Ephesians 6:16
“in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
We are well into the passage dealing with the spiritual armor. It’s purpose is to aid us in standing firm. Our battle is against the evil one. He is the one sending flaming arrows at us. I’ve seen many movies in which flaming arrows were employed. They destroy people and property. They can mortally wound or just wound. If they hit a structure, it can be burnt down.
Jesus compares our lives to houses (Matthew 7:24). A flaming arrow can destroy it. I can recall several times a suggestion sent my thinking in a downward spiral. The Lord came to my aid and rescued me. At that time I wasn’t using the shield of faith.
How would things have looked differently with this shield. I should have thought, “Lord, I don’t understand this. I believe You, but can’t reconcile this. Could You help me?” I shouldn’t have panicked. He came along and righted the ship. Answers came.
Our last entry here spoke of “the preparation of the gospel of peace”. We learned that God wants peace to reign in our hearts. Even when flaming arrows come, we are to have peace. The shield of faith helps with that. Our senses aren’t to be trusted in spiritual warfare. We see flaming arrow and get alarmed. Instead we should trust that God’s got in under control. Our faith tells us so. The toxic thought burns out.
Faith is far more than positive thinking. It takes God’s Word and stands on it. God loves us, He’ll protect us from the evil one, and so on. The bible is far more than concepts. It’s living and active (Hebrews 4:12). We see this illustrated in the parable of the sower (Luke 8). As we read and hear God’s Word, it’s implanted in our hearts and grows. As we tend it, healthy character and faith grow. It’s this faith, which is living comes through God and His Words. It’s not something man made.
So, when attacks come, the faith He’s built in us, trusts that it’ll work out. He will cause this to work out for the best.
Lord, thank You for the shield of faith. While our senses tell us to be alarmed, Your Word tells us to be at peace and the faith You work within us believes it.