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IN ADDITION TO ALL, TAKING UP
THE SHIELD OF FAITH: en pasin analabontes (AAPMPN) ton thureon tes
pisteos:
(Ge 15:1; Ps 56:3,4,10,11; Pr 18:10; 2Co 1:24; 4:16, 17, 18; Heb
6:17,18; 11:24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34; 1Pe 5:8,9; 1 Jn
5:4,5)
RELATED RESOURCES
ON SPIRITUAL WARFARE
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON
EPHESIANS 6:10-18...
Ephesians 6:10
Ephesians 6:11
Ephesians 6:12
Ephesians 6:13
Ephesians 6:14
Ephesians 6:15
Ephesians 6:16
Ephesians 6:17
Ephesians 6:18
EPHESIANS 6:10-18 BY WAYNE
BARBER
Ephesians 6:10:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 1
Ephesians 6:11:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 2
Ephesians 6:14:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 3
Ephesians 6:15,16 Spiritual
Warfare, Pt 4
Ephesians 6:17:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 5
Ephesians 6:12,13 Spiritual
Warfare, Pt 6
Ephesians 6:18:
Spiritual Warfare, Pt 7
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON THE
FALLEN FLESH
James 1:13
James 1:14
James 1:15
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON
RESISTING THE ROARING LION
Exposition of 1Peter 5:8
Exposition of 1Peter 5:9
VERSE BY VERSE EXPOSITION ON
THE BATTLE IN OUR MIND
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Exposition
MISCELLANEOUS
Cyberhymnal Hymns on Topic of
Spiritual Warfare
(scroll down)
2 Chronicles 20:1-25 Ambushing Satan with Song
- John Piper THE METAPHOR OF THE CHRISTIAN
SOLDIER
Soldier Illustrations
Exposition of 2 Timothy 2:3-4
Three Kinds of Soldiers - Ten Principles of
Warfare
Roman Soldier by Edward Gibbon
(Decline & Fall of Roman Empire)
The Roman Soldier - Description
from Jewish Historian Josephus
A Few Soldier Stories and Sermons
THE AMALEKITES: A PICTURE OF
PERSISTENT SPIRITUAL WARFARE
Jehovah
Nissi: Exposition of Exodus 17:8-16 In addition to
all - This phrase is variously translated - "Above all", "besides
all these", "with all these", "always, in all circumstances, at all
times".
Ray Stedman
opens his discussion of this section with a story...
A MAN NAMED THOMAS became a monk,
joined a monastery, and took a vow of silence. The only exception to the
vow was that, once every ten years, monks were allowed to make one
statement then the silence must resume for another decade. After his
first ten years in the monastery, Thomas was called into the study of
his superior, who said, "Brother Thomas, do you have anything to say?"
"The food is bad," the monk replied. Then he went back to his duties.
A decade passed. Again, Thomas was summoned to the study of his
superior. "Brother Thomas," said the superior, . "do you have anything
to say?"
"The bed is hard," the monk replied. Then he returned to his chores.
Another decade passed. Again, Thomas was called in before his superior.
"Brother Thomas," said the superior, "do you have anything to say?"
"I quit," the monk replied.
The superior frowned. "I'm not surprised. You've done nothing but
complain ever since you got here!"
Friend in Christ, there is nothing that more clearly indicates that we
have succumbed to the schemes of the devil than to complain about our
lot in life. Again and again, the Word of God shows that the mark of a
Christian who has learned how to be a Christian is that he rejoices in
everything and gives thanks in all things.
Understand, this does not mean that God expects us to enjoy every
circumstance in our lives! Nor does it mean that we should merely
pretend to rejoice in everything. There is nothing as ghastly as the
forced smile people put on and the superficial attitude they assume in
the midst of difficulties because they think this is what a Christian
ought to do. The truth of Scripture is that it is genuinely possible to
rejoice even through tears and pain and there is nothing that more
surely indicates that we have failed to understand what it means to be a
Christian than a whining, complaining, self-pitying attitude toward what
happens to us in life.
Do not be surprised at the devil's attack. Of course he attacks! That is
his character. That is his nature. Do not complain that you are being
treated unfairly. That is the nature of life--struggle, warfare, and
satanic attack.
Furthermore, God allows the devil to attack. This is the clear
revelation of Scripture. God permits these attacks because, for one
thing, we need them. We never would develop or grow properly if we were
not attacked in this manner--and this is what ultimately accomplishes
God's will for our lives.
The whole outworking of God's eternal plan could never be brought to
pass were it not that God permits the devil to operate within his
limited sphere of activity. Let us never forget that. God allows these
things to happen, and all the writers of Scripture agree on this. Peter
says, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are
suffering, as though something strange were happening to you" (1 Peter
4:12). And the Lord Jesus Himself said, "In this world you will have
trouble." But He goes on to add, "But take heart! I have overcome the
world!" (John 16:33).
But this is exactly the opposite of the way we frequently feel. When
attacked, we tend to think that something most unusual is happening to
us. No one has ever gone through what we are going through. No one has
had to undergo the depression of spirit we feel. But Paul says, "No
temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is
faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear" (1
Corinthians 10:13). So stop complaining about what happens. It is God's
will for you. Let us face that fact.
And instead of a fretful, peevish, whining attitude, let us do what the
Word of God says to do when these things occur: "Put on the full armor
of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."
There is no other way to handle the devil's attacks. There is no other
solution to these basic human problems. (Ray
Stedman. Spiritual Warfare
- Available online and highly recommended!)
Taking up (353)
(analambano
[word study]
from ana = up +
lambano = take) means literally to take up.
Depending on the context analambano can mean to cause to go up, to lift
up and carry away as in the Ascension of Christ (Acts 1:2, 11, 22), to
take up in order to carry (Acts 7:43, Eph 6:13, 16), to pick up (someone
to take along on a journey - 2Ti 4:11-note), to take aboard a ship (Acts
20:13, 14).
Taking up is in
the
active voice
indicating that each
believer make the choice to do this. We must choose to believe God, His
Word, His goodness, no matter what happens. In all things we must give
thanks and walk humbly in obedience with our God. That is "real time"
taking up of the shield of faith.
Proverbs 30:5
says that...
