The word “satan” simply means “to oppose as an adversary”. Jesus used it this way when he confronts Peter in Matthew 16:23 say to peter, “get behind me, satan”. In that sense anyone of us can be a satan when we oppose the things of God.

We must be careful that any understanding we believe and communicate about the devil are rooted in scripture not our culture or what feels good.

Example: One of the early church fathers, Bishop Irenaeus in the 2nd century, linked heretics to members of Satan’s army, which may have led to justification for the holy wars, crusades and the persecution of heretics and non-Christians.

At the beginning of the NT and Jesus’ ministry, Satan and Jesus have direct conflict as Jesus is lead into the wilderness to be tested (Matthew 4:1-11). This temptation is over come through a reliance on Scripture. If Jesus who was 100% God and 100% man needed scripture to over come the devils temptation; how much more do you and I need to rely on it in our daily life?

Application:

You and I have an enemy. We as a church have an enemy. The enemy does not like when you take intentional steps close to God. Then enemy does not like when we as a church are gathering together to bring glory to God, repent of sin and impacting the kingdom. A church or people that aren’t on mission are of little concern to the devil.

You will be shot at

Illustration:

Pheasant Hunting. Being shot at its fun even if it is unintentional. I now hunt with a little more heightened awareness. I am mindful of my surroundings. I know where others are at.

Teaching

We are told that the evil one is shooting flaming arrows at us in verse 16. Remember Paul is writing this letter to Christ-followers in Ephesus and is telling them that they will be shot at. These Christians and Paul where all keenly aware of persecution. Paul had been taken to court and nearly stoned to death in a couple communities. Nero was persecuting christians at well. His audience was aware that they were being shot at.

The devil will be shooting at you. His weapon of choice is a flaming arrow. Arrows are different than bullets in that typically they take alot more time to do their damage. I haven’t bow hunted before but I know that to do it successfully you need to get close to your target.

This isn’t just an arrow, it is a flaming arrow. So this weapon has one, two punch. The impact of the arrow is the first wound but the fire is the second. When the enemy shots at you there are likely a couple points of impact.

The arrows that get shot at you are unique because they are directed specifically at you. Not your neighbor, friend or coworker but you.

Story of Landon and I planting and clearing branches to make the prefect trap for us to be able to shoot a buck.

So he likely isn’t going to waste his time tempting you with lust if your weak spot is gossip. If your weak spot is anger he will sow seeds in your life that will make it easy for this to happen. Though this is true I don’t want you to be discouraged. There is hope.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT

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.

c. Application:

Paul tells us the enemy will shoot flaming arrows at us. This will happen to every believer. We will all be shots at by the enemy. The devil knows your weak spots and will leverage things for his benefit.

I have found when the enemy is shooting arrows at me. I can find myself doubting a lot. Others, God, his plan, his timing and his purpose. When this happens the flaming arrows that sink into my heart and soul are anger, frustration, bitterness and jealousy. Saying things to myself like: God has forgot me. God doesn't care. God is angry with me. If god truly loved me he would do__________. Our maybe I say things like “why do I always struggle with this sin”? I am a failure. I am bad. I am not worth anything. The list can go on. For me I can easily forget the things that God has told me in the light.

So what arrows have been shot at you this past week? DO you know? Can you identify them? I find that it is always easier to see other peoples weak spots them my own.

Temptation, Doubt, anger, frustration, pride, despair, fear, guilt, shame, confusion, deception, discouragement, depression, hopelessness, greed, lust, presumption, stubbornness, laziness, suspicion, jealousy, hate, wrath, discord, conflict.

Paul gives us a solution at the beginning of this verse with how we can defend against the flaming arrows of the evil. He says it is faith.

You have a Shield of Faith

Illustration:

Jumping off the diving board into the deep end. Trusting dad would catch and having faith to actually jump. The trust has to be met with an action of doing to be truly faith. Farmers and seed in the ground.

Teaching:

Shield specifics: The shield which Paul is talking about would have been about 4-and-a-half-foot tall and 2 feet wide and would have been made of wood (picture). One commentary states, “Burning arrows were designed to destroy wooden shields and other defenses, but the shield of faith is able to extinguish the devil’s attacks”.

The root word in greek for this shield is where we get the word door. I like this because when I think about a door i see an action part to it. I can choose to open or close a door. There is a choice and action

The shield that we believers have to extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one is Faith.

