Ephesians: In The Lord's Army (5)

For the past four weeks we have been looking at So far we have seen that if you are going to be in the Lord’s army, you must put on the whole armor of God, this as included os far, the belt of truth, the breast plate of righteousness and the boots of peace.

Today we are going to be looking at another important piece and that is the shield of faith.

Why would a soldier need this big of a shield?

It wasnt just swords and spears that came at the soldier it was arrows and most of the time it wasnt just plain arrows that came at them, it was arrows on fire.

These arrows were a threat to any army due to the destructive nature they had

These arrows were wrapped with a rag and most of the time had been dipped in tar.

when these arrows stuck into something that was not protected

the object would burn easily

Intro:

There is an Enemy that whats to destroy You

We have already seen this in verses 11-12 but this is so important, just as Paul repeats it many times, we should to. Satan is the wicked one that Paul is talking about here, he is a hideous, malevolent power that is relentlessly opposed to God and God’s children. He is constantly at war using his evil spirits.

Now, thankfully even though I was in the military, I never had to engage in combat, but I have heard enough stories to know that war is not pretty. Many soldiers die violent deaths. Others are maimed for life. Those that survive come home with what is called PTSD, emotional scars that run very deep and often plague them for years.

Knowing what an enemy wants to do to him, it would be insane for a soldier to want to be friends with the enemy.

And yet this is exactly what many professing believers do every day. They know that Satan and his demons are hiding in the bushes ready to ambush them, and yet they often stroll right into the traps that have been set as if they are out for a walk in the park.

They watch movies and TV shows that pollute their minds with filth, gamble and drink and even sneak in a little pornography when they think the coast is clear. Doing this is just inviting the enemy into your home and marriages. Doing this ignores the fact that there is a wicked one that is shooting fiery darts at you.

These fiery darts are things like all forms of temptation that we all are familiar with, i.e pride and selfishness.

There are the darts of discouragement, despair and doubt.

Many around the world face the darts of persecution. They have lost love ones and all of their personal possessions because of their faith in Christ. They are under intense pressure to renounce their faith in order to spare their lives and yet many die every day.

How about the darts that get hurled at you while you are praying or reading your bible. You know thoughts that just pop into your head and you have no reason why you are thinking of that?

That is Satan the wicked one hurling fiery darts at you to try and distract you so he can accuse you. He will then hurl accusation darts: saying something like “Ha caught you and you call yourself a Christian, a real child of God would not be thinking that, especially during prayer or Bible reading and yet here you are. Look at yourself. you are not what you say you are, who are you fooling.”

Paul here is telling us to take up the Shield of Faith, but what exactly did this shield do?

Roman soldiers had two kinds of shields. The small round shield was used in hand to hand combat.

The shield that Paul is speaking of here is the shield that The roman infantry would use when first marching into battle.

This shield was approximately 4ft by 2.5ft.

It was made of layered wood with a leather covering.

This shield was possibly curved on the sides to better protect the soldier

When the solider got into a defensive stance, it is said that the shield would have covered the entire body of the soldier.

The soldiers would stand shield to shield forming a wall of protection against the enemy’s flaming arrows.

As long as they stayed behind the shield they were protected

It is said that one Roman soldier had as many as 200 arrows in his shield after an intense battle.

So, the shield was essential for survival

Paul tells us here that our faith is our shield for survival against a relentless enemy that is hurling flaming dart after dart towards the child of God.

So what does it mean to take up the Shield of Faith?

I. Taking up the Shield of Faith means you are Actively Trusting in God

First we must understand faith.

Faith means total dependence on God and willingness to do his will.

It is not something we put on for a show for others.

It means believing in his promises even though we don’t see those promises materializing yet.

Faith is key to victory in battle

1 Peter 1:7 KJV 1900

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Actively Trusting God Means You

a. Stop Looking at your Circumstances and Start Looking at God’s Promises

To many times we get so focused on our circumstances, we forget the promises of God.

Taking up the shield of faith reminds you that God is faithful

It rminds you that He will never leave you nor forske you

It Reminds you that God is our protector and provider.

Just look at the faith of the three men in Daniel chapter 3

Daniel 3:14–18 KJV 1900

Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

JUst read Psalms, they are full of examples of men in desperate circumstances that trusted in God.

Often times He is in a deire situation and his life hangs in the balance. He cries out to God for help. But by the end of the Psalm even though his circustances have not changed, he rejoices in God’s promises.

