Stand and Fight: Playing with Fire
Beartown Road Alliance Church
July 29th, 2007
We used to play a lot of great games when I was a youth pastor. For the adults, our favorite games were always the week before school started up again. We were gearing up for our huge school year kick-off event and because of all of the work and preparation that went into that, the week before we would spend the entire youth group time just playing around and blowing off steam. The only thing that we told the kids was “come prepared to get messy!” One year we played homemade twister with plates of oatmeal, pudding, baked beans, jell-o, and cat food. Most years we played a few games with eggs. It rained one year so we went inside and had a marshmallow fight! That took about 6 months for your shoes to stop sticking to the carpet. We had a lot of fun and always made a huge mess!
There was one constant every year, we always did something with water balloons. We would usually fill up about 800-1000 balloons. One of the games we played was a version of capture the flag. You had two teams and divided the area into two sides with each kid getting only two balloons. The object was to get onto the other team’s side and hit their queen with a balloon. Now, if you got hit with a balloon on the other team’s side, you were out. Each team had a queen and 2 bodyguards. The bodyguards had trash can lids for shields and their sole purpose was to protect the queen. The kids would take this very seriously and would throw themselves around blocking balloons. If they didn’t have the shields, they never would have been able to protect the queen from attack. They got pretty good at this game so one year, we had the adults go on the roof of the church with about 6 water balloon launchers. We launched these balloons, one on top of the other and they couldn’t keep their queen dry. Finally, one team figured out how to defend against these long range attacks. The bodyguards knelt down, put the shields together, and hid the queen between them. No matter how many balloons we launched, we couldn’t hit her, she was safe behind the shield. We drilled a bunch of other poor, unsuspecting and unprotected kids, but with the shields in place, the queen was safe.
As we turn back to Ephesians, this morning, Paul introduces another aspect of spiritual warfare, another way that Satan works. He has equipped and prepared us for fighting at close range, now he reveals Satan’s next step. When our integrity is in place, when our righteousness is fastened on, and when our heels have dug in, and Satan can’t get at us from close range, he changes tactics.
We’ve looked at the belt of Truth. This is a life that measures up to God’s standard of Truth. It is the character of integrity. This is what holds the rest of the armor in place and keeps us from tripping over ourselves. We’ve looked at the breastplate of righteousness. This is the character of godliness. It describes our position before God, He looks at us and sees righteousness because of our faith in Jesus. It also has to do with our actions; we are to choose to do what is right. Last week we looked a the importance of the shoes. We are to wear, like shoes, the readiness of the gospel of Peace. We have peace with God, the peace of God, and are called to have peace with others. That’s the gospel of peace, and the readiness that Paul talks about is that we are to be ready to stand our ground, by knowing what we believe. We are to be ready to take new ground by growing in our faith. And we are to be ready to go where God calls us to go and proclaim the good news of the gospel to all who will hear it.
So that is the armor that we have looked at so far. Each piece is something that God has put on, at least in part, for us. Now, we get to a piece of the armor that we are commanded to take up. Paul changes gears for the last few pieces of armor. The first three are essential parts of our character and will protect us in close combat with Satan. Once Satan sees that our belt is tightened, our breastplate is secure, and our feet are dug in, he goes a different route and begins to attack from a distance and see if he can sneak an arrow in past our defenses.
I have had many proud moments as a father. I have also had some moments where my father’s license should probably be revoked. When Ethan was about two, we were messing around in the back yard playing catch and I threw one ball up really high. As he watched that one, I threw another one right at him on a direct line. I don’t know what I was expecting to happen or why I thought beating up a two year old would be funny, but the ball hit him in the forehead a second before the other one landed on his head. Long story short, he cried, Erin looked at me like I was the planet’s biggest loser and we had a rather awkward moment. But, in this case, Ethan had one thing covered and got nailed by another. Paul paints a picture here of Satan trying this very tactic. If we are going to cover ourselves from one attack, he’s going to come from another angle at the same time and see if he can catch us unaware. He’s willing to try everything, close range and lobbing arrows at us from a distance to try and take us out.