Every word of God is tested
(Smelted and purified = It is trustworthy! Lxx = puroo = made fiery hot
as used of metals in Re 1:15-note,
Re 3:18-note). He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. (Proverbs 30:5,
see KJV translation to help understand meaning Pr 30:5KJV or Pr 30:5YLT)
Comment: All the OT uses of
the verb tested - Jdg 7:4; 17:4; 2Sa 22:31; Neh 3:8, 32; Ps 12:6;
17:3; 18:30; 26:2; 66:10; 105:19; 119:140; Pr 25:4; 30:5; Isa 1:25;
40:19; 41:7; 46:6; 48:10; Jer 6:29; 9:7; 10:9, 14; 51:17; Da 11:35;
12:10; Zech 13:9; Mal 3:2, 3 - NAS renders tsaraph as
goldsmith(5), goldsmiths(2), pure(1), refine(3), refined(5),
refiner's(1), refining goes on(1), silversmith(2), smelt(1), smelter(2),
smith(1), test(2), tested(4), tried(2).
Take refuge
implies the place of refuge is a place to be trusted to keep one safe,
and thus pictures the hearer who is a doer of the word (Jas 1:22-note)
as one who confides in the God Who is revealed in His
tested, trustworthy Word (cp Joshua's testimony who had been given the
promises in Josh 1:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 with his last words -
Josh 23:14, cp Josh 21:45 - God had proved Himself faithful to His Word
in Joshua's experience - cp Nu 23:19). It is the one who puts their trust in Him. To
that person He is their shield, which parallels Paul's teaching on
picking up the shield of faith in Ephesians 6:16. The
Septuagint (LXX)
translates take refuge or trust
(Hebrew = chasah) with the Greek verb eulabeomai which means to
show reverent regard for. The verb eulabeomai is in the
present tense
which indicates that this person continually shows a reverence and
regard for the Word of grace (Act 20:32). Note that the English Word
reverence conveys the sense of profound respect mingled with love,
devotion, or awe!
Harry Ironside comments on Pr
30:5 writing "There are two great facts enunciated in these verses. The
first is the perfection of the Word of God and the second, the
all-sufficiency of that Word. The Scriptures, as a whole, are called the
Word of God. Any portion taken separately is a word, or saying, of God.
All Scripture is God-breathed; every part of it is divinely inspired. It
is therefore pure and perfect in itself (Ps 12:6-note,
Ps 19:7-note). All who rest on it find its
great Author is a shield from the enemy's assaults and a refuge for
their souls. He will be the protection of those who confide in Him; but
no one who doubts or questions the integrity of His words really trusts
Him."
Spurgeon in his comments on
the almost identical passage in Psalm 18:30 writes "The word
of the Lord is tried, like silver refined in the furnace. The doctrines
are glorious, the precepts are pure, the promises are faithful, and the
whole revelation is superlatively full of grace and truth. David had
tried it, thousands have tried it, we have tried it, and it has never
failed. It was meet that when way and word had been extolled, the Lord
himself should be magnified; hence it is added, He is a buckler to
all those that trust in him. No armor of proof or shield of brass so
well secures the warrior as the covenant God of Israel protects his
warring people. He himself is the buckler of trustful ones; what a
thought is this! What peace may every trusting soul enjoy!
Guzik suggests that ...
These aspects of the armor we take up
from situation to situation, as the moment demands. Think about those
“demanding moments” in spiritual warfare”
· A flood of depression or
discouragement, feeling like a black cloud.
· When a relatively insignificant
thing gets blown way out of proportion.
· An opportunity to speak with
someone about what Jesus did for you.
· Opposition against a sense that God
wants you to do something, to follow through on something.
· A sense of panic and helplessness.
In those critical moments, we
need to
· Take the shield of faith.
· Take the helmet of salvation.
· Take the sword of God’s Word. (Ephesians 6)
Shield (2375)
(thureos from thura
= door) was originally a large, oblong stone used to close an entrance
and later came to mean a shield, not the small circular shield (aspis,
Latin clipeus) but the large, oblong, and four-cornered shield (Latin
scutum) about 4 x 2.5 feet in greatest dimensions and sometimes curved
on the inner side. From these dimensions one can readily see now it
would have been large enough to cover all the other armor and
allowed the soldier to stand behind it fully protected. This Christian
soldier's shied is faith, a faith in God's trustworthy Word and in the
One Who is named Faithful and True, the Lord Jesus. Such a faith firmly
grounded on the Rock provides a sure defense against the fiery missiles
of the evil (actively desiring to hurt or harm) one, the devil and his
minions. The practical issue of the believer's faith as a "shield"
is discussed in greater detail below.
The NET Bible
note adds that...
Before a battle in which flaming
arrows might be shot at them, the soldiers wet the leather covering with
water to extinguish the arrows. The Roman legionaries could close ranks
with these shields, the first row holding theirs edge to edge in front,
and the rows behind holding the shields above their heads. In this
formation they were practically invulnerable to arrows, rocks, and even
spears. (NET
Bible)
Bratcher
and Nida write that...
There were shields of various sizes;
in this context most commentators take it to be the large shield which,
according to the ancient historian Polybius, gave protection to the
whole body. It was made of two layers of wood, covered with canvas, and
with a leather covering on the outside; this, when soaked with water
before the battle, would effectively serve to extinguish the incendiary
missiles of the enemy (Barth). The soldier carried it in his left hand
(and the sword in his right hand). (The
United Bible Societies' New Testament Handbook Series)
Expositor's
writes that...
Thureos is derived from thura (a
door) and refers to the large oblong or oval scutum the Roman soldier
held in front of him for protection. It consisted of two layers of wood
glued together, covered with linen and hide, and bound with iron.
Soldiers often fought side by side with a solid wall (testudo) of
shields. But even a single-handed combatant found himself sufficiently
protected. After the siege of Dyrachium, Sceva counted no less than 220
darts sticking into his shield.
Only in this instance does Paul
indicate the effect of a particular piece of armor. With such a shield
the believer can extinguish all the incendiary devices flung by the
devil (v. 11). Herodotus described how cane darts tipped with tow were
dipped in pitch and then ignited. Octavius used such arrows against
Antony's fleet at Actium and they were not unknown in OT times. The
reference is not, as some have surmised, to poisoned darts producing
fever. The Christian's shield effectively counteracts the danger of such
diabolical missiles not merely by arresting or deflecting them, but by
actually quenching the flames to prevent them from spreading. (Gaebelein,
F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament.
Zondervan Publishing)
TDNT writes
that thureos is...
the ancient four-cornered long
shield. The long shield comes in various shapes, but the reference is to
the rectangular Greek shield which is almost a portable wall, which
covers the whole person, and which poses the hard problem of reconciling
strength and lightness. The Romans take over a later form of the long
shield around 340 B.C. and retain it until the days of Constantine, who
reverts to the round or oval form. (Kittel,
G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament. Eerdmans)
Vincent
writing on thureos says...
