“In every battle, take faith as your wrap-around shield, for it is able to extinguish the blazing arrows coming at you from the evil one!”
The attack from the enemy would begin from afar with “blazing arrows” and if not properly combatted the enemy would progress forward to come in for a close quarter attack using their sword.
What are these “blazing arrows”? Most times these appear to be little harmless arrows the devil aims towards our heart, mind, or emotions. Once struck if they are not quickly extinguished the fire will burn and develop into a fierce, flaming situation. He will start with thoughts, if not put out these will burn into suggestions, and if still left flaming will burn into an action.
Examples:
- Thoughts of fear, doubt, unbelief, worry, anxiety
- False perceptions of someone
- Ideas to get you to speak rumors or gossip
- Lustful thoughts
- Things from the past (forgiven sin)
- Temptation to tell half truths, exaggerations or lies
- Thoughts of inadequacy
I want to touch on a couple of things the soldiers had to do in order to use their shield effectively in battle. Understand beloved you have a part to play in maintaining your shield. Soldiers were given a daily task of maintaining their shield, to keep it in top condition. Each morning when they woke up, they would reach for their shield and for a small vial of oil they were provided. They would take a piece of cloth and soak it with the oil and then thoroughly rub it into the leather of the shield. This keeps it soft, pliable, and would keep the enemy's sword from bending around the edge and stabbing them. The enemy would attack them by hitting the edge of the shield and if the leather was stiff and dry it would allow the end of their sword to bend around it and they could then thrust forward driving their sword into the soldier. If a soldier were to ignore this daily task of oiling their shield it was the equivalent of inviting certain death!
However we have the ability to stop the potential of the close quarter combat of the enemy. We must deal with the blazing arrows the enemy begins to shoot from afar! Would you like to extinguish every blazing arrow the devil ever tries to shoot in your direction? Well this verse assures you that if you have your shield lifted high in front of you, you will be supernaturally able to defend yourself, and extinguish every one of them! The Greek word for quench means to extinguish by drowning in water. It refers to the water-soaked shield the Roman soldiers would carry. Before battle they would soak their shields in water until they were completely saturated. They did this because they knew the enemy would be shooting flaming arrows. If the shield were dry it would most likely catch on fire.
How does this apply to believers? Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." In Ephesians 5:26 the Word of God is likened to water. So, as we regularly submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit and spend time in His presence in the Word of God, we saturate our faith in His oil and then soak it with the water of the Word, just as a Roman soldier would saturate and soak their shield!
The devil will try to shoot his arrows in your direction. But having your shield of faith up, freshly anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit, and soaked in the Word you have double protection against these attacks. I guarantee that those fiery darts will have little to no effect on you.
Remember you are not a victim, you are a victor in Christ Jesus, but only when you know the armor you’ve been given and you suit up daily and take your position!
Romans 1:17 (NKJV)
"For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Romans 14:23