The Shield Of Faith

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength

of his might. Put on the full armor of God so

that you will be able to stand firm against the

schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not

against flesh and blood, but against the rulers,

against the powers, against the world forces

of this darkness, against the spiritual forces

of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore,

take up the full armor of God so that you will

be able to resist in the evil day and having

done everything to stand firm. Stand firm, therefore,

having girded your loins with truth and having

put on the breastplate of righteousness and having

shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel

of peace. In addition to all, taking up the shield

of faith, with which you will be able to extinguish

all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take

the helmet of salvation and the sword of the

Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer

and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit,

and with this in view, be on the alert. with

all perseverance and petition for all the saints.

And pray on my behalf that utterance may be given

to me in the opening of my mouth to make known

with boldness the mystery of the gospel. Let's

go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we come to

you this Lord's Day evening. Father, we ask tonight

that you would... Be in our midst that you would

bless the ministry of your word. Lord, that you

would use your truth to work in our hearts and

our minds. Lord, we ask that you would strengthen

our faith. Lord, we thank you for the life, death,

and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The glorious gospel of God. Lord, we ask that

you would... Remind us again of the great value

and blessing of the gospel for believers. We

ask these things in Christ's name. Amen. We are

picking up in our series on spiritual warfare.

the church at Ephesus, and he finishes with this

great imagery of the Christian life as a battle,

as warfare, as fighting. And the enemy in this

battle is not men, it's not flesh and blood,

but it is demonic in nature. It is spiritual.

in nature. He says, put on the full armor of

God so that you will be able to stand against

the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is

not against flesh and blood, but against the

rulers, against the powers, against the world

forces of this darkness, against the heavenly,

the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly

places. Now, naturally, if we are going to fight

in a spiritual we have to fight in a way that

is effective. We have to do battle in accord

with the nature and character of the battle itself.

It's one thing to fight flesh and blood. There's

physical ways to fight men. There are physical

ways to defend and oppose. Men in the flesh.

But how do you fight in a spiritual fashion?

In a spiritual manner? This is what Paul is concerned

with. And he teaches us that God has vested his

power for successful Christian living in these

virtues or these means, this armor, of God, and

that if a Christian is to stand firm and do battle,

they must fight in God's way, and that is with

God's armor. We've considered everything up to

verse 16 so far. In verse 16, we come to the

shield of faith. We read this, in addition to

all, taking up the shield of faith with which

you will be able to extinguish all the flaming

arrows of the evil one. Tonight, we have to consider

the shield of faith. We'll do this first by considering

the distinction of faith among the armor of God.

Notice in verse 16 that this is different than

everything else Paul has said about the other

pieces of armor so far. He adds more nuance.

He expands. He increases the size and the space

that he gives to this. He even gives the purpose

and the ability of the shield. He says this.

Taking up the shield of faith with which you

will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows

of the evil one. He expands on it. So there's

something different about the shield of faith

from all the others. Now it's also important

that we recognize there are various translations

of the first part of the verse. When we read

this at the very beginning of verse 16, it says

this, In addition to all. Now, that's translated

in a bunch of different ways. Some translations

say, Above all. Some translations say, In addition

to all. Some translations say, In all circumstances.

In the Greek, what it says is this. In all. That's

it. Nothing else. So the translator has to determine

what it is talking about or what it is referencing.

So is it referencing the other pieces of armor?

Or is it referencing the circumstances? I think

the best translation is from the NET, the New

English Translation. It says this, in all these,

or in all these things, referring to the previous

armor that has been discussed. I believe that

faith is being put forward as something that

is distinct. Largely because it is vital and

essential to the rest of the armor that Paul

has already elaborated on up to this point. So

that means that the shield of faith has reference

to the gospel shoes of peace and preparation.