Homer uses the word for that which is
placed in front of the doorway. Thus of the stone placed by Polyphemus
in front of his cave (“Odyssey,” ix., 240). The shield here described is
that of the heavy infantry; a large, oblong shield, four by two and a
half feet, and sometimes curved on the inner side. Sculptured
representations may be seen on Trajan’s column. Compare “Compass him as
with a shield,” Ps 5:12. It was made of wood or of wicker-work, and held
on the left arm by means of a handle. Xenophon describes troops,
supposed to be Egyptians, with wooden shields reaching to their feet
(“Anabasis,” i., 8, 9). Saving faith is meant. (Vincent, M. R. Word
Studies in the New Testament 3:409)
Just as David took his stand
against a formidable foe, Goliath, by trusting in the name of
Jehovah
(Ps 20:1-note,
Ps 20:7-note,
Pr 18:10-note,
David's declaration of faith = 1Sa 17:37 [see
more in depth discussion] - Note
David's present confidence and trust is based on past experiences with
Jehovah
= "Who delivered...will
deliver" [Who delivered = past tense = past experience =
Lesson?
Recall the times He has delivered you, beloved!
Jehovah's
past deliverances form a firm footing
for future faith to firmly stand! And then
lay hold by grace through faith of the truth that He will deliver
you again, either from or through the fire! Heb 10:23-note,
1Th 5:24-note,
Php 1:6-note,
cp
His great faithfulness), so we
take our stand (Ep 6:11-note,
Ep 6:13-note) against Satan in the victorious name of Jesus Christ
(cp Heb 2:14, 15-note).
As alluded to, God may choose to deliver us FROM our trial or to
deliver us IN the midst of trial, but He will deliver us! (cp the
testimony of Shadrach, et al, when faced with fiery trial Daniel 3:14,
15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
The LORD of hosts to Whom
David entrusted himself in his hour of great need is the same yesterday,
today and yes tomorrow (Heb13:8-note).
Let us run confidently into the immutable (unchangeable)
Strong Tower of Jehovah Sabaoth and we will be safe (Pr 18:10-note)
Guzik writes that ...
In ancient warfare, these fiery
darts were launched in great number at the beginning of an attack.
The idea was not only to injure the enemy, but to shoot at him at all
sides with a massive number of darts, and thus confuse and panic the
enemy.
Even when such a missile was caught
by the shield and did not penetrate to the body, says Livy, it caused
panic, because it was thrown when well alight and its motion through the
air made it blaze most fiercely, so that the soldier was tempted to get
rid of his burning shield and expose himself to the enemy’s
spear-thrusts. But the shield of faith not only catches the incendiary
devices but extinguishes them. (F F Bruce)
Thoughts, feelings, imaginations,
fears, lies - all of these can be hurled at us by Satan as fiery darts.
Faith turns (all of) them back. (Ephesians 6)
Faith
(4102)
(pistis
[word study])
is synonymous with trust or belief and is the
conviction of the truth of anything, but in Scripture usually speaks of
belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things,
generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervor born of faith
and joined with it.
Here faith is the confidence, the trust, the
commitment which a Christian has toward God and Christ and His
non-failing Word of Truth (cp Josh 23:14, 21:45, Nu 23:19, Lk 1:37ASV, et
al). This faith serves like a shield to protect the believer
from the enemy’s fiery missiles. As pistis relates to God, it is the
conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things
(He 11:3-note)
well as the Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ.
As faith relates to Christ it represents a strong and welcome conviction
or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through Whom we obtain eternal
salvation and entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven (cp Mt 4:17, Mt 7:21-note,
Mt 7:22, 23-note). Stated another way,
eternal salvation comes only through belief in Jesus Christ and
no other way (Acts 4:12, 16:31, Ro 10:9-note, John 14:6).
Walvoord
notes that...
Of faith is a genitive of
content; the shield consists of faith. The idea, then, is that a
Christian’s resolute faith in the Lord can stop and extinguish all the
flaming arrows of the evil one aimed at him.
Faith is an
essential protection against flaming arrows of temptation,
doubt, fear,
etc, because faith is the believer's expression of trust in God’s
promises, plans, and truth. Faith is an unwavering belief in God’s Word
and belief protects one from temptation’s arrows. But don't separate
believing from obeying (see Ro 1:5-note
"obedience of faith"). The demons believe but don't obey (Jas 2:19-note). We can say we
believe and yet still (foolishly, willfully) choose to disobey! (cp Ro
7:18, 19-note) We are deceiving ourselves if we
think we have taken up the shield of faith while overtly disobeying (Jas
1:22NLT-note). No,
in fact what we have really done is tossed the shield aside and are
holding up an shield of our own vain and foolish imagination. And then we wonder why we
have been hit with the stinging missile of temptation, doubt,
discouragement, despair, fear, etc! Beloved, don't be deceived by
teaching that separates faith from obedience (cp Jas 1:15-note).
Looking at it
negatively, unbelief characterizes all sin. When a believer
sin, they have believed Satan’s lie, they have even sinned in the light, and
they have made a choice to walk in the darkness, whether they understand
that spiritual dynamic or not. There's an old hymn which could easily be
the "theme song" for taking up the shield of faith...Trust
and Obey! Look especially
at stanza number 2 with the thought of taking up the shield of faith to
deflect fiery missiles (doubt, fear)!
Trust and Obey!
John H Sammis
When we walk with the Lord in the
light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
Refrain
Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.
Refrain
But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Refrain
Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.
Faith that
obeys makes you like an impregnable castle door or wall. Satan's
fiery missile enticing you to commit sin is always a temptation
to not believe God. For example, God says do what is right and I'll
bless you. Satan says do what is wrong and you'll experience pleasure. Who
do you choose to believe? If you believe God and follow through in
unhesitating obedience, you've just taken up the
"shield of faith" and deflected the lie of the enemy. And
remember that you are not alone in the struggle but you have the
indwelling Holy Spirit Who fills you, in order to control you and Who
strengthens you giving you the the will to obey and the energy to obey
the truth.
It is your faith
in Christ and God's Word that quenches the fiery darts. Just as much as
you trust Him and His Word, you will share His victory. Remember that
faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ (Ro 10:17-note)
so stay in the Word.
Oliver Wendell
Holmes said “It is faith in something that makes life worth living.”
That sounds good but it is a half-truth and in spiritual life it equates
with a lie. It's like the little leaguer who told his mom, “I think
we’re going to lose the game today” to which she answered “No son, think
positive!” His reply was “I’m positive we’re going to lose the game
today.” She wanted him to put faith in faith. But faith must be in
something that’s worth putting one's faith in. For the Christian, faith
is believing God and remembering that every fiery dart that Satan shoots
is a lie. If we believe his lies, we are not believing God. It's really
that simple. If God said it, then it’s true, and we are to believe it.
