Pastor Allan Kircher
Shell Point Baptist Church
May 25, 2014
Ephesians 6:16
THE SHIELD OF FAITH
Continuing to examine the various pieces that constitute “the whole armor of God.”
• Taking my time/preaching/each piece/armor
Coming/day/each/our lives/know “the whole armor of God”
• How to use it in our lives/vitally important our spiritual lives.
Engaged/great cosmic battle against a powerful, relentless enemy.
God desires we be able to “stand” against the attacks/enemy
To “stand” means “to hold a critical position during a time of enemy attack.”
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The Belt Of Truth speaks:
• Life/built upon faithfulness/Word of God
• Truth in both our testimony and in our living.
• Gives/believer stability so they are enabled to stand
• Provides a place/other pieces/armor to rest.
• Unless our lives rooted in, and lived out in truth
• We will not be able “to stand in the evil day.”
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Breastplate Of Righteousness speaks
• Holy life/lived in conformity/Word of God.
• When we allow sin to dwell in our lives
• We give Satan “beachhead” which he can attack/exploit us
• Personal holiness closes the door to Satan
• It protects us from him when he attacks us.
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Boots Of Peace speaks about our foundation in Jesus.
When our “feet are shod/preparation of the Gospel of peace
• Means we saved by grace/we know it.
• Nothing can change our minds.
• Satan may try and cause us to doubt
• We are sure/secure in our salvation/we cannot be moved.
next piece of armor/study/shield Of Faith. The Bible says, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
Let’s see why/piece/armor/important/Lord would say/we are to have it “above all.”
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I. HOW THE SHIELD OF FAITH IS DESIGNED
• “Shields”/very important/Roman soldier
• Several kinds/shields in use by/Romans during/time period.
One/small, round shield/secured/soldier’s arm/two leather straps
• Used/parry the thrusts/enemy blade/hand-to-hand combat. This small, lightweight shield not one referred to here.
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• Word used/“thureos.” Comes/word “thura,”means door.
• Thus, the “thureos” was a large, door shaped shield.
• shields 4.5 X 2.5/Designed/cover/entire body/soldier
• Possible/men 1st century much smaller men today.
• Made of a solid piece of wood
• Covered/metal/heavy oiled leather
• Man/put/entire body behind
• absorbed/javelins/arrows/enemy
Arrow would snuff out as it buried itself/thickness/shield.
Shield one/most important pieces/armor possessed Roman soldier.
When Roman soldiers went into battle, those carrying the larger shields marched/vanguard/army
• marched side by side with their shield’s together
• Romans called this a “phalanx.”
Romans faced their enemies/ranks of soldiers which followed the first rank would raise their shields over their heads.
• They/butt their shields against those of the first rank.
• With/shields/first rank soldiers held side by side
• following rows holding their shields over their heads
• Romans presented their enemies/impenetrable barrier.
Arrows/swords/spears were useless against/Roman phalanx
• fall harmlessly to the ground
• Romans phalanx was as much as a mile wide.
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II. HOW THE SHIELD OF FAITH DESCRIBED
• Told here that believers need a shield
• shield we need is not/one/iron/leather/not/manmade shield
• We are told to have is called a “shield of faith.”
“Faith” Paul refers to here is not “body of Christian belief.”
• Not referring to the doctrines we believe.
• Referring to simple “faith” in God.
• “faith” refers/belief /Jesus Christ/brings salvation
• also speaks our daily faith/Jesus leads to blessing
• Daily provision, and strength for the journey.
• This kind of “faith” is simple faith in Jesus.
Simple trust in the Lord that saves us, grounds us, strengthens us, calms us, grows us, establishes us, etc.
Faith/necessary, non-negotiable component/Christian life.
• We can’t be saved apart from faith in God.
• Eph. 2:8–9….
• Our entire Christian life is built upon/sustained by
• a consistent believing God
• And He blesses those who place their faith in Him.
“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.” Heb. 11:6.
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We all live by some form of faith every day we live.
• Cross bridges/believe they will support us
• Go through tunnels believing they will not collapse.
• We trust automobiles/airplanes/ships/believing they/safe Our faith in those things is well founded
• They have proven themselves over and over.
Faith in Jesus is far and above the everyday faith we practice when we climb into our car and head down the road, or when we drive over a bridge.