That means that faith has reference to or it

relates to the righteousness of Christ. That

means that faith relates to the helmet of salvation

that will be spoken of later. That means that

faith relates to the truth that is to be wrapped

around your waist as a belt that you're supposed

to gird your loins with. That means that faith

relates and is essential and integral. to the

sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

that's spoken of later. I believe that Paul is

talking about the essential nature and character

of faith to all the armor. Meaning you can't

put on the belt of truth if you don't believe

the truth. You can't appropriate the righteousness

of Christ in your life. if you don't believe

in the righteousness of Christ in your life by

faith. That means that you cannot be prepared

in the Gospel if you don't believe the realities

of the Gospel. That means that you can't wield

the sword of faith, which is the sword of the

Spirit, which is the Word of God, if it is not

by faith. If you take faith out, nothing else

works. I think that is what Paul is putting forward

here. There are so many Christians, truly, genuine,

born -again believers, who are living unhappy,

sad, despairing lives with no joy. With no peace.

There are so many Christians who are living their

lives in a sense in misery. Being overwhelmed

and dominated and controlled by so many various

things. And it's not always for lack of knowledge.

It's not always because of ignorance. Sometimes

and many times I believe it's due to lack. of

faith. They aren't believing what the Word of

God says regarding the forgiveness of sins. They

aren't believing what the Word of God says with

regards to who they are in Christ, that they

are a new creature in Christ Jesus. They don't

believe. And they aren't believing actively.

That God Himself indwells them. That sovereignty

dwells within them by the Spirit of God. That

He is changing them and transforming them. That

the same power that raised Christ from the dead

is at the disposal, in a sense, of the believer.

They don't believe that. They don't believe that

the Christian life can rightly be lived. That

holiness or godliness is actually feasible or

possible because of the strength and power of

corruption and sin. They're not believing the

gospel in a sense. Lack of faith, which the Lord

Jesus himself rebuked many, many times throughout

his ministry. Remember, the Lord Jesus said often,

ye of little faith. And he was rebuking his disciples

oftentimes. Lack of faith leads to all kinds

of spiritual maladies, brothers and sisters.

It opens the door for all kinds of spiritual

attacks. and spiritual influence by the devil,

by the enemy, by the spiritual forces in the

heavenly places, wicked and evil powers, dark

forces. Not believing the gospel opens the door

to many, many spiritual maladies and sicknesses

and diseases. And problems. And all sorts of

negative things that ought not to be. In the

life of the Christian. Stunted sanctification.

You don't grow as you ought to grow in the Christian

life. You don't ever seem to make any progress.

Or to make good big leaps. There doesn't seem

to be. Strong impressions of God's grace and

God's glory and the power of God in your life.

Stunted sanctification. There's no vital power

in your heart and life. There's a dullness. Almost

an indifference. A neutrality with regards to

spiritual things. Yeah, we default to moral uprightness

because that's how most of us have been raised.

But there's a lack or the absence of spiritual

zealousness in the Christian life, in your life,

in my life. There's spiritual stagnancy and superficiality.

is more prevalent than we'd like to admit. That

dominates us at times. There's backsliding. The

absence of warmth and delight in the things of

God. We all know these experiences. And some

of us know them more familiarly than others,

sadly, brothers and sisters. And oftentimes those

things are the result of lack of faith and spiritual

influence from the devil and his hordes in your

life and mine. Faith is essential and vital for

this warfare. If you are to live the Christian

life as you ought, one that is full of life and

full of power and full of grace and mercy and

progress and strength to strength, faith to faith,

brothers and sisters, then we must live by faith.

Faith is essential. So this leads us to another

thing, the nature of faith. As a protective shield.

This is why faith is so essential. Because faith

offers protection for your heart and your mind

and your soul and your spiritual life. And that's

what we find in this text. The image that Paul

uses is that of a Roman military shield. Now,

there is multiple kinds. The most common. was

a small shield that was circular that could be

used for hand -to -hand combat. That is not what

Paul is referring to here. But there was another

shield that was much larger. It covered the soldier's

body basically from his knees all the way up

to his shoulders or his head. It was very thick.

It would... be covered in water -soaked leather

just prior to battle. Sometimes it was carried

by an armor -bearer so that the military man

himself would be freed up to fight as he needed.

