“....Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (Ephesians 6: 16)

We find in Scripture that without faith it is impossible to please God. I
believe that we will find in the world around us that the motivation
which keeps this world going is faith. Not the faith of our Lord Jesus
Christ, but still faith in some form or another. No matter where my faith
is placed, I must have faith in something to survive. The unconverted man
has faith in the hope that tomorrow may be a better day than today. From
this point of reasoning he may survive, and yet there is no guarantee of
tomorrow ever being better; but still he must have faith in something.
Where does this lead us, you may say? It leads us to the shield of faith.

Hebrews 12:2: “...Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our
faith....”

The object of our faith is Jesus. Ours is a faith that is given by God
and laid hold of by man. It comes to us through a living relationship
with our Lord Jesus Christ as we read and learn of Him through His Word.
By the revelation and light of the Holy Spirit a relationship is
established which propels us onward to act in accordance to God’s will.
Faith is what motivates us when we believe and abide in the Word of God.
It is our defense against the lies of the wicked one and we cling to it
by faith in the Son of God.
        
A physical shield has a handle on the backside by which the user can take
hold of it. Accordingly, we must grasp or lay hold of that which God has
given; for those who believe in His name have been given a measure of
faith (Please refer to Romans 12:3). We must be careful, however, that we
are not found grasping or having faith in faith; for our faith is wrapped
up in the person of Christ. Faith goes beyond reason; that is for sure,
for man’s reasoning will fail where faith will continue to thrive. Faith,
however, is not based upon the supernatural, but upon the power of God.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not
seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

We find another thought when looking at the shield and the position that
it holds in relationship to the human body. Notice that it is in front,
not behind or to the side where one cannot see it. It holds the place of
prominence.
        
Notice the wording, “looking unto Jesus,” in Hebrews. If our eyes are
beholding Jesus, then there is room for nothing else. What blessed words
were penned by David in Psalm 3:3. “But thou O Lord art a shield about
me, my glory and the lifter of my head.” With our eyes upon Jesus our
whole body is full of light, and the light of His love can boldly shine
forth unto others. With our confidence found in the person of Christ we
can boldly step forth against the foe.

On the side of Satan’s attacks we find fiery darts. Fire, I believe, is
used in scripture in two ways; it can destroy or purify. Now Satan is
definitely not in the business of purifying people, and why should that
which is of God need purifying? God may use the fiery darts of the wicked
one for our learning, or to humble us and establish our faith when we cry
out to Him(please refer to I Peter 1: 7 ), but Satan is always attempting
to destroy our faith by bringing in things that lead to unbelief. Now the
faith of our Lord Jesus Christ can never be penetrated, but carnal or
human faith can. That is why God has imparted unto us His faith through
His Son.
        
Now a dart is that which penetrates flesh and leaves a hole. A hole not
only hurts, but is subject to infection. If Satan can cast doubts in any
way upon what has been manifested through the Holy Scriptures, then he
has inflicted a small wound. If you have ever had a blackberry sticker in
your thumb, you have probably come to realize the seriousness of such a
small thing. It can literally poison your whole hand and cause it to
swell, leaving you helpless. Satan’s goal is always to render the
believer helpless. What better way can he find, than to attack the faith
that propels us onward. We only need to look at Hebrews 11 to see the
victories that were won when chosen men of God walked by faith. There is
not enough paper to explore these great testimonies that surpass the
natural mind, but hopefully you will take time to read them and recognize
the divine power of God in action.
        
What can we do and how can we lay hold of such faith as this? The more we
lay hold of Christ, the more we shall see faith in action. The Apostle
Paul said this to Timothy:
        
“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies
which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare;
holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away [or
given up] concerning faith, have made [or have become] shipwrecked.”(I
Timothy 1: 18-19)

To hold faith and a good conscience is vital to the believer. This
entails complete trust and a committing of every aspect of one’s life to
Christ, surrendering every burden, confessing every sin, and going to the
Lord for cleansing. Anything that hinders faith should be cast aside.
Anything that causes the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ to be cheapened,
such as false teachings, should be left behind. I know of many dear
brothers and sisters in Christ who have left groups which were programmed
by false teachers. They left, knowing that something was wrong, but never
examined all that they had been fed to see if it was in accordance to
God’s word. In later years they were hindered by these false concepts.
Nothing should stand between us and the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.
        
Saints, let us beware of the schemes of the devil and that they are
contrary to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is our Shield, and
to Him we must cling. Let us move onward to the battle, for it is Jesus
who leads and protects. It is Jesus who deflects the fiery darts of the
wicked one, and in whose faith we now stand. Let us by faith move onward
in the light of His glorious presence, for He is the Author and Finisher
of our faith.  Amen!

M. H. G.
     

E-Mail Matthew H Goins