Extinguishing the Fiery Darts

"Take" Up the Shield of Faith

"In addition to all, [take] up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one" (Ephesians 6:16)
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In Ephesians 6:13 Paul characterizes Satan as "the evil one" who attacks believers with flaming missiles. He is the archenemy of our souls who seeks to maim and destroy us spiritually. Satan's flaming arrows come in many forms: selfishness, doubt, fear, disappointment, greed, vanity, covetousness, and many others that he may hurl at us. But whatever the specific form, all are seducing temptations aimed at eliciting ungodly responses. 

Our faith is what protects us against these attacks when we elevate God's will above Satan's in our life. When tempted by Satan, Jesus responded "It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." (Matthew 4:4) He trusted the Father and yielded to His will. When Satan saw that Jesus' trust in the Father was unshakable, he left Him (Matthew 4:11). That's the power of faith. So {take} up the shield of faith by which you will be able to extinguish the fiery darts.

Lord, forgive us of our sin when we take down our shield and sin against you. Thank you for Your Words to live by. Thank You for giving us what we need in times of trials. We may face many in the days to come, but one thing is for certain, we have a fearful and mighty God who stands with us and for us. We shall not fear. Thank you for loving us and sending Your Son to take my place on the cross of Calvary. In Jesus precious name I pray. Amen