2009 Spiritual Warfare Series, Part 6
Ephesians 6:16
The Essential Shield of Faith
INTRO: He was a professional
thief - His name stirred fear in the hearts of men, like desert wind stirred
tumble weeds.
A)
Even the most rugged frontiersmen were scared
of him
For
13 years starting in 1875 - he held up 29 Wells Fargo Stage coaches
successfully Amazing thing:
Never fired a shot
B) Weapons: fear,
intimidation and Deception
Ride
up to a stage and the driver of the stage see this man Dressed in black sitting
on horse - identity never described - black hood
C)
Newspapers - San Fran -
One
of the most notorious outlaws of all time!
D)
Finally caught up with him - 13 years - wasn't wicked outlaw, crazed killer - Death Valley.... very
smart, file clerk - from
This
man, Black Bart, in black hood, reminds me of another one who has been
terrorizing and haunting our society - humanity globally
A)
Weapons - like Black Bart - fear and intimidation/ Deception -
SATAN
B)
Satan tries to get into your mind - cause you to fear, be intimidated listen to
lies - stumble, compromise
C) But like with Black Bart - when
they found out he was just a smart
file clerk (our reaction when we see our foe)
1) Don’t
get me wrong - I believe the devil has power - no doubt
D)
But when we see him in light of our Hero - Our King we are going to say "this is he who held the world captive"
E) Not because of his lack of power - but because doesn't
compare with our Lord - Our King!
A)
It is about standing: standing strong - not in our strength
but in His!
A) First three - having - past tense - focus
is on who you are in Christ!
B)
Set free by the
truth! Now living in that truth!
You
are covered in
the righteousness of Christ & So you are standing in that
reality!
C) You
are at peace w/ God - which results in that you can experience the peace of
God in your Lives & Walk
1.) You're
walking in & enjoying that blessing!
D) So the first 3 pieces of
armor focus on who you are in Christ!
1) And the Key to standing strong in victory
is knowing your position knowing where stand! / Enjoying that!
The
2nd three pieces of armor SPEAK OF who Christ is in you!
A)
Their reference is in the present tense! Daily take up our
shield; our helmet and our sword- Praying Always
B)
Daily applying these pieces of armor in the battle that we find ourselves in!
C)
We pick up in V.16 …..Above all, taking the shield
of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the
wicked one.
D)
Remember as Paul writes this he is in a Roman Prison – Chained to a Solider
1)
Under the inspiration of the HS Paul will use each piece of the Soldiers armor
to describe an aspect of our Spiritual Armor.
E)
The Shield is Chosen by the HS to illustrate Faith - Above all taking …. Shield of faith
Now the First question we want to tackle
tonight is what is the faith that Paul is referring to here?
A) It is not
historical faith- I believe all the major doctrines of the Bible
B) Not
saving faith – but it is practical faith / everyday faith.
C) One
commentator used this analogy to explain this faith:
When missionary John Paton was
translating the Scriptures for
One day while he was working in his
hut, a native came running into Paton’s study & flopped into a
chair, exhausted. He said, “It feels so good to rest
my whole weight in this chair.”
Instantly John Paton
knew he had his definition: Faith is resting your whole weight on God. That meaning helped
bring a whole civilization to Christ.
So How is faith like a Shield? 4
ways
#1 FAITH IS LIKE
A SHEILD – because it protects us
against ATTACK!!!
A)
There were Two shields used by Roman soldiers in Paul's day! One small round, light, Attached to wrist - hand
to hand combat
C) The
other shield was large - 2 1/2 feet wide
and 4to5 feet tall- It was made of Solid wood - covered with leather /
1) It is this
Larger Shield Paul is referring to Here
1) Crotch behind
In
those days one of the finest weapons of the enemy was the arrow! Shoot
from distance - any angle
A) Consequently - take their
shield and squat behind it and be completely protected!
B) The enemy would often take these arrows and
rap the tip with cloth - covered w/
pitch
Light on fire - become flaming missiles! / Hit target not only - puncture but burn
C) Too combat
this the Romans would often soak the leather on the front of their Shield in
water – before going into battle – so that when
these flaming arrows would hit the shield the dampness would cause the flame to
go out.
D) All of
which is pregnant with meaning: Paul says our Shield is to quench all the fiery
darts or flaming missiles of the wicked one!
A) Just like the leather that covered the shield was soaked in water –
to extinguish the fiery darts
B) As our lives are soaked in the water of the Word of God – Our faith
grows and those flaming missiles of the enemy are quenched.
Paul tells us to
above all take the shield of faith that you might be able to quench all the
fiery darts of the wicked …..ONE
A)
As this Shield covered the
entire SOLIDER against the flaming
arrows of his enemy –
B)
The Shield of Faith covers
us entirely against the fiery darts……
Understand
that all the other aspects of the Armor – are covered by the shield which is
also why Paul says above all taking the Shield of faith
A)
Takes faith to Believe the
FACTS – concerning the truth Christ has made us free
B) It takes Faith – to Understand the FACT THAT we are covered in the
Righteousness of Christ!!!!
