Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Above all in this respect: It is through and by faith that we live the Christian life and war the Christian warfare.
Eph 2:8 We’re saved by faith
Acts 26:18 We’re sanctified by faith
Ro 5:1 We’re justified by faith
Ro 11:20 We Stand by faith
2 Co 5:7 We walk by faith
Eph 3:17 Christ dwells in our hearts by faith
Gal 2:20 We live by faith
Heb 11:6 We please God by faith
The point is: Everything that we have need of as a child of God is appropriated by faith.
2Pet 1:3-4 Tells us that God has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, but that they come to us through his exceeding great and precious promises. = (By faith)
The shield of faith speaks to us of the ability to meet the attack regardless of the direction it comes from. It is mobile, It is our responsibility to position it where it is needed.
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 are responsible to take the shield of faith, we are also responsible for the
effectiveness or you might say size of our shield of faith.
Shall be able means: God has provided the potential for your faith to be sufficient to win in any and every confrontation. (That potential is his word).
1Jn 5:4 Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world, and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Ro 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.
Our ability to quench the fiery darts of the devil is our knowledge and confidence in Gods word. (Our shield of faith is our knowledge and confidence in God to fulfill his Word to us).
Gods word covers every facet of life, as we grow in the knowledge of and confidence in Gods word we are able to apply our shield of faith to any area that the enemy attacks and through Gods word render his attacks ineffective.
Isaiah 21:5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
There are two basic kinds of shields that were used in bible times
#1 METAL
It was a usual practice to anoint shields, and other pieces of armour, partly that they might be smooth and slippery, so the darts of the enemy might easily slide off; and partly for the polishing and brightening of them, being of metal, especially of brass.
So it follows that our faith as a shield must be anointed to maintain the ability to throw off satans attacks and to maintain the attractiveness of the Christ life.- (The shine).
#2 WOOD COVERED WITH LEATHER HIDES
(a)The anointing was to keep them from becoming hard and brittle and cracking.
(The anointing keeps our faith fresh and useful and flexible, When faith loses flexibility it loses the capacity to expand to cover and protect.
Many people have been defeated because they would not allow their faith to be challenged and to expand beyond past experiences.
(b) The anointing speaks of refreshing.
It was customary in bible times when travelers came to your home, to anoint their heads and wash their feet: This was a time of refreshing for them.
Lu 7:44-46 Jesus said: You gave me no water for my feet and my head with oil thou didst not anoint.
(When our faith is freshly anointed it keeps us in a state of freshness, and vitality).
(c) The anointing speaks of Gladness and Joy:
Heb 1:9 Thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
When our faith as a shield, is anointed it will bring a freshness to our lives, a vitality a Joy a gladness.
You may have a faith that you cling to, a profession an association a religious belief system you recognize as your faith.
But is your faith anointed? Is your shield anointed?
Is your faith fresh and attractive and flexible and producing joy and gladness in your life?
There is no victory without faith, and your faith must be anointed to be effective.
Churches are filled today with professing Christians clinging to their dryed out, brittle shriveled up and cracked shields.
Claiming to believe everything the bible says but not willing to be stretched beyond what they know.
If you are already casting out devils healing the sick raising the dead and cleansing the lepers opening blind eyes, unstopping deaf ears and making the lame to walk, maybe you don’t need this message (But for the rest of us:
(We need our faith to be freshly anointed).
Above all taking the shield of faith freshly anointed with the Holy Spirit power.