So what is Faith? Seems simple enough. Belief in Jesus. This is true but there is more if the shield is going to function like it should.

Hebrews 11:1-2 in the message give us a picture of faith saying “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see. The act of faith is what distinguished our ancestors, set them above the crowd.”

This kind of faith is a faith in Jesus which causes every other thing in life to be understood and done by. The faith that Paul is describing is a conviction and requires an action. The conviction that Paul is referring to is a deep trust in Jesus Christ and the action is how that trust gets lived out in everyday life is the faith that Paul is talking about.

So for example if I say I trust Jesus but functionally I am stressing our about all the things going on around me I am really not excersizing faith practically. I don’t know what it will look like for each of you other than the faith that Paul is telling to hold up will impact not just our minds but our actions. There will be an action part to it. Faith is saying YEs to Jesus to, but it is also repeatedly saying yes to his ways and having faith that what he has said he will do in this life or the next.

It is the deep faith that centers a parent who’s child are rejecting the faith. It is a deep faith that guides a grandparent to continually pray for their grandchildren year after year. It is a deep faith that guides a student to be-friend the bully at school because he knows he is hurting. It is a deep faith that guide us to take the next step not knowing what will happen but trusting that Jesus is who he said and will be with you through whatever comes. It is a faith that doesn’t blame God when things don’t go my way.

So because you believe in Jesus you have faith that one day you will be with him in heaven.

So because you trust is the gospel you know that he will care for you as he cares for the birds of the air.

Because you believe in Jesus you know there is nothing you can do to separate you from his love.

Because you have said yes to Jesus you know that your good dead don’t get to you heaven only Jesus death on the cross does.

Because you believe in Jesus you know he is God and you are not and you can rest in the fact that you aren’t prefect.

Because you believe in Jesus you can serve and lead out of weakness and vulnerability because you know are not concern with mans approval.

Faith is not just and intellectual excursive of saying you believe and trust in God. Faith is an action that in the face of hardship, difficulty or trouble that you remember and cling to the truths of God. God is good (even when those around be aren’t). God hasn’t forgotten about me. God does love me (even when i don’t love myself).

It is your faith which is going to save you from the flaming arrows. Trusting in the person of Jesus, his life, death and resurrection should impact all other areas of your life. There should not be a secular and sacred divide. All things that you and I face each and everyday need to be touched by your belief and trust that Jesus is who he said he is. That his death truly did pay for your and mine sins and that if we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ we will be saved. Not just from a place of pain and suffering but also to a life that that faith in Jesus impacts and influences every issue, challenge hardship that comes are way. So that as we hard face the lose of a loved one, or as we are face a lawsuit, or as we are facing gossip, as we are facing job loss, as we are facing whatever the world or the enemy throws at us will will see it through the lens of the faith we have in Jesus Christ. There is no sacred or secular. It is all sacred. It all has the possibility to be seen through the lens of the cross.

Application

One commentator says, “the Romans had a system of locking these large shields together for their corporate defence against their enemies and for attack”. (Picture) This is helpful to protect against the barrage of flaming arrows

Linking yourself with other Christians will provide you with more protection just like a when two shields are linked together. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” When we link ourselves with other believers their faith can encourage us. It is ok to lean on another persons faith.

Paul is tell us to “take up” the shield of faith. If I truly believe the gospel, Gospel Explained; then I should act, do, say, trust, think, believe and relate in a way that matches the truth of the gospel. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 16:24 that “if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”. “Taking up” is used the same way in both verses. To take up your shield of faith will look different for each of us; but it is critical for us to do if we are going to extinguish the flaming arrrows.

When the darts of the enemy start to fly in (anger, temptations, discouragements, fears, avoidance, etc) Paul is saying there is a faith action that will shield you from those impact of those arrows.

Conclusion

Verse 13 tells us to take up the “whole armor of God, that you may be able to with stand the evil day”. Ephesians 5:16 tells us to make the “best use of the time, because the days are evil”. Each and every day you will need to take up the shield of faith in some way shape or form. Tomorrow at work, at home, in the shop, with the family, etc…

I don’t know what this will be for you but I can say there will be some sort of faith action required for you to deflect the enemies arrows .

This doesn’t mean that every challenge you face is an arrow of the enemy but there a good chance the majors one are.

Stop, look at the situation, get council and take up the shield of faith.

1 John 4:4 NLT

But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.