These aren’t just any arrows, Paul calls them flaming arrows. In those days, enemy soldiers would sit at a distance and their archers would rain down arrows on an advancing army. The arrows had heavy iron tips that had been dipped in pitch and set ablaze. The purpose of these arrows was two-fold. First, of course, they were designed to kill and maim. They were instruments of war. But they served another purpose that could have mean a quick end to a battle. They were designed to cause chaos and confusion. If the advancing army had no protection, the ranks would quickly break and panic would set in, making victory a sure thing for those shooting the arrows. If the army had shields that were not specifically designed to repel and extinguish these arrows, they would lodge in the wood and begin to burn until the soldier was forced to cast it aside and make himself vulnerable to continued attack. This was an extremely effective weapon and the results could easily decide the outcome of a battle.
The Roman army came up with a way to defend against these attacks. They built shields that would cover a soldier from head to toe. They were huge, about the size of a door. They were made of multiple layers of wood that had been soaked in water and had linen strips in between each layer. It was then covered in some sort of animal hide and a bronze strip ran along the edge to hold it all together. Before they would march or enter into battle, the shields were soaked again so that they would not catch on fire if they were hit. The army would advance in lines called phalanxes, they were shoulder to shoulder and formed one solid wall so that the arrows could not find their mark. And if one did stick in a shield, it was quickly extinguished by the wet wood.
Satan uses these arrows with the same intent as the archers of old, to cause chaos and confusion in our lives and ultimately to lead to defeat. Paul says we can be ready , and we can stand. To do this, we’ve got to take up the shield of faith. We gotta have faith.
I. The Shield
a. What It Is:
Paul does not call this piece of armor the shield of the faith, he is not taking about the great doctrines of the faith or of the faith that leads to Salvation. In order to believe that Jesus died for our sins and to ask for His forgiveness, we have to have faith. That’s not what the shield is made of; we’ll get to that next week when we talk about the helmet of salvation. Paul is simply talking about faith in God, a reasoned decision in our own minds to trust God.
HEB 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
The shield of faith that we are to pick up in our lives is being sure of what we hope for, it’s knowing that God delivers on his promises. When we trust that God’s promises are true, we can use those promises and assurances to fend off every arrow of Satan.
I have an office in our basement in the parsonage. It is my “man room.” It’s painted in the vibrant Brown and Orange of the Cleveland Browns and filled with my collection of sports memorabilia. It was supposed to be where I could watch football games but somehow Erin’s sewing room ended up twice as big and my man room could only fit 2 people at a time! So, now it’s an office. When I was hanging things on the wall, I had to stretch to reach something and I leaned over and put some of my weight on a bookcase that was against the wall. Not smart, the bookcase collapsed and oddly enough, so did I! A few scrapes and bruises later I knew that some things were not meant to be leaned on. Unfortunately too many Christians put God’s promises in to that category. We know them, we even like them, but we don’t lean on them and trust that God’s promises will have any impact or bearing on our lives. We think that we can lean on our own wisdom and strength. PR 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. If we try to lean on anything other than the rock solid Truth of the promises of God, we’re bound to crash at some point.
Promises can be a tough thing for us as humans to believe. We are used to the promises of men that are often empty and unfulfilled. But Numbers 23:19 tells us:
NU 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
There is no comparison when it comes to God. God’s promises will not fail. What He says He will do in the pages of His Word, He will do. It’s that simple.
RO 4:18 Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be." 19 Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead--since he was about a hundred years old--and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. 20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Abraham was promised something humanly impossible by God. Can you hear the arrows of Satan flying at his shield? You’re too old, who are you that God would bless you, your friends will think you’re nuts. None of that mattered. God said it, Abraham believed it, and that was that. Taking up the shield means having this kind of faith and trusting in God’s promises. That’s the faith that Paul is writing about.