Which comes back to the source of our faith, God's Word of Truth. We can
know all the pieces of the Roman soldier's armor, but if we are not
daily in His Word, letting His Spirit remind us of His faithfulness and
renewing our mind to think like Christ rather than like the evil world
system, then we are destined for defeat in our spiritual battles. We are
to follow in the steps of our Savior, Who when tempted by Satan (Mt
4:1ff, Luke 4:1ff) said in essence "I will believe God and His
trustworthy Word." The moment Christ chose to believe the Word, He
became a veritable fortress against the onslaught of Satan, even though
fiery missiles continued to rain down. The pattern for victory has been
clearly displayed by our Lord, Who withstood Satan as the perfect
God-Man, and He did so in order to demonstrate that in Him every
believer can stand against all the evil schemes and every flaming
missile (Mt 4:4, Lk 4:4). We can be more than conquerors through Christ
(Ro 8:37KJV-), but it all comes
down to our choices. God will not force us to be victorious, but He does
supply everything necessary for victory. Begin today by laying aside one
deed of darkness, one grudge, one area of unforgiveness, one fear, etc.
Lay hold of a promise of God in the Word.
Memorize
it.
Meditate
on
throughout the day (cp Josh 1:8-note,
Ps 1:2-note,
Ps 1:3-note). Take the errant thoughts captive to the obedience of
your Commander in Chief, Christ Jesus (2Cor 10:5-note,
for
context
read 2Co 10:3, 4-note)
and replace them with thoughts of God's truth (cp Php 4:8-note,
Php 4:9-note). You will find that in your
weakness, you will begin to experience His inner strengthening (read
2Cor 12:9-note;
cp Isa 40:31-note;
Eph 3:16-note). Continue
to walk out in faith not sight (2Co 5:7, 4:16, 17, 18, He 11:1-note,
He 11:6-note), remembering that effective/active/dynamic faith obeys
(see Ro 1:5-note
"obedience of faith") what God has said is good and acceptable and perfect
(Ro 12:2-note). John wrote that
"This
is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith." (1Jn 5:4)
We win by
believing and trusting God. You may have doubts and anxieties, and
various struggles and trials, but as you daily (and you must do this
daily, even moment by moment!) choose to believe in God’s Word and
power, you will be strong in Him and victorious in Him.
John Eadie
writes that...
The shield preserved the soldier from
being struck, and his armour, too, from being hacked or notched. Such a
large and powerful shield is faith—that unwavering confidence in God and
His grace which guards the mind from aberration and despondency, and
easily wards off such assaults as are made upon it. (John Eadie, D.,
LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians)
Marvin Vincent
makes a very good point writing that flaming missiles of...
Temptation act on susceptible
material. Self-confidence is combustible. Faith, in doing away
with dependence on self, takes away fuel for the dart. It creates
sensitiveness to holy influences by which the power of temptation is
neutralized. It enlists the direct aid of God. See 1Co 10:13-note; Lk
22:32; Jas 1:2-note; 1Pe 4:12-note; 2Pe 2:9-note. (Vincent, M. R.. Word Studies in the
New Testament 3:409)
John MacArthur
has this note on "faith"
"When
John Paton (biography) was translating the Bible for a South Seas island tribe, he
discovered
that they had no word for trust or faith. One day a native who had been
running hard came into the missionary’s house, flopped himself in a
large chair and said, “It’s good to rest my whole weight on this chair.”
“That’s it,” said Paton. “I’ll translate faith as ‘resting one’s whole
weight on God.’”
MacArthur, J: Ephesians. Chicago: Moody Press)
Wayne Barber
writes that...
Taking up is an
aorist
active
participle. It describes a soldier lifting up the shield to defend
himself against the things that are coming at him and letting that
shield protect him, the shield of the faith. In simple terms, what does
that mean? It means everything believed about the faith, the faith being
the gospel of Jesus Christ, the faith summarizing all the things we know
from God’s Word. It is everything believed and everything that is shown
to be believed by our obedience to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
HOW DO I TAKE UP
THE SHIELD OF
FAITH?
By my willingness to obey the gospel
which is not just the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
When I am willing to obey what His Word has to say, that act of
obedience becomes like a shield to a Roman soldier in a battle. If you
want to be protected against the deceitfulness of Satan, then surrender.
Obey. That loving obedience becomes like a shield in the face of the
devil’s deceit -- obeying Christ in everything...
In ancient warfare, the enemy would
wrap the arrows with flammable material, dip it in pitch, set it on fire
and shoot these flaming arrows at the enemy. Now here is the picture
Paul is drawing for us. First, I am to obey God. Then when the devil
throws his flaming missiles at me, because I have purposed to obey the
Lord Jesus at all costs in everything, that obedience becomes like a
shield to ward off the flaming missiles coming in, even extinguishing
those flaming missiles. It is like Scud missiles in the first Gulf War
against Iraq. Those missiles were being randomly launched, without
warning. You have got to retain this picture in your mind if you want to
be successful in this spiritual war.
Don't misunderstand what Paul is saying. He is not saying that devil
personally takes time to come after just you... God is omnipresent, but
the devil is not. The point is that his minions, the demonic forces, are
sending "Scud missiles" constantly and yet at random. It is not so much
that the devil is coming after me personally. These "flaming missile"
thoughts are everywhere in our fallen world. And so everywhere you go
the flaming missiles are coming in at all times. There is no time when
you can let down. Talk to the veterans of the Vietnam war and the Gulf
War. You will find that those on the front line could not let down their
guard because they never knew when the missiles might come in. They had
to be ready, alert and aware at all times.
In summary then, what is it that protects me? It is my attitude of
obedience. "God, I am going to obey You regardless of what comes at
me." When that is my attitude, it becomes like a protecting shield. My
faith is expressed by my willingness to obey. Don’t misunderstand.
Faith and obedience cannot be separated. What I believe I obey. I
show you what I believe by how I live, not by what I say. So that act of
obedience becomes like a door shield in front of me and wards off the
fiery darts of the enemy.
The flaming missiles of the evil one, give us a picture of how the devil
works in our life -- the battle is in the mind. As we think, so are we.
Our enemy is constantly trying to deceive us as John says in the
Revelation...
"And the great dragon was thrown
down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives
(present
tense =
continually) the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his
angels were thrown down with him." (cf Re 12:9-note).
He is constantly trying to lead us
astray with wrong thinking. What would the darts be wrapped up in? To me
it would have to be thoughts that he is constantly throwing at us. These
thought are like "Scud missiles" coming into our mind. We can’t turn on
the television without these "fiery missiles" bombarding our living
room. We can’t walk into the world without these thoughts bombarding our
mind. So as those things are coming in, we must make a conscious
choice to adhere to the truth. Then you can recognize the deception and
error. Secondly you have to obey the truth that you are adhering to.