That’s how you actively trust God.

You analyze your situation.

“God, I’ve just been diagnosed with cancer.”

“God, my teenager is rebelling against you and being sucked into this evil world.”

“God, I need a job to provide for my family.”

You tell the Lord your desperate situation.

Then, you rehearse who God is and what He has promised and you make a decision to rely on Him. You may have to say with Job 13:15

Job 13:15 KJV 1900

Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: But I will maintain mine own ways before him.

because you know that beyond the grave you have eternal life with Him

Steven J. Cole, Ephesians, 2017, Eph 6:16.

b. Know Your Weakness and God’s Strength

To often we tend to trust ourselves and our own ability to get us out of difficulties we face. So the Lord has to bring us to our knees to see our own weakness.

John Calvin now I dont agree with alot of His theology but he did have some good things to say about faith. He pointed out that faith by definition looks away form self and looks to God alone for help.

Paul said, when I am weak, God is strong

We must realize that we are powerless when it comes to Satan, that is why we must have on the Armor of God. The belt the breastplate and the shoes were all offensive, the shield, the sword and helmet are defencive.

It takes faith, spirit and salvation to defend against Satan and all those come from God. Its His strength that gets us through the battles not ours.

c. Obey What God Commands

God did not give us His word to just sit on a coffee table and collect dust, He gave it for us to read and obey it.

Faith and obedience are closely related in Scripture (John 3:36

John 3:36 KJV 1900

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Acts 5:32 6:7; Rom. 1:5 15:18–19 16:26

Acts 5:32 KJV 1900

And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

Romans 1:5 KJV 1900

By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:

Romans 15:18–19 KJV 1900

For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, Through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem, and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Romans 16:26 KJV 1900

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

Genuine faith necessarily results in obedience to God (1 John 2:3–4

1 John 2:3–4 KJV 1900

And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

So when I talk about trusting God, I am not divorcing it from practical obedience.

If your faith is truly in God, you will obey His commandments.

Thus, an evil enemy seeks to destroy you. You take up the shield of faith by actively trusting in God and His Word.

Steven J. Cole, Ephesians, 2017, Eph 6:16.

For Christians, this shield of faith is complete reliance on God.

II. Taking Up the Shield of Faith Means You Are Not Alone in the Fight

As the Roman Army moved ahead and the enemy started shooting arrows at them they would come together to form a wall. The front line would drop to a defenceive postion with the shields tilted backwards, then the line behind them would step forward and hook their shield to the top of the shield in front and to the side and tilt backward and so on until all you could see is a impentrable box of shields.

We are not in this fight alone we have three allies that fight with us.

a. The Spirit Guides You in the Battle

If we are living for God and obeying His Word, we can be confident that the Spirit is with us when we are the fight. Christ did not go to face the devil alone. Luk. 4:1

Luke 4:1 KJV 1900

And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

b. The Sovereign is with you in the Battle

Isaiah 41:10 KJV 1900

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Joshua 1:9 KJV 1900

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

b. The Saints Are Along Side You during the Battle

We are to edify(strengthen) one another Rom. 15 2

Romans 15:2 KJV 1900

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

Hebrews 3:13 KJV 1900

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

So while each believer must take up the shield of faith individually, we do it together with others who are trusting God in the battle.

You’ll be stronger in the battle if you know that your brothers and sisters down the line are fending off the enemy’s arrows by their shields.

We must stand together and pray for one another, so that we can encourage one another in the fight of faith.

Finally,

III. Taking Up the Shield of Faith Means a Deeper Trust in Christ

When we take up the Shield of Faith in our trials and temptations, we learn to trust Christ in a deeper way.

We all tend to trust Him only to the degree that we are forced to trust Him.

When the arrows are flying and we take refuge behind our shield, we come to know aspects of His glory and beauty that we did not know before the battle.

As He delivers us, we know by experience, as David did, that He is (Ps. 18:2

Psalm 18:2 KJV 1900

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Throwing down the shield of faith and running away does nothing for your growth in Christ.

We serve a compassionte, comforting and caring Savior

He desires for you to trust Him more

Dont run from the trials, temptations or testings

Take up the Shield of Faith and trust that God will make a way for escape

Im not saying you can intentianlly place yourself in a tempting situation and expect God to get you out of it

Im Saying when temptations come that you had no say in them, throw up your shield of faith, obey God and let God’s word direct your steps.

Remember if you step out from behind the shield, you are sure to be hit.

