A Shield of Faith(fulness)

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
Print, Study and Apply

Title: A Shield of Faith(fulness)
Keywords: "faith" "faithfulness"
Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

Never — neither here in Ephesians 6 nor anywhere else — does the Bible tell Christians to attack the devil. The devil attacks us — and we are not to attack back. We are to simply stand firm. AND, we can be confident that we have the capacity to stand firm or we would not be commanded to do so!

Our standing firm, though, will only be successful as we use the armor Paul lists. That armor is described in verses quoted below. For the next few days, we are going to take a look at the armor Paul recommends we use in the fight to stand strong in the day of sexual temptation.

Passage: Ephesians 6:10-20*

10. Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might.

11. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.

12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

13. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.

14. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15. and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

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.

17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,

19. and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,

20. for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

Questions

In verse 16, Paul mentions a fourth piece of armor for the battle against the enemy: the shield of faith.

1. What would a shield be used for in ancient warfare?

 

2. What comes to your mind when you read the phrase "the flaming arrows of the evil one"?

 

Practical help

In ancient warfare, the tips of archers’ arrows would often be wrapped in pieces of cloth that had been soaked in tar. Just before the arrow was released, the tip would be lighted and the "flaming missile" would fly at the enemy. (Can you imagine the psychological effect of seeing flaming arrows headed your way?!)

The well-equipped Roman soldier would raise his shield and find protection against these flaming arrows.

The shield in view here was a full body shield measuring 2 ˝ feet wide and 4 ˝ feet high. Usually made of solid wood, it was covered with metal or heavy oiled leather and was designed to protect the soldier’s entire body.

Paul tells us that just as the Roman soldier of his day needed a shield for defense, Christians need a shield in their daily warfare. Ours is a "shield of faith."

Satan sends "flaming arrows" of TEMPTATION our way — temptations like the urge to interact with porn.

The armor Paul recommends to fend off these attacks is "the shield of faith" and affirms that Satan’s attacks are, ultimately, temptations to doubt God. The antidote to doubt is faith, or better, FAITHFULNESS.

This is not so much an abstract call to "faith" as a concrete call to lead a life of fidelity to what God says we are to do, regardless of whether it seems to make sense and regardless of how I might feel in the moment.

As the old Gospel song says, FAITH/FAITHFULNESS is the victory!

eXXit homepage
Index of three-minute studies
Copyright 2004 by eXXit
*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."