It was likely rounded. So you can imagine it's

big enough and it rounds. That it actually offers

some protection, not just from the front, but

it actually offers protection from the sides

as well. That a person could almost hide behind

this shield. Now, when all the soldiers had these,

they could almost barricade themselves. So they

could fortify themselves so that it was an impenetrable

force. Or space where the enemy couldn't get

inside. They could break open. They could spear.

They could use their swords as they needed. But

it was impenetrable in a very real way when they

locked arms and they came together like that.

So this is the image that Paul is using. A military

Roman shield. It's big. And it offers a lot of

protection and defensiveness with regards to

the enemy's attacks. Especially flaming arrows

or other devices that would be used. They would

either go off to the side or they would pierce

the leather and the fiery dart would be put out.

It would be extinguished. It would be deemed

useless with regards to the fight. So what is

the meaning of this image that Paul wants us

to understand? He wants us to recognize that

faith is a defense and protection against the

various demonic attacks in a Christian's life.

Faith itself is the shield. we talk about faith

in this context, in this instance, when Paul

uses this word, the shield of faith. What is

he referring to with regards to faith? Is he

referring to the faith, once for all, handed

down to the saints, the objective faith in this

case? No, I don't believe that he is. He's referring

to subjective, active trust. and confidence in

God and His Word. I believe that that is what

he's referring to in this instance. Paul actually

uses the word faith throughout the book of Ephesians

many times, and he references it on several occasions.

In Ephesians 1 and 2, we really see that faith

is the means of... In verse 13 of chapter 1,

we read this. In him you also, after listening

to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation,

having also believed, you are sealed in him with

the Holy Spirit of promise. So he's talking about

faith. Trusting in the promise. Trusting in the

message. Of the gospel. We read in chapter 2.

That faith is given. We read this in chapter

2 verse 8. For by grace you have been saved.

Through faith. And that not of yourselves. It

is the gift of God. Faith is something that is

God given. It is a grace. And it is something

that God gives that man exercises and possesses

once God gives it. It's the result of regeneration

and the new birth. In a sense, it's the sovereign

working of the spirit in the life of the believer.

So he's talking about faith that God has given

to believers. But we also see that Paul refers

to faith as... Union with Christ in a sense in

chapter 3. We read this starting in verse 16.

We'll start reading in verse 14 of chapter 3.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

from whom every family in heaven and on earth

derives its name, that he would grant you, according

to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened

with power, through His Spirit, in the inner

man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts

through faith, and that you, being rooted and

grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with

all the saints what is the breadth and the length

and the height and the depth, and to know the

love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge, that

you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

In this text, Paul is talking about something

experiential and subjective in the life of the

believer. In chapter 1 and 2, we already see

these objective, glorious realities that are

true objectively of believers. In chapter 3,

he teaches us that it is by faith that we actually

enjoy the... presence of Christ in our lives

experientially, that we grow in assurance and

maturity, that we grow in strength. Chapter 3,

he's writing to Ephesians, to the Christians,

brothers and sisters. He wants Christ to dwell

in their hearts, but doesn't Christ already dwell

in their hearts? Yes, but he wants them to know

the presence. Of Christ in their life. In greater

measure. In greater ways. In greater degrees.

And how does that take place? By faith. We also

see. That faith. Is our means of access. To God.

In verse 12. Of chapter 3. In whom we have boldness.

And confident access. Through faith in him. Now

notice in this text. That Paul is using this

idea of boldness. And confidence. And it is through

faith. That we have access to the father. That

is something that is active. That is something

that is not passive. Believing. is something

that is very, very active in the life of the

believer, especially as Paul talks about it in

Ephesians chapter 6. Now, the Old Testament talks

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

about trusting in the Lord a great deal. The

New Testament talks about trusting in the Lord

Jesus and trusting in God a great deal. Trusting

in the Word of God a great deal. We could think

about Proverbs chapter 3. Trust in the Lord.