How do we get this kind of faith, how can we make sure that our shield is battle worthy and can withstand the barrage of Satan’s arrows?
b. How it’s Made
Remember that the Roman shields were made of many layers, each one laid on top of the next and each one lending strength to the next. Our faith is grown and built up the same way. Our faith grows when we trust God and find that He is faithful to His promises. James 1:3-4 says: 3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Each promise that we take hold of and believe is a new layer is an ever stronger shield. In order for us lean on God’s promises, there has to be times when our faith is put to the test. That’s the way that God works in our lives. If you pray for patience, in most cases, God doesn’t snap His fingers and BAM!, you’re patient. No, God is going to put you in a position where your patience is tried and tested and through that, you will develop patience. If you pray that God will help you to love the unloveable. God is going to bring some unloveable people into your life to test you and to teach you to love. If you want this kind of faith, you have to realize that God is going to put you in situations where your faith in him is tested. He is going to put you in situations where you have no choice but to give up or to cling to His promises. I have found this to be true so often for myself in this ministry. Over and over again I have found myself in a position where I don’t have the answers or the strength to do it on my own. But I know that God promises in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that when I am weakest, His strength can best be displayed.
My faith has been stretched and tested in the two years that I have been here and I stand as a testimony to each of you that God is faithful to His promises and that if you want to take up this shield, you have to start to trust. It’s not faith until we hear God’s promises and then step out, believing that God is going to fulfill that promise in our lives.
.
The shield is faith, it’s made up of layer after layer of God’s promises fulfilled in our lives, it’s made to put out Satan’s fiery arrows. If you don’t have this shield of faith, you may get lucky and block an arrow now and then; but sooner or later a flaming arrow is going to sneak past and while you’re trying to put that one out, another and another will hit you until you are a burnt out, washed up, bitter, defeated Christian incapable of experiencing the joy and victory that is your in Christ.
What are these arrows that Satan uses?
II. The Flaming Arrows
Satan’s quiver is full of different kinds of arrows. For some, he shoots arrows of lust and that is the one that finds its mark. For others it’s the arrow of greed. Self-esteem, power, loneliness, worry, all of these are arrows that Satan has loosed from close range on many men and women with deadly accuracy. But when he can’t get in close and trip us up with blatant and obvious sin, there are a few arrows that he saves to try and confuse us and trip us up and slow or even stop our growth. The only way to shield ourselves from these is to know God’s promises and to hide behind them when the flaming arrows are looking to break our defenses and cause chaos in our lives. We’re going to go through these fairly quickly. Be honest with yourself and see if Satan has landed any of these in your life.
a. Doubt
Doubt is an issue that is bound to creep into the life of every believer on occasion. Most of us have had a moment or two where we wonder, if only for a moment, if all that we believe is true. But Satan wants that doubt to linger. Satan would love for this arrow to land and begin to burn away that shield until there is nothing left to stand behind and we are completely exposed and vulnerable. There are different arrows of doubt. First and foremost, Satan wants us to:
1) Doubt that God Exists
When you look around you, you can see the evidence of a Creator. When you see the order and organization of the physical world, it screams intelligent design. We can see the evidence of God moving, we can feel the tug of the Spirit in our hearts, but even with all of that, we can’t see God and because of that there will always be the potential to doubt that He exists. But as Christians, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:7 We live by faith, not by sight. So, when sight tells us to doubt, faith chooses to believe the promises of God. Satan says there is no God, the Bible tells me:
DT 4:39 Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other.
Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
When we choose to believe that God exists, because He promises that He does, we will see the blessing and reward of God and the shield will extinguish the arrows that fall around us. If Satan can’t get you to doubt that God is there, he’ll loft another arrow of doubt.
2) Doubt God’s Power
Maybe there is a God but certainly He is not able to do all that we need Him to do for us in our lives. Satan tries to replace the omnipotent with the impotent. But God says:
jer 32:27 "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
PS 28:7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
God promises that His power, His strength is sufficient. In fact, God is strongest when we feel the weakest and have to rely on His strength. How would our lives change if we believed that in our lives? Prop up your shield and rest in the protection that faith in God’s strength brings.
