Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."
Without doubt, every piece of the believer's spiritual armor is essential for the safety of his walk in righteousness; however, note that when it came to the "shield of faith," Paul wrote: "Above all." Faith undergirds the strength of every other piece of armor. Consider the "cloud of witnesses" who exercised their faith and were blessed and acclaimed by the LORD (Hebrews Chapter 11 pictures above & below). Our LORD JESUS referred to a faith that was the size of a mustard seed, and as we consider the heroes of the faith, some had "mustard seed faith" yet were rewarded because they obeyed. It is important to realize that the believer's faith is grounded in the LORD's promises, not meritless opinion.
One valuable characteristic of a Romans shield was its versatility. The soldier could keep the shield in front of him, pivot it to the side, or even hold it over his head. A highly skilled warrior even might have been able to deflect some weapons coming from behind him. In the same fashion, the saint can use the shield of faith at any time and for multiple purposes. In Christian warfare, the primary use of this armor is to ward off "the fiery darts of the wicked" as well as the "wiles (tricks) of the Devil" (Ephesians 6:11,16).
A necessary condition for the use of this weapon is alertness -- the believer must be mindful of the Devil's tricks: false teachings not in keeping with the Bible, false teachers ("wolves . . . not sparing the flock," Acts 20:29), and those who appear to be angels of light (2nd.Corinthians 11:13-15 pictured above). Most of all the saint must listen carefully for lies and half-truths (Genesis 3:1-5). Let us "be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour" (1st.Peter 5:8). KGL
Your servant in CHRIST,
Julie
Copyright, FEATURE: A Daily Bible Study Guide.
Used with permission. www.featoday.org
https://www.fivestarchristianministries.com/salvation
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