Proverbs 3 · chapter mention

We could think about many of the other Psalms.

We could think about Jeremiah chapter 17, verses

Jeremiah 17:7

7 and 8. All of these picture something that

is active. The exertion of the will, the mind,

and the affections to rest in God and His Word.

In theology, scholars and theologians throughout

the century have referred to faith in two ways.

They talk about the habit of faith. In Latin,

it would be habitus fide, so the habit of faith.

But they've also talked about the... The act

of faith. Or in Latin. Actus fide. So there's

the habit. And there's the act of faith. One

we would say is the principle of faith. Something

that God gives. It creates the potentiality and

the possibility. For the exertion. or the exercise

of faith in a person's life. But it's not the

same as actively believing. That's the act of

faith. We can almost think about it in the sense

of a seed and something that has fruit. There's

a big difference. The text in Ephesians 6 where

it talks about taking up the shield. is referring

to the act of faith. Exercising one's faith.

It's not enough to merely possess or have the

principle of faith in one's life, but a person

must exercise the faith that God has given them.

They must consciously Exert their mind to believe

what God has said. The act of faith. That's what

Paul is speaking of when he talks about taking

up the shield of faith. So we learn from this

text that faith is protective and defensive in

the life of the believer. The protective and

defensive faith that we so long for and we so

need must be active faith. We must believe actively

the promises and the realities of the gospel.

But, if you do this, this text Promises us something.

Listen to what Paul says. He says this. Taking

up the shield of faith with which you will be

able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of

the evil. He doesn't say you may or you might

or you could. No, you will. It's referring to

the efficacy of picking up the shield. It refers

to the efficacy that follows picking up the shield

by faith, we could say. There's absolute certainty

that if you take up the shield, you will extinguish

all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Faith.

is comprehensive and effective at stopping the

attacks of the devil in your life with regards

to these flaming arrows that Paul talks about.

So what are these attacks which faith defends

against? Well, we know a little bit about how

the devil works generally. We've touched on this

several times as we've considered this. Pastor

Josh touched on this in catechism this morning.

The devil is referred to and given the title

and the name of the liar, the accuser, and the

tempter throughout the Bible. We read in Ephesians

Ephesians 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6 that his methods are called schemes.

Tactics. Deceitful, subtle strategies that are

planned out. That have intention and purpose

behind them. They oftentimes don't, they aren't

what they appear to be. Because the Bible teaches

that he comes as an angel of light. That he is

not what he appears to be. And the same is true

with his tactics and his wiles and his methods.

But here in this text, specifically, they are

referred to as the flaming arrows of the evil

one. We might think that arrows would be enough.

If someone is shooting a bow at another person

attempting to kill them, trying to end their

life with malice and a forethought. An arrow

is one way of doing it, right? And the arrow

is the weapon. But that's not all that's present

in this case. It's not just a deadly arrow that

can pierce through a man's heart, but it's a

flaming deadly arrow that can pierce through

a man's heart. And kill them. There is malice.

There is hatred. It's meant to burn. Brothers

and sisters. He doesn't just want the piercing.

He wants the pain. And the consequences that

come with it. There's malice and a forethought.

And I have to think that Paul. Wants us to know

that the attack. corresponds to the nature of

the defense. So what are these flaming arrows

that are spoken of? Well, if faith is the shield,

then what would the attack be? Doubt. Lack of

faith. Lack of assurance. Uncertainty. Shame.

And guilt. You see, the devil doesn't just work

in clear, overt ways, brothers and sisters. He

can harm a person long -term for years. He can

harm a church long -term for years if he can

get unforgiveness and guilt and shame in a person's

heart and wrap it all up in a pretty box called

pride. He can do a great deal of damage in a

person's life by getting them to constantly question,

am I really forgiven? Is this all really worth

it? Is God really good? Will he carry through?