Your willingness to obey wards off those darts that are coming in.
You are up against an enemy that wants to get your mind. If he can lock
it up and hold it hostage with immoral thoughts, he will do it. If he
can lock it up with anger, he will do it. If he can lock it up with
resentment, he will do it.
You’ve got to make up your mind.
Are you going to obey God or are
you going to listen and receive the incoming flaming missiles of the
evil one?
They are randomly shot at all times
and we are constantly being bombarded with these thoughts. Young people,
please understand what I am saying. You’ve got to learn now. You will
pay for the wrong choices that you make with consequences. We choose to
obey and then can refuse those incoming thoughts, the fiery missiles of
the evil one.
The Roman shield was partially made of leather, and it was soaked in
water before they went into battle so it would quench the fiery arrows.
Have you ever taken a match, licked your fingers and put it out? Get
that thought in your mind the next time the devil throws one of them at
you.
As Paul says we are to be...
taking every thought captive to the
obedience of Christ (2Cor 10:5b-note)
We have to learn that we are in a war
all the time. There are people in the church who have not had their
loins girded about with truth. They don’t care about the Word of God.
They don’t even study it. They would rather just go out, do
something and then ask God to forgive them. They have been deceived by
error. They think we can go on and live any way we want, go to church on
Sunday and get everything right. That is not found in the Word of God.
They have believed a lie and what I am saying irritates them! I’ll tell
you why it is irritating. Because they don’t understand the battle.
You are in a battle and you have to learn to choose between what is
truth and what is deceit in this world. The enemy will throw deceitful,
lying thoughts at you you at random, when you least expect them. Listen,
fire destroys. A flaming missile that is allowed to lodge doesn’t just
inflict a wound but burns and destroys everything in the vicinity of
where it landed.
One of the heights of spiritual
ignorance is to think you can never fall into temptation. If you start
receiving what the devil is throwing at you and if you are not going to
get into the Word of God, if you are just going to play around and do
church until Jesus returns, the devil is going to destroy some things in
your life...
If you think this warfare is something that is just a subject to be
debated at a seminar, you don’t understand what the Christian life is
all about. That is why the apostle Paul says,
"Finally, I am going to put it in a
context now that you can understand. You had better put that garment on.
You are in a war zone."
That garment becomes your weapon
against the devil. You have to purpose in your heart to obey Him. You
have to have that shield of faith in front of you.
Now look at what we have seen as a progression so far—a commitment to
truth by having our loins girded about with truth, a surrender to Jesus
by having put on the breastplate of righteousness, firm footing in the
gospel, which means that our feet are shod with the preparation of the
gospel of peace and our obedience to Christ has been purposed in our
heart which means now we have taken up the shield of faith.
Folks, we have talked about it for many years. Sometimes it goes right
over our heads and we don’t understand what we are saying.
We are in a war zone and it is a
battle for our minds.
As a man thinks, so will he also do.
God wants to renew your mind. That is why it starts with a total
commitment to truth. That is what strengthens us so we can stand in the
face of the onslaught of the devil.
You are in a war zone. You were born into the kingdom of darkness. What
is going on in your life? I guarantee you we have a lot of wounded
saints because in battle they have let down their shield and received
the flaming missiles of the evil one. You must make up your mind to
trust and obey. The fiery missiles are going to come in like Scuds. But
when you choose to obey Christ, at that moment you are protected from
the onslaught of the evil one
The battle is not a power struggle.
It is a truth struggle.
Am I going to adhere to it or am I
not? If I am not, I am going to reap the consequences.
Don’t think you are not in a war zone. You need to get serious about it
because the evil one is so subtle you don’t even see his schemes. He is
an invisible enemy who is constantly bombarding your mind with thoughts
that are deceptive and will lead to destruction. When you receive those
burning thoughts, they will destroy everything around the place they
have been received. Folks, if we would just get honest, every one of us
have received them at times in our life. The damage they have done we
all understand. Let’s don’t relax the standard.
Sometimes when I preach, people say I am too hard. Nobody can live it.
Listen, folks, none of us have arrived. We are pilgrims together. But we
are never going to water down God’s standard. You know why? Because in
the book of Ephesians we have been told we can live it. Don’t let
anybody ever tell you that you can’t. If you say you can’t, what
you are saying is, you won’t. God has a standard and has given us
His Spirit so that we can conform to that standard. That means
righteousness, which we have studied. That is the armored threads in the
garment of the new life.
WITH WHICH YOU WILL BE ABLE TO EXTINGUISH ALL THE FLAMING ARROWS OF THE
EVIL ONE: en o dunesesthe (2PFMI) panta ta bele tou
ponerou [ta] pepuromena (RPPNPA) sbesai; (AAN):
(1Th 5:19-note)
Will be able
(1410)
(dunamai
- see study of
dunamis) means to have power by virtue
of inherent ability and resources. Note the
passive voice
which indicates that this is an internal enablement provided by an
outside source, the Spirit of God.
Believers thus
must guard against quenching the Spirit before they can quench the
arrows of the evil one. Remember that quenching the Holy Spirit is to
suppress, stifle, or otherwise obstruct His ministry to the individual.
In a word to quench Him is to say “No,” and replace His will (which is
the Father's will) with your will. In short saying no is saying "My will
be done on earth" and the result is sin, disobedience and quenching of
the Spirit, Who is the One Who enables the believer. Be sensitive to the
"little sins" and confess quickly. Solomon spoke of the danger of
letting these sins linger...
"Catch the foxes for us, The little
foxes that are ruining the vineyards, While our vineyards are in
blossom." (Song 2:15)
Note that this the
third time that Paul has told us we would "be able" and each time it is
in the
passive voice
indicating an external source of enablement to which the believer must
be willing to yield and receive from the Holy Spirit! (See
notes
Ephesians 6:11,
6:13;
6:16)
In other words, attitudes such as self confidence, self sufficiency and
self assurance, etc, have to be cast off like filthy garments of if we
would receive the necessary divine empowerment God graciously makes
available.
Extinguish all
the flaming arrows - How many? All of them can be
extinguished! When you are attacked by what seem to be insurmountable
odds wielding overwhelming firepower in the form of burning temptations,
crushing circumstances, stormy winds of doubt, all of which threaten
sure shipwreck and defeat, then by faith look up and say “I believe
every sure word of God” and will stand firm on His unchanging Word (cp
Jas 4:6, 7, 1Pe 5:8-note,
1Pe 5:9-note).
Marvin Vincent
has an interesting insight explaining that...
Temptation is thus represented as
impelled from a distance. Satan attacks by indirection—through good
things from which no evil is suspected. There is a hint of its
propagating power: one sin draws another in its track: the flame of the
fire-tipped dart spreads. Temptation acts on susceptible material.