C) It takes Faith – to Embrace that Reality that we IN CHRIST are at
Peace w/ God that enables us to EXPERIENCE THE Peace of God in our Lives
D) It takes Faith – Wear the
Helmet of Salvation – Assurance that Saved
1) it takes Faith to Wield the
Sword of the Spirit – to stand on & Use the Word of God – BELIEVING it will not RETURN VOID
E) And we are told that the prayer of faith –
the Lord Honors
So
Faith is Like a Shield First of all Because it Covers the Whole Man –
Everything is covered by Faith!!!!!
Martyn Lloyd-Jones (The Christian Soldier [Baker], p. 305) says,
“Faith here means the ability to apply quickly
what we believe so as to repel everything the devil does or attempts to
do to us.”
Peter gives similar counsel to a suffering church. After warning
them that their adversary, the devil, was prowling after them, to devour
them,
Peter adds (1 Pet. 5:9), “But resist
him, firm in your faith….”
Stay behind the shield of faith and you will be safe. Move out from
behind it and you will be a casualty.
#2
Faith is like a Shield because FAITH BEARS THE BLOWS FOR THE MAN Himself!!!!!
Eph. 6: 16
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to
quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
A) What are these fiery darts or flaming
missiles!
Aa) Thoughts that Satan will seek to throw into your mind! Come at anytime and in all shapes and sizes/ Attacks
our Faith
B)
In fact interesting come most often when doing something spiritual
C) Reading Bible:
praying, in worship - here comes the missiles
"Seeking God again - fire - attack - light
arrows"
Suddenly
thoughts of temptation - where that come from
D)
Crazy thoughts – fear /doubt/ lust Anger/ …..
A)
McCheyne: plagued by evil thoughts and imaginations - Father asked - do you enjoy them? No, hate them! Realize - not yours!
B)
Faith is Like a shield in that it takes the Blows – in Public and in Private
C) One of Satan’s
biggest Missiles is the Missile of Fear – Alan Redpath “Fear is the greatest
enemy of our faith.”
#3
Faith is like a Shield in that it needs to be well handled.
B)
We have already reminded ourselves of our belief when we put on the girdle of
truth - breastplate ... shoes of peace!
C)
that is our belief in what Christ is to us - who we are in Him. But faith is
more than that ... Faith is acting on belief!
D) Actively
trusting God involves looking at your circumstances and at the promises of God
and deciding to rely on God.
1) Faith
looks away from oneself and to God alone for Help! {
C) Fear not going to make it!
He who began ... complete it!
D)
Tempted to focus on temporal life.
1)
Inheritance in Heaven - 1 Peter 1:3-4
Not
corrupted / stolen / fade
When
the enemy comes and attacks me during prayer saying - He doesn't hear you!
A)
It is w/ the shield of faith that I remind myself of Psalm 34:15-18
The eyes of the
LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. The righteous
cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is near
to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.
B)
When He comes trying to discourage me not to worship - you sound horrible - you
are in sin
1)
With the shield of faith I am reminded that God is looking for worshipers
That He inhabits the praises
of his people
When
the enemy shoots that arrow that says - you can't do anything - you are too
weak
With
the shield of faith - I respond you are right - but His grace is sufficient ...
boast in my weakness
When the enemy
comes and whispers - your sin is great!
Respond: yes, but He is able to
save to the uttermost!
A) Often times in battle the
soldiers would ban together w/ their shields standing side by side shields up
& over head
B) Make a human tank / march
on their enemy / united & bound together / covered by their shields / very
effective
C) To me this is a perfect
picture of what the Lord can do when His people are bound in faith!
The Bible declares that 2 Chron. 16: 9 the eyes of the Lord go to and fro
throughout the earth seeking to show Himself strong on behalf of those who
heart is perfect toward Him!
D) The Lord says I am
looking for those who will in faith make a stand / who will thru faith step out
in ministry
1) Type of faith that Led Jonathan & His armor
barrier to say lets see what the Lord might want to do!
E) Type of faith that Elijah stood against prophets of
Baal / Gideon
1) And 300 men stood against army that # like
the sand!
F)
Apostles preached so boldly / Phillip to
Maybe
you are thinking but I struggle in Faith
First,
recognize that your lack of faith in God constitutes a relational problem with
God.
If someone is completely trustworthy and you
tell him,
“I don’t trust you,” you’re calling him a liar and creating distance in your
relationship with him. Not to trust God is to say,
“Your promises are not true. You’re
a liar.” That’s a terrible sin!
Second,
confess your unbelief as sin and ask God for forgiveness.
He will forgive if we acknowledge our sin and
return to Him (1
Third, ask
God to give you faith to trust Him fully.
Remember the man who begged Jesus to heal his
son, saying (Mark 9:22-24), “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help
us!” Jesus replied, “If you can? All things are possible to him who believes.” The man cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief.”
Fourth,
don’t try to
work up faith; rather, look to the Lord Himself.
He is trustworthy. He has never failed anyone, including
the martyrs.
Read your Bible to see who He is.
Fifth, do
not trust in how you feel, but trust in the sure Word of God.
Faith must often stand against feelings. God’s
Word is the compass to guide you when you’re lost in the fog of trials.
The world’s counsel may seem right, but the
counsel of God’s Word is always faithful and true.
Follow Him, not your feelings!