THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD

"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10)

Devotion 7 of 15

THE SHIELD OF FAITH

In Scripture, the warfare of the believer is approached with the utmost sobriety. There is no attempt to philosophize about it. Rather, Divine instruction is straightforward and to the point. It would be counterproductive to speculate about the conflict into which faith has thrust us, speaking about it as though there were no potential consequences or sure victories associated with it. While men may banter back and forth about whether or not the defeat is possible, or victory is inevitable, the Holy Spirit goes straight to the point of the matter.

In teaching us about "the whole armor of God," the Spirit will leave us with the persuasion of its essentiality. He will not tell us there is no danger, or that we will end up in heaven regardless of how we address these inevitable confrontations with the "wicked one." He says we are wrestling "against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (v 12). Anyone who thinks that is not a serious matter is grossly ignorant of the revelation of God, and the nature of spiritual life as well.

Believers must exercise diligence to separate themselves from theological views that relax the soul instead of provoking it to "put on the whole armor of God." The battle is serious, and the stakes are eternal. The enemy is determined, and we must be also. Our hearts must be persuaded of the necessity and effectiveness of the armor we have been given. If either of these is in any way held in question, the armor will not be "put on." In such a case, victory over the devil simply is not possible. Although it should be obvious, it must be affirmed: God will not allow a person to gain the victory over the wicked one who has refused to "put on the whole armor of God." This single observation accounts for the fall of every professed believer who has succumbed to the forces of darkness.

This brings us to a consideration of the next piece of our armor: the shield of faith. Because of the largeness of the truth conveyed in this text, I will give it in several different translations.

"ABOVE ALL, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked" (KJV). "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" (NASB). "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one" (NIV). "WITH ALL THESE, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one" (NRSV). "And MOST OF ALL, using faith as a cover to keep off all the flaming arrows of the Evil One" (BBE). "IN EVERY BATTLE you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan" (NLT). "And ALWAYS CARRYING the shield of faith so that you can use it to quench the burning arrows of the Evil One" (NJB). --Ephesians 6:16

As you can see, there are a variety of views promoted by these translations. The following are among them. 1–The shield of faith is to be held out as a covering over all of the rest of the armor: "above all.". 2–Most importantly, the shield of faith is to be taken: "most of all.". 3–The rest of the armor is made effective by taking the shield of faith: "with all of these." 4–Faith is a requisite in every conflict: "in every battle." 5–Faith is a constant in our life, and may never be laid down: "always carrying."

I suggest that all of these views are true, and none of them are incorrect. The reality affirmed in this verse is larger than the confines of language. Language only uncovers the border of the text, which is why various translations make an effort to shine the light on different aspects of the declaration. The linguist will point out to us that two different original readings are followed in these translations. One manuscript can be translated "over everything," and the other "most importantly," or "with everything." However, at the root of the matter, there is no conflict. The idea is that faith brings effectiveness to the rest of the armor. It is also useless, if, indeed, it can even be possessed, apart from the rest of the armor.

FAITH IS PREEMINENT. "Above all, most of all, and always, faith is a shield for the believer. It can never be placed behind some other priority, but is the prince of spiritual graces. Only faith can convert unseen realities to "substance," and bring the "evidence" of them to the human spirit (Heb 11:1). Faith makes the things of God real, particularly regarding justification, our acceptance by God, and the hope of glory. If we do poorly at believing God, the rest of the armor loses its effectiveness.

Faith relies implicitly upon the Word of God, and presumes its presence. Men cannot have faith in God if He has not spoken, or revealed Himself and His will. In its essence, faith believes God, trusting implicitly on Him as He has revealed Himself in His word. The essentiality of faith is confirmed by two Scriptural statements. First, in His home country, Jesus "did not many mighty works there BECAUSE OF THEIR UNBELIEF" (Matt 13:58). Second, "all things are possible TO HIM THAT BELIEVETH" (Mk 9:23).

FAITH REPELS SATAN'S DARTS. The "fiery darts," or "flaming arrows," of our adversary are thoughts. They are wicked imaginations hurled into our thinking processes by our opponent. They are temptations, or allurements into forbidden territory. How can they be "quenched," or lose their effectiveness? It is by believing God, who has told us the truth of the matter. The "shield of faith" exposes the devil's lie, showing it to be a delusion. It does so by comparison. When we are believing God, the lies of the devil conflict with the basic thrust of our hearts and minds. They are thus neutralized because they are perceived as false and harmful.

The temptations of the wicked one are called "fiery darts" because of their nature. They are called "darts" because they are penetrating, able to puncture all forms of fleshly or natural resistance. They are called "fiery" because they are poisonous and infectious. Once they stick in the minds of men, they send out a poison that influences the whole man, causing sinful thoughts, words, and deeds to erupt and defile.

Only faith can blunt the sharpness of these "darts" and render their fire harmless. If the individual has not "taken up" the shield of faith, he will not be able to repel these "fiery darts." No amount of human wisdom or discipline can neutralize them. They can penetrate the frail armor of natural wisdom, disciplined habits and manners, and regimented routines. This very truth is confirmed by John the beloved. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" (1 John 5:4-5).

The shield of faith is not dropped upon you from heaven. It must be taken up by the soldier. To be sure, faith is supplied in abundance in the grace of God. As it is written, "And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus" (1 Tim 1:14). But the soldier must exert himself to believe God, fighting the good fight of faith. When he faces the enemy, he must be "strong in faith, giving glory unto God" (Rom 4:20). When the "fiery darts" of the wicked one are hurled in abundance, take up the shield of faith. Believe God! You have the promise from heaven, "And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame" (1 Pet 2:6).

PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for the shield of faith. I thank You for the protective power of faith. I believe, Lord, help Thou mine unbelief!

– Tomorrow: THE HELMET OF SALVATION --