Self-confidence is combustible. Faith, in doing away with dependence on
self, takes away fuel for the dart. It creates sensitiveness to holy
influences by which the power of temptation is neutralized. It enlists
the direct aid of God."
Extinguish
(4570)
(sbennumi
[word study])
means to quench, put out or extinguish referring to a light or a fire.
Metaphorically, sbennumi speaks of ceasing, thwarting or blocking
an activity.
Expositor's
writes that...
Only in this instance does Paul
indicate the effect of a particular piece of armor. With such a shield
the believer can extinguish all the incendiary devices flung by the
devil (v. 11). Herodotus described how cane darts tipped with tow were
dipped in pitch and then ignited. Octavius used such arrows against
Antony's fleet at Actium and they were not unknown in OT times. The
reference is not, as some have surmised, to poisoned darts producing
fever. The Christian's shield effectively counteracts the danger of such
diabolical missiles not merely by arresting or deflecting them, but by
actually quenching the flames to prevent them from spreading. (Gaebelein,
F, Editor: Expositor's Bible Commentary 6-Volume New Testament.
Zondervan Publishing)
Sbennumi is
used 35 times in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Lev. 6:9, 12f; 2 Sam. 14:7; 21:17; 2 Ki. 22:17; 2 Chr. 29:7; 34:25;
Est. 4:17; Job 4:10; 16:15; 18:5f; 21:17; 30:8; 34:26; 40:12; Prov.
10:7; 13:9; 20:9; 24:20; Cant. 8:7; Isa. 1:31; 34:10; 42:3; 43:17;
66:24; Jer. 4:4; 7:20; 17:27; 21:12; Ezek. 20:47f; 32:7; Amos 5:6)
Here are the 6
uses of sbennumi in the NT...
Matthew 12:20 "A battered reed
He will not break off, and a smoldering wick He will not put out,
Until He leads justice to victory.
Matthew 25:8 "And the foolish
said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are
going out.'
Mark 9:48 where their worm
does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
Ephesians 6:16 in addition to
all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to
extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.
1Thessalonians 5:19 (note) Do not
quench the Spirit;
Hebrews 11:34
(note)
quenched
the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were
made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.
In the
Septuagint
this verb relates to literal fire
that is not to go out (Lev 6:13) and figuratively several times of God's
wrath which burns like fire and will not be quenched (2Ki 22:17, 2Chr
34:25, Jer 7:20, 17:27, 21:12, Ezek 20:47. 48, Amos 5:6). It is used in
Isaiah 66:24 to describe the unquenchable fire of hell.
There are 35 uses
of sbennumi in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Lev. 6:9, 12f; 2 Sam.
14:7; 21:17; 2 Ki. 22:17; 2 Chr. 29:7; 34:25; Est. 4:17; Job 4:10;
16:15; 18:5f; 21:17; 30:8; 34:26; 40:12; Prov. 10:7; 13:9; 20:9; 24:20;
Cant. 8:7; Isa. 1:31; 34:10; 42:3; 43:17; 66:24; Jer. 4:4; 7:20; 17:27;
21:12; Ezek. 20:47f; 32:7; Amos 5:6). Below are some representative
uses...
Leviticus 6:13 'Fire shall be
kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out
(Hebrew = kabah = quench, put out, extinguish; Lxx = sbennumi)
2 Kings 22:17 "Because they
have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods that they might
provoke Me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore My wrath
burns against this place, and it shall not be quenched (Hebrew =
kabah = quench, put out, extinguish; Lxx = sbennumi)."
Proverbs 13:9 The light of the
righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked goes out. (Hebrew
= daak = be extinguished; Lxx = sbennumi)
Song of Solomon 8:7 "Many
waters cannot quench (Hebrew = kabah = quench, put out,
extinguish; Lxx = sbennumi) love, Nor will rivers overflow it; If a man
were to give all the riches of his house for love, It would be utterly
despised."
Isaiah 66:24 "Then they shall
go forth and look On the corpses of the men Who have transgressed
against Me. For their worm shall not die, And their fire shall not be
quenched (Hebrew = kabah = quench, put out, extinguish; Lxx =
sbennumi); And they shall be an abhorrence to all mankind."
Flaming
(4448)
(puroo
[word study]
from púr = fire) means to be ignited or set on
fire, to be kindled, to burn, to set on fire.
Paul
uses
puroo figuratively here to describe "missiles" or "darts"
undoubtedly referring to thoughts. He use the
perfect tense
to describe these
missile as having been set on fire and still burning, speaking of the
permanence of the burning effect.
The arrows or
would be covered with a inflammable material (easily set on fire)
such as tow (the coarse and broken part of flax or hemp prepared
for spinning) would be placed and then dipped in pitch (a sticky
resinous black or dark brown substance which hardens on cooling,
obtained by destructive distillation of wood or coal this process
yielding tar) and then set on fire. When the arrow hit its target,
the pitch would splatter and start little fires on the clothing of the
soldier or on a wooden target. What are Satan’s fiery darts? They are
seducing temptations, flaming arrows of impurity, selfishness, doubt,
fear, disappointment, lust, greed, vanity, and covetousness, all part of
the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1John 2:16). Satan and his minions literally bombard the believer with
the fiery darts of seductive temptation to elicit ungodly, evil
responses. The only defense we have at that point is the shield of
faith. We live in a world which is controlled by the Devil and thus in
many forms (television, billboards, internet, magazines, etc) he is
capable of continually bombarding us with a wide variety of temptations
("I'm not as attractive as that actor", "I'm not as rich as that man",
"I'm not satisfied with my marriage.", "I deserve ____.", etc, etc).
That’s why we must take up the shield of faith.
Watch out for the
devil's "Molotov Cocktails" -- During World War II in Finland, the
soldiers didn’t have adequate weapons against invaders, so they learned
to fill bottles with gasoline, sand, and soapsuds, and with burning rags
in the mouth. These little firebombs became known as Molotov Cocktails.
Paul also uses
puroo figuratively to describe his righteous indignation (becoming
incensed) toward sin writing...
Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?
Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? (NIV,
2Cor 11:29)
Paul uses puroo
figuratively of lust not controlled writing...
But if they do not have self-control,
let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn. (1Cor
7:9) (NIV adds "burn with passion")
Here are the other
3 (out of 6) NT uses of puroo...
