Our study last week had us examining the shield of faith:

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

We understood the importance of taking up the shield of faith to protect ourselves from “the fiery darts of the wicked.”  So what are these fiery darts?

Well, in Roman days they were arrows equipped to carry fire!  We have all seen enough portrayals of ancient battles to know that the Romans would often soak a rag, or something similar, with a flammable liquid and affix it to the tip of an arrow to fire upon the enemy with often deadly results.  This was a first century equivalent of a small “Molotov cocktail” or an incendiary bomb.

It was to protect against these fiery darts that the Romans got rid of the small metal shields used in warfare and moved to the larger wooden shield covered in leather. The Romans soaked their leather in water before going into battle so that when the fiery darts of the enemy came, the soaked leather would extinguish the fire.

Now as you can imagine, the sight of these incoming arrows at night was especially terrifying, and the enemy would quickly douse their shields with water to protect against them!  But the flame of these fiery darts were nearly invisible in the daytime when the light of their flames was all but eclipsed by the blaze of the sun.  That means the arrows would land on dry shields and ignite fires that would quickly rage out of control behind enemy lines! The soldiers were taken off guard until the sudden destruction!

Spiritually speaking, types of fiery darts we face are too numerous to count, as they often can hit our emotions causing temptations, anger, unbelief, anxiety, worry and the like.  The shield of our faith in the grace message can help with this, for many Christians think that the way to deal with sin is with the Law of Moses.  However, Paul tells us that “the law is not made for a righteous man,” it is made “for sinners” (1 Tim.1:9) to give them the knowledge of sin they need (Rom. 3:20) to show them they need a Savior!

The Apostle Paul tells us rather to “walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Gal.5:16), to fill our lives with serving Him, and in this way “neither give place to the devil” (Eph.4:27).   He tells us to “think on” the good things he mentions in Philippians 4:8 so as to leave no place for them in our minds.

We need to know that most fiery darts are DISPENSATIONAL arrows.  When one does not know that prayer promises like Matthew 21:22 (“all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive”) and Isaiah 65:24 (“before they call, I will answer”) are no longer functioning today, the disappointment, or misunderstanding can make many begin to disbelieve.  Or folks wonder why these things are not occurring in their lives, giving way to disbelief in the word of God.

Once again, the devil uses not only false doctrine against us…but doctrines that were meant for others…in other dispensations! Such as what was for Israel in times past, and one day will be for them again…and what is for the body of Christ today!

The shield of faith in the grace message reminds us that these promises are meant for the coming kingdom of heaven on earth, as the next verse in Isaiah indicates (65:25).  KNOWING and UNDERSTANDING that these promises are not for today quenches the fiery darts of DOUBT that Satan fires so effectively at Christians that don’t know the grace message or how to rightly divide the word of truth.  (2 Timothy 2:15)

Christians who are walking as Israelites, taking the promises given to Israel as their own today…will become disappointed, wondering why God is not working in their lives or worse, completely deluded by Satan! These fiery darts are designed to take us down fast!  If we are not prepared we will become a casualty for an hour, a day or even years if we don’t know what is going on!

Many saints are hit with fiery darts daily, but because their shield has been soaked in the the WORD of God (Eph.5:26), it kept those darts from getting through!  We need to take up our shield of faith so that we stay covered.  And remember, it is not a shield from God unless it is soaked in the word of God daily, by studying the word, praying, listening to our Commander through His word.

There is a reason the Lord tells us to study to show ourselves approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2Ti_2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Studying and reading the word of God is soaking oneself in the word of God!

All this soaking the shield of faith with the water of the Word, which shall be able to quench ALL the fiery darts of the wicked, is a spiritual application of you studying and reading, washing yourself spiritually in the word of God.

You must do it too, or fall PREY to the fiery darts of the WICKED! No one wants to be prey!  And particularly not prey for the wicked!

Romans 15:4 – For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

1 Timothy 4:13 – Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

2 Timothy 2:7 – Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

The Gospel of the Grace of God: 1Co 15:1-4 I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you…By which also ye are saved…How that Christ died for our sins…And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: