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This is Nugget 4 of a series to follow, submitted by yours truly...Tina. Please pray that God will give inspiration and revelation to all contributors, using them to His glory and for the edifying of every reader.
Nugget #4: Background Passage: Ephesians 6:10-20 Focal Passage: Ephesians 6:16
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
4. Above all, take the shield of faith
Above all denotes that this point is of supreme importance. According to this, faith is the most important component of the armor. Paul says no matter how much truth, righteousness, and Word you may have, they are nothing without faith! Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). None of the other parts of the armor can be effective without this one. Faith is so important that it is the only one that Paul goes into some detail in describing the purpose for. Without faith, you’ll never tap into or access the other armor, and you’ll never please God. God operates by and through faith! He always has, as we see in both the Old AND the New Testaments. In the Old Testament, God asked Abraham to sacrifice the child through whose seed the blessing was promised to come. Abraham reckoned the boy dead, but had faith to believe that even if God allowed him to die, He could bring Him back or give Him another Isaac(Ge 22). Joseph was given a Promise, but had to remain faithful to it and to God through the Pit and the Prison before making it to the Palace(Ge 37-41). In Bible Nugget #1, we alreay discussed the faith that would cause you to tear through a rooftop, go through any means to get to Jesus on behalf another man, of faith of of a woman so great that she would press through a crowd, risking death (women were not to be out when bleeding) to touch Jesus’ clothes, and of two blind men whose faith opened their eyes. It was because Stephen was so full of faith and the power that comes from faith that he was able to do many miracles (Acts 6:8). In contrast, the opposite was evidenced when Jesus went into His own country, Nazareth. He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief (Matt 13:54-58). Faith will empower you, give you the courage to go places and do things that you wouldn’t normally do. Jesus spit in the dirt and made mud and put it on a man’s eyes, telling Him to go somewhere- to BLINDLY follow and obey His commands- and wash!!!! That man had faith enough to go and do as Jesus said to do. Spitting on someone was an act of true disgust and disgrace in that time, yet the man let nothing stop him from receiving his sight. So, no matter what fiery darts the enemy throws at us,when we stir up the gift within us, raise up the shield of faith that God is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, that He’s able to fight our battles for us, that even this situation God can use for our good, then we can extinguish the fire in the enemy's schemes and traps. We must have faith, a strong conviction of the truth that God exists and is the creator and ruler of all things, and the provider and bestower of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ.
Taking the shield of faith doesn't mean to simply have it with you, but to take up, raise it. We must use it, not just have it, but raise it up in the times of adversity. We must recognize that possession is nothing if the thing possesed is not put to the use for which it was designed. Who has a working car, and walks 20 miles to work every day, using the car instead as a storage bin? What then is the purpose of paying those high car notes? Likewise, what is the point of having truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, and faith if they are not put to use in times of adversity? Unfortunately, that is just what many Christians do. They learn of the gospel, learn how to live righteously, profess unending faith, and then run or fall apart at the first hint of trouble! All we have to do is stand, being sure we have the full armor of God on, and raise up that shield of faith!
The shield doesn't make the darts go away, it simply puts the fire out, extinguishes, suppresses, stifles, makes them of no evil effect. They can no longer burn you, but only make your faith stronger. The shield of faith doesn’t just cover one aspect of our life, but it covers them all (The Roman shield was an oblong shield, at least four and a half feet long, that covered the WHOLE body). That’s one reason it is of supreme importance; it is the one thing that will protect when the others can’t. We don't always know the truth, and sometimes may not tell the truth when we do know it. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, so no man can say they have lived a life of total righteousness. In fact, we in ourselves can not be righteous before God, for our righteousness is as filthy rags (of a woman's menstruation- Is 64:5-7) before Him. And if the truth be told, we aren't always as prepared as we'd like to be or think we are when it comes to the gospel of peace. But if we continue to have faith at all times, and take it up, it will shield and cover those other fallacies in our lives as God works on them and strenthens them. Faith can protect your finances, health, relationships, your heart, everything! More than that, faith is the portal through which you access those other weapons! UNDERNEATH the shield of faith is where you will find the girdle of truth, breastplate of righteousness, and feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace! Faith is your first line of defense.
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...to be continued in our next Bible Nugget.......
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