2 Peter 3:12
looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, on account of
which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will
melt with intense heat! (See note
2 Peter 3:12)
Revelation 1:15 and His feet
were like burnished bronze, when it has been caused to glow in a
furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. (See
note)
Revelation 3:18 I advise you to
buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, and white
garments, that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your
nakedness may not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes, that
you may see. (See
note)
Puroo is
used 18 times in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(2 Sam. 22:31; Est. 5:1; Job 22:25; Ps. 12:6; 17:3; 18:30; 26:2; 66:10;
105:19; 119:140; Prov. 10:20; 30:5; Isa. 1:25; Jer. 9:7; Dan. 11:35;
12:10; Zech. 13:9). The nuances of puroo in the include to make red hot,
to cause to glow, to heat thoroughly, to try in the fire, to purge and
to be inflamed or aflame. Here are some representative uses...
Psalm 66:10 For Thou hast
tried us, O God; Thou hast refined us (Lxx = puroo = tried with fire) as
silver is refined (Lxx = puroo = tried with fire).
Zechariah 13:9 "And I will bring the third part through the fire,
refine (Lxx = puroo = tried with fire) them as silver is refined (Lxx =
puroo = tried with fire), And test them as gold is tested. They will
call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My
people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" (Comment: This event
speaks of the purging of unbelieving Israel from the believing
remnant
of Israel, the real
Israel of God, this event occurring contemporaneous with the Second
Coming of Christ at the end of the
Great Tribulation,
the pouring out of God's wrath in the 7 bowl judgments in the last 3.5
years of
Daniel's Seventieth Week.)
Arrows
(956)
(belos)
is literally something thrown (pointed weapon, arrow, dart) and
metaphorically as used here speaking of Satan's temptations as weapons
of attack.
This is the only
NT use of belos which is found 34 times in the
Septuagint (LXX)
(Deut. 32:23, 42; 2 Sam. 18:14; 22:15; 2 Ki. 9:24; 13:15, 17; 19:32; 2
Chr. 26:15; Job 6:4; 16:9; 20:25; 30:14; 34:6; 39:22; Ps. 7:13; 11:2;
18:14; 38:2; 45:5; 57:4; 64:7; 77:17; 91:5; 120:4; 127:4; 144:6; Isa.
5:28; 7:24; 37:33; 49:2; Lam. 3:12; Joel 2:8)
TDNT adds
that belos means...
“Pointed weapon,” “javelin,” “arrow,”
used also for lightning, rays of the sun, moon, or tire. Greek and
Semitic gods are armed with both bows and arrows. In the OT the rainbow
is God's bow (Ge 9:13), lightning is His burning arrow (Ps 7:13) and the
arrows of the sun cause drought and sunstroke (Ps 90). God shoots the
wicked with His arrows (Lam 3:12, Job 6:4). God's servant is an arrow in
(Isaiah 42:9) and (Isaiah 59:17) speaks of ethical and spiritual
armament. In the NT in Eph 6:16 we see that the righteous are armed as
God's warriors (cf Isa 59:17). They are attacked by the flaming darts of
the evil one but they can parry this assault with the shield of faith,
which gives union with God. (Kittel,
G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament. Eerdmans)
Eadie writes that...
The Greek fathers, with too great
restriction, think that reference (to fiery darts) is made to such lusts
and desires as we sometimes term “burning” lusts and desires.
The darts appear to be Satanic
assaults, sudden and terrible—such suggestions to evil, such
unaccountable impulses to doubt or blaspheme, such horrid insinuations
about the Divine character and one's own state, as often distract
persons, especially of a nervous temperament.
The biographies of Luther and Bunyan
afford apposite examples. But the shield of faith must be used to repel
such darts, and if brought to intercept them, it preserves the Christian
warrior intact. His confidence in God keeps him from being wounded, or
from falling a prisoner into the hands of his ruthless enemies. Whatever
happens moves him not; his faith saves him from despondency and defeat.
The future form of the verb by no means supports Meyer's view as to the
period of the evil day. (John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to
the Ephesians)
Blaikie
writes that...
Fiery darts” were weapons tipped with
inflammable materials, firebrands, curiously constructed, adapted to set
on fire. Metaphorically, considerations darted into the mind inflaming
lust, pride, revenge, or other evil feelings, emanations from the great
tempter, the evil one. That such considerations sometimes start up
suddenly in the mind, against the deliberate desire, sometimes even in
the middle of holy exercises, is the painful experience of every
Christian, and must make him thankful for the shield on which they are
quenched. An act of faith on Christ, placing the soul consciously in his
presence, recalling his atoning love and grace, and the promises of the
Spirit, will extinguish these fiery temptations. (The
Pulpit Commentary: New Testament;
Old Testament; Ages Software)
Vincent has
a lengthy comment on "fiery darts" writing noting that the Greek
literally reads...
the darts, those which have been
set on fire.
Herodotus says that the Persians
attacked the citadel of Athens “with arrows whereto pieces of lighted
tow were attached, which they shot at the barricade” (8:52).
Thucydides: “The Plataeans
constructed a wooden frame, which they set up on the top of their own
wall opposite the mound.… They also hung curtains of skins and hides in
front: these were designed to protect the woodwork and the workers, and
shield them against blazing arrows” (2:75).
Livy tells of a huge dart used at the
siege of Saguntum, which was impelled by twisted ropes. “There was used
by the Saguntines a missile weapon called falarica, with the shaft of
fir, and round in other parts, except toward the point, whence the iron
projected. This part, which was square, they bound around with tow and
besmeared with pitch. It had an iron head three feet in length, so that
it could pierce through the body with the armor. But what caused the
greatest fear was that this weapon, even though it stuck in the shield
and did not penetrate into the body, when it was discharged with the
middle part on fire, and bore along a much greater flame produced by the
mere motion, obliged the armor to be thrown down, and exposed the
soldier to succeeding blows” (21:8).
Again, of the siege of Ambracia by
the Romans: “Some advanced with burning torches, others carrying tow and
pitch and fire-darts, their entire line being illuminated by the blaze”
(38:6).
Compare Ps 7:13, where the correct
rendering is, “His arrows He maketh fiery arrows.”
Temptation is thus represented as
impelled from a distance. Satan attacks by indirection — through good
things from which no evil is suspected.
There is a hint of its propagating
power: one sin draws another in its track: the flame of the fire-tipped
dart spreads.
Temptation acts on susceptible
material. Self-confidence is combustible. Faith, in doing away
with dependence on self, takes away fuel for the dart. It creates
sensitiveness to holy influences by which the power of temptation is
neutralized. It enlists the direct aid of God. See 1Cor. 10:13; Luke
22:32; Jas 1:2; 1Pe 4:12; 2Pe 2:9. (Vincent, M. R.. Word Studies
in the New Testament 3:409)
Warren Wiersbe asks...
What are the “fiery darts” that Satan
shoots at us? I take it that they are thoughts of one kind or
another—doubts, fears, worries, and so on. I have sometimes been
prayerfully meditating on the Word when suddenly a terrible thought
would invade my mind. Of course, Satan wants us to think that we are to
blame, because this kind of thinking would make us discouraged with our
Christian walk. But he is to blame! I have had fiery darts thrown at me
while I have been preaching the Word! If we do not quench these darts,
they will ignite whatever they touch, and we will have a destructive
fire to put out. I have found that trusting God’s promises and laying
hold of his Word will quench these fiery darts. How important it is for
the Christian soldier to know Bible doctrine! (This explains why the
Christian soldier is described in chapter 6 of Ephesians. Paul spends
the first three chapters explaining basic doctrine, and the next two on
basic Christian living.) We do not quench the darts by faith in
ourselves (even our past victories), faith in faith, or faith in some
creed. It is faith in Christ and his Word. We cannot stop Satan from
throwing the darts, but we can keep them from starting a fire. A great
saint has said (was it Martin Luther?),
“I cannot keep the sparrows from
flying about my head, but I can keep them from making a nest in my
hair!”
The important thing is to quench that
dart immediately. Instantly look to Christ by faith, recall some promise
of the Word, and believe it. Otherwise the fire will start to spread,
and if you add fuel to it it will get beyond your control. Your feelings
will get aroused and upset, and before long Satan will be in control. I
can recall situations in which fiery darts made me impatient, and I was
about to say and do things for which afterward I would have been sorry.
I turned to the Lord in faith and believed him for the patience I
needed. There came to me a sense of control and calm that quenched the
fiery darts. The times I have not turned to him in faith, I have been
burned—and so have others. (Wiersbe,
W: Strategy of Satan: How to Detect and Defeat Him)
(Bolding added)
Evil one
(4190)
(poneros) refers to actively harmful or hurtful evil one. The
definite article points to a specific evil entity, undoubtedly Satan.
The idea is one who is pernicious, which means highly injurious or
destructive, exceedingly harmful, and vicious. Poneros describes Satan
as utterly bad. While admittedly the devil uses men as his agents in his
conflict with believers, the devil, aided by his cohorts, is the
believer's real and persistent enemy
The Oxford English
Dictionary says that pernicious means "having a harmful effect,
especially in a gradual or subtle way. (Soanes, C., & Stevenson, A.
Concise Oxford English dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press)
Wuest adds
that...
“The wicked” is ho poneros
“the pernicious one,” Satan, who is not content to perish in his own
destruction, but seeks to drag everyone else down with him to the utter
ruin that will be his in the future eternity. The fiery arrows represent
the temptations with which he assails the saints. These saints were
saved in the sense that they were justified (Ed note:
Past Tense Salvation - See The Three
Tenses of Salvation). The salvation spoken of here must
therefore be salvation from the power of sin in this present life (Ed
note:
Present Tense Salvation =
Sanctification - See The Three Tenses of Salvation),
salvation from the onslaughts of Satan.(Wuest,
K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans)
Jesus used
this same word poneros for Satan in His prayer in John 17...
"I have given them Thy word; and the
world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am
not of the world. 15 "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world,
but to keep them from the
evil one. 16 "They are not
of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 "Sanctify them in the
truth; Thy word is truth. (John 17:14-17)
Here are all the
other 8 (out of a total of 10) NT uses of the phrase "the evil one",
each referring in context to Satan...
Mt 13:19 "When anyone hears
the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it,
the
evil one comes and
snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom
seed was sown beside the road.
Mt 13:38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed,
these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of
the
evil one;
2 Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and
protect you from the
evil
one.
1 John 2:13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him
who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because
you have overcome the
evil
one.
I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
1 John 2:14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him
who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men,
because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have
overcome the evil one.
1 John 3:12 not as Cain, who was of
the evil one,
and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his
deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous.
1 John 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He
who was born of God keeps him and
the evil one
does not touch him.
1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies
in the power of the evil
one.
><> ><> ><>
Though many foes beset you round,
And feeble is your arm
Your life is hid with Christ in God,
Beyond the realm of harm.
Weak as you are, you shall not faint,
Or fainting, shall not die;
Jesus, the strength of every saint,
Will aid you from on high.
Though unperceived by mortal sense,
Fate sees Him always near,
A guide, a glory, a defense:
Then what have you to fear?
As surely as He overcame,
And triumphed once for you,
So surely you that love His name
Shall in Him triumph too!
by John Newton
><> ><> ><>
Smart Armor
System (November 30, 1994) -
United States Army and Pentagon officials are developing a
sophisticated armor system to protect tanks against enemy fire.
According to the Army Times, this new system will protect armored
vehicles against the latest kinetic energy rockets, which are long,
thin, sharp-pointed projectiles that pierce armor when they hit head-on.
The Smart Armor System (SAS) will keep these missiles from penetrating
the armor of tanks because special reactive tiles will deflect them.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we need protection from the "fiery darts"
being hurled at us by Satan. He has some powerful missiles that can stir
up within us doubt, fear, disappointment, impurity, lust, greed,
selfishness, covetousness, and pride. And he attacks us when we are most
vulnerable in these areas. But God has given us the shield of faith for
our protection to deflect Satan's most powerful missiles. When we trust
God, believing what He tells us in His Word, the enemy's most deadly
attacks will be futile.
As you go out into battle today, put on the whole armor of God. Above
all, take up the shield of faith. Reassert your trust in God and commit
your ways to Him. It's your Smart Armor System. --D C Egner (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
The devil's tactic
is surprise,
He'll stop you in your tracks;
So keep on guard and trust God's Word,
Resist his strong attacks. --JDB
Trust in God's Word is a sure defense
against temptation.
><> ><> ><>
Use Your Weapons
December 8, 2005
While visiting a
museum, I was intrigued by a small inscription describing a class of
Roman gladiators-the Retiarii-who fought using only a net and a trident.
Of all the fearsome and lethal weapons available to those warriors, who
often battled to the death, these men were given two items-a piece of
webbing and a three-pronged spear. When they entered the arena, their
survival depended on how well they used their weapons.
In the spiritual battle we face as Christians, God has chosen our
weapons: "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the
flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God
for pulling down strongholds" (2Corinthians 10:3,4).
It's worth pausing to look at ourselves in the mirror of Ep
6:10-18 to see if we are properly equipped with "the whole armor of
God." From the helmet of salvation to the shoes of the gospel of peace,
we are to be protected and armed for a conflict that depends not on
human strength but on the power of God.
When we realize the nature of that warfare and the forces against us,
it's foolish to enter the fray with anything except our God-given
weapons. —David C. McCasland (Ibid)
Does all the world
seem against you
And you're in the battle alone?
It's often when you are most helpless
That God's mighty power is known. -Anon.
Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. -Isaiah 40:31 |
