Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-” Ephesians 6:14-18
Paul goes on to tell us that we need to have the shield of faith. Our faith in God is a protection from the fiery darts of the enemy. The enemy intends to send his fiery darts to steal, kill, and destroy the believer’s confidence in the Lord. They are meant for the believer to retreat from the battle and run. However, God wants us to trust Him and have faith in shielding us. Fiery darts can come in the shape of hurtful actions and words from others. Sometimes the fiery darts come when things don’t go our way, and the enemy tempts us to take the matters in our own hands. That’s when we stand our ground, and we hold up the shield of faith in the midst of those attacks!
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6
The Lord continually develops our relationship with Him to the point that we are growing in being constant and consistent in trusting Him. When a believer stands on God’s unchanging character in the midst of a battle, it is as if they are hiding behind the shield of faith. They are protected, and they are relying on the Lord to thwart the enemy’s attacks. Not only the darts bounce off the shield of faith, but also their fire is quenched! The fire is extinguished because Jesus the living water has poured cold water over the fire of the enemy. Those darts become ineffective and lose their power in facing the shield of faith!
Paul goes on to tell us that we are to put on the helmet of salvation. Our salvation is in finished work of the cross. Our minds are protected, and we are called to not lean on our own understanding. We do not know all the dangers out there, but we know that our relationship with the Lord and our identity in Him keeps us in a safe place. The helmet also protects us from the ways of the world and helps us to stay alert and aware of God’s ways and His will. We set apart ourselves, so we can know the perfect will of God and remain in His path. The helmet guards us from the old tapes that are played when we are under pressure. God reminds us of who we are and that we don’t need to fix the problem in our old nature.
As you pray this week, intentionally put on each piece of the armor and keep it on as you go out in the world everyday. Allow the Lord to teach and train you how to fight your battles His way!