Our faith is only as good as the object of that faith.
• When our faith in Jesus Christ
• our faith/Someone Who cannot fail
• faith/Christian has power
• Object of our faith is all-powerful.
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True Christian faith never fails because/object/our faith never fails!
• We need to be sure our faith is in the Lord.
• Word of God will never fail
• faith/believer in God is never misplaced
• our faith in Him is essential if we want to succeed/walk/Him
“Shield of faith” is necessary because it provides us with our connection to the Lord
• Protects us from the enemy who desires to slay us.
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III. HOW THE SHIELD OF FAITH IS DEPLOYED
Bible says/“the shield of faith” will enable us to “quench all the fiery darts/wicked.”
In ancient times
• Tips of arrows/wrapped in pieces of cloth/soaked in pitch
• would then be set on fire-shot at the enemy
• Arrow hit its target/flaming pitch would splatter/every direction, igniting everything flammable it touched.
• The pitch could cause serious burns in their skin
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The Roman “thureus” shield would provide an adequate defense against these fiery missiles.
• Shield was metal/arrow and its fiery tip would be deflected
• shield was leather/be soaked in water prior battle
• wet leather would quench the fiery arrows/protect/soldier
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Every day/saints/God are assailed/“fiery darts” of the devil.
• Arrows he launches against/usually/temptation.
• Temptations to immorality, hatred, envy, anger, covetousness, envy, fear, despair, distrust, doubt, pride, and every other conceivable sin.
Satan comes against us, continually attacking us/tempting us/sin.
• “fiery darts” of temptation/potential to inflict great damage on our lives
• But/“shield of faith”/power/quench all devil’s fiery darts!
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We all have lusts within us which are easy to ignite.
• All/needed/tiniest flame and we are a roaring fire.
So we are assaulted/diseased arrows of degrading passions, smoking arrows of materialism.
• We burn so easily!
• As the arrows fly toward us
• our rationalizations come so naturally:
“If God didn't want me to have this, then why did he make me with such a desire for this thing, this person, this pleasure?
• My neighbor has it. He does it. And he is doing so well…”
• We’re really good at justifying sin, aren’t we?
• We marry a lost person
• Try/justify/talking about how much we love them.
• We gossip
• We justify/talking/how concerned we are about person
• We do ten thousand other things and try to justify them in countless ways
• In the end, it all comes down to the same thing.
• When we sin, and try to justify that sin,
• We are guilty of doing Satan’s will over the Lord’s will.
• That is never anything but sin!
But then comes God's Word:
1 Thess. 4:3–8….
Phil. 4:8…Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
As we believe God's Word, the shield flies up/arrows fall/ashes.
• Satan desires to defeat us, that is very clear
• Primary means of accomplishing getting us to sin.
Satan causes us to doubt God by leading us to sin against God,
• By causing us to justify our sin against God.
• When we fall into this trap, we are guilty of degrading God’s character and elevating the devil’s.
• No good can come from that.
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In the Garden of Eden Satan launched his first “fiery dart.”
• He tempted Eve/doubt God/distrust/Word of the Lord
• He tempts us/same manner/he tempted Eve then
• tempts us same pattern
Pattern/found Gen 3:1-6/also 1 John 2:15, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”
The Word of God, the truth of God, is what we must have if we would see the “fiery darts” of the enemy quenched.
Pro. 30:5-6 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
Ps. 18:30As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.
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Conc: So, what is “the shield of faith?”
• “The shield of faith” is simple trust in God
• taking Him at His Word/believing Him in all things
• Putting Him and His will ahead of everything else in life.
• So when Satan launches his “fiery darts” at us
• we are able to hold up “the shield of faith,”
• Watch them all fall harmlessly to the ground.
When we trust God, we can stand against all the attacks of the enemy.
• “The shield of faith” makes Christian life possible.
The Lord says “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Rom. 1:17
• This kind of faith is the very lifeblood of the believer.
• Shield that arrows of Satan cannot penetrate.
• Shield will protect you here.
And, like the ancient Roman soldiers who were slain in battle, and carried off the field on their shields, the shield of faith will carry you home to glory and bring you into the presence of the Lord!
Do you stand protected by “the shield of faith?”
Are you rooted and rounded in the truth and ready for the attacks of the enemy?