Next comes this arrow of doubt:
3) Doubt God’s Love
Why would God love us? Have you ever had that thought? Why would God love me? The Truth is, I have no idea! But The Bible assures us:
PS 32:10 Many are the woes of the wicked, but the LORD’s unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him. Jer 33:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. PS 103:11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
God went to great lengths to not just promise His love, but to prove it.
JN 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
God’s love is a promise, a guarantee from God, Himself.
4) Doubt God’s Wisdom and Plan
It is so tempting for us to believe that we know better than God and to question His will in our lives. When Satan throws this arrow, our shield needs to be:
PS 18:30 As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
PR 19:21 Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.
ISA 55:8 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. ISA 55:9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God’s ways may not always be the easiest to understand, but they are always the best for us. We can’t allow this arrow of doubt to land and begin to burn.
When we take God at His word and stand firm through all the arrows of doubt, we will find that our shield holds and that the arrows fall harmlessly to the ground and when we believe God and have faith instead of doubt, we have added, with God’s help, one more layer to strengthen the shield for the battles to come.
2nd major arrow that Satan fires at us is:
b. Fear
This is a great weapon of Satan. Fear paralyzes and renders us ineffective. This is an arrow that has landed and burned the lives of many Christians. But God wants us to understand that when we trust in Him, there is no need to fear.
PS 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
There are 365 instances in Scripture where we are commanded to fear not! That’s one for every day of the year!
1) Fear of Death
Satan wants you to be paralyzed by the fear of death and what’s to come, God says:
Heb 2:14-15…so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
We have been freed from a fear of death because in Christ we have the promise of eternal life.
John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
To leave this world is to be ushered into the presence of Jesus!
2 cor 5:8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. (NLT)
That is why we can say: 1 cor 15:54-55
"Death has been swallowed up in victory." 1CO 15:55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
2) Fear of Sharing our Faith
Ex. 4: 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
The same God who called Moses to lead calls us to carry His Truth to a lost and dying world and the same Spirit that opened Moses mouth can open ours as well. We have the power of God to be His witnesses. Believe that, test it, step out and share.
3) Fear of Being Alone – the fear of being abandoned by God.
Matthew 28:20 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Deut 31:8 The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Even in the darkest times God promises to be there beside us:
PS 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
God’s promises mean that we do not have to ever fear being alone!
With each promise we trust, the shield is stronger and when we accept God’s promise that we do not need to fear anything because He is in control, we have added another layer to this shield of faith.
Finally, the last of the flaming arrows that I want to look at specifically this morning is the arrow of:
c. Guilt
Many of us are carrying around a heavy burden of guilt this morning. We have messed up in the past, maybe we’ve messed up big time and it seems to keep coming up and getting thrown into our faces. Satan is the master of guilt. We have those thoughts that God can’t forgive this or that, or that God may forgive it but He’s going to never let us forget it! God promises three very important things that will put out the fire of guilt in your life for good.
1) You have been forgiven:
1 john 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
2) It has been forgotten:
HEB 8:12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."PS 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
3) You have been freed:
Rev 1:5 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,
John 8:36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
So when the arrows of guilt fly all around us, we can stand firm with our shield in place and say, I’ve been forgiven, it’s been forgotten, and I’ve been freed! When we learn to trust God and have faith that we no longer stand guilty before God, it’s another layer and a stronger shield.
Faith in the promises of God will equip us with the only shield that can extinguish the arrows of Satan and provide us the protection that we need from those long range attacks that Satan launches when he can’t get in close.
Satan will throw doubt at you, do you have the faith to knock it away?
He will throw fear at you, do you have the faith to knock it away?
He loves to throw guilt at us, do you have the faith to knock it away?
He’s saying: “Take this!” and with the shield of faith we can say “get away, I believe.”
We serve a God that is faithful to His promises and those promises tell us that we can stand.
HEB 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil-- 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
2SA 22:31 "As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the LORD is flawless.
He is a shield
for all who take refuge in him.
PS 18:35 You give me your shield of victory,
and your right hand sustains me;
you stoop down to make me great. (inadequacy)
PS 33:20 We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
PS 33:21 In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