Are his promises real and true? Doubt, fear,

anxiety, worry. How many Christians have been

completely sidelined as a result of being consumed

with fearfulness and worry in their lives, overcome

by guilt and shame in their lives? Or discouragement

and despair and being downcast. Temptation. If

the devil can convince a young person or an old

person that this is what I really need right

now, that this is what is really good for me

in this moment, not... holiness, not godliness,

not Christ, not the presence of God, but this.

Whatever it might be. That's what I really need.

Then brothers and sisters, we have to ask whether

or not we are believing what God has said regarding

the gospel. Here you are. What Christ has done.

Who you are in Christ and what is true of us

because of Christ. The work of Christ and his

active and his passive obedience. His life, his

death and his resurrection. The devil wants you

to question and to distort your understanding

of reality, God, the gospel. the promises, and

the nature and character of God's truth. He wants

to distort all of that in your thinking. He wants

to pervert all of that in your heart so that

you don't clearly think about those realities.

So that you don't apply those realities in your

life. So that you do doubt. So that you do fear.

So that you are overwhelmed with anxiety and

worry and stress and dread. So that you are overcome

with guilt and shame and discouragement and despair.

So that you do cave to temptation. Or that trials

make you bitter instead of holy. And make you

more near to Christ. All kinds of things, brothers

and sisters. The devil works woe into our life.

any number of ways. But faith is the Christian's

response. We must respond with the shield. Hiding

behind the shield. Standing behind the shield.

Faith protects and defends. Against all the attacks

of the devil. Faith in God and his word. And

the promises of the gospel. They are the remedy

brothers and sisters. For all those spiritual

maladies in your heart. The remedy. For every

spiritual malady of the soul which the devil

incites, induces, or encourages or inflicts,

what's the remedy? Believing the truth of the

gospel concerning Jesus Christ. That's the remedy.

Believing the work of the gospel. The truth concerning

who Christ is and what He has done. The reason

the shield is impenetrable, brothers and sisters,

is because the promises contain an impeccable

Savior. The reason the shield is impenetrable

is because they contain promises concerning an

impeccable Savior, Jesus Christ. His impeccable

life. His impeccable death. Everything about

him is perfect and complete and done. It's because

faith lays hold of these promises that the truth

presents to the believer. So, what does that

mean? How do we? Believe the gospel when the

devil shoots these arrowy darts and arrows at

us. Well, brothers and sisters, when you start

to doubt, believe justification by faith. When

you start to ask, am I really forgiven in Christ?

Is my sin covered? Brothers and sisters, remember

the passive obedience of Jesus Christ on the

cross. Was his sacrifice sufficient? When you

start to have issues in your Christian life and

wonder, is there really adequate resources in

heaven for me? To be changed and transformed?

For me to persevere unto the end? For me to get

to glory? For me to be glorified? For me to be

brought into heaven with God in Christ? Is there

sufficient and adequate power for that? Then

look at the resurrection of Jesus Christ and

the perfect holy life of Jesus Christ. Christ

the remedy for all of these issues. Just believe

it, brothers and sisters. When fear and anxiety

and worry set in in your life, remember who God

is. What God is like. Remember that the cross

happened according to the predetermined plan.

of God, that he's sovereign over redemption,

that he's sovereignly superintended and accomplished

the gospel, and that all of these things, whether

they be temptation, trial, fear, anxiety, worry,

doubt, lack, all of those things, every single

last one of them, because God is sovereign, uses

them and works them for my good as a believer.

Every single one. The gospel is very much like

a diamond. You pick it up and it reflects light.

You turn it a little bit and the light reflects

differently. When the devil comes in with whatever

it is, when warfare takes place in your life,

You hold up that diamond, brothers and sisters,

the gospel of Christ. His life, death, His work,

His person. And you turn it until you find the

remedy. And let that light shine on you. You

just have to find it. You look at the gospel.

And you look at the malady in your heart. How

can Christ? His life, His death, His resurrection,

the work of the Spirit. How do these things act

as balm for my soul? So, when the devil attacks,

the believer responds in faith with God's Word.

That, brothers and sisters, is what it means

to take up the shield of faith.