Trust God!

Conclusion

Maybe you’re thinking, “But I struggle with having faith in God in my trials. How do I get the faith that I need to make Christ the shield for my soul in times of trouble?”

Four things:

First, recognize that your lack of faith in God constitutes a relational problem with God.

Second, confess your unbelief as sin and ask God’s forgiveness.

Third, ask God to give you faith to trust Him fully.

Fourth, Trust in God’s Sure Word, not how you feel.

First, recognize that your lack of faith in God constitutes a relational problem with God.

If someone is completely trustworthy and you tell him, “I don’t trust you,” you’re calling him a liar and creating distance in your relationship with him. Not to trust God is to say, “Your promises are not true. You’re a liar.” That’s a terrible sin!

Second, confess your unbelief as sin and ask God’s forgiveness.

He will forgive if we acknowledge our sin and return to Him (1 John 1:9).

Third, ask God to give you faith to trust Him fully.

Remember the man who begged Jesus to heal his son, saying (Mark 9:22–24

Mark 9:22–24 KJV 1900

And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

Fourth, Trust in God’s Sure Word, not how you feel.

Faith must often stand against feelings.God’s Word is the compass to guide you when you’re lost in the fog of trials. The world’s counsel may seem right, but the counsel of God’s Word is always faithful and true. Follow Him, not your feelings!

So, is it useless advice to say, “Trust the Lord”?

I hope you see that taking up the shield of faith is the only sure way to stand firm when the enemy shoots his flaming darts at you.

As Jehoshaphat told his troops as they went out to face a powerful enemy (2 Chron. 20:20

2 Chronicles 20:20 (KJV 1900)

Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.

Steven J. Cole, Ephesians, 2017, Eph 6:16.

I mean real genuine solid faith, like that of shadrache meshcke and adbindigo? Dan. 3:14-18

Daniel 3:14–18 KJV 1900

would not bow

would not bend

would not burn

Then they were bound, thrown into the fire and when the king looked in what did he see? A fourth whos form was like unto the Son of God.

These three men, put up there sheild of faith and that shield protected them from all the firey darts that Satan was huralling at them.

Do yo have that kind of Shield of Faith this morning?

Thats what I want to look at this morning is the Mighty Shield of Faith

I. Taking up the Shield of Faith Displays God’s Ability

II. Taking up the Shield of Faith Deflects the Evil one’s Attacks

III. Taking up the Shield Demonstrates

II. Taking the Shield Reminds

and As burning arrows not only pierced but set on fire whatever they pierced, they were doubly dangerous. They serve here, therefore, as the symbol of the fierce attacks of Satan. He showers arrows of fire on the soul of the believer, who if unprotected by the shield of faith would soon perish. It is a common experience for God’s people that at times horrible thoughts—unholy, blasphemous, doubting, malignant—crowd on the mind, which cannot be accounted for by any ordinary law of mental action, and which cannot be dislodged. They stick like burning arrows and fill the soul with agony. They can be quenched only by faith, by calling on Christ for help. These, however, are not the only kind of flaming arrows, nor are they the most dangerous. There are others which ignite passion, inflame ambition, excite cupidity, pride, discontent, or vanity—producing a flame which our deceitful heart is not so prompt to extinguish and which is often allowed to burn until it produces great injury and even-destruction.

Against these most dangerous weapons of the evil one, the only protection is faith. It is only by looking at Christ and earnestly invoking his interposition on our behalf that we can resist these insidious assaults which inflame evil without the warning of pain. The reference of the passage, however, is not to be confined to any particular forms of temptation. The allusion is generally to all those attacks of Satan by which the peace and safety of the believer are specially endangered.

Charles Hodge, Ephesians, Crossway Classic Commentaries, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1994), 218.

Our faith in God should be so alive and robust that we never question the circumstances in which we find ourselves, the limitations He has placed on us, or His right to dictate the terms of our lives. We never question the goodness of God. We never doubt His government. Because of our faith we shrink from sin because it offends Him, grieves His heart, and inevitably brings into our lives the consequences He says it will. We never question God’s goals either. If He has not yet brought us into the kingdom, we believe that one day He will. The place, the process, and the time period are all in His purposes. Such faith effectively quenches Satan’s darts.

John Phillips, Exploring Ephesians & Philippians: An Expository Commentary, The John Phillips Commentary Series, (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Eph 6:16–17a.

Related Media

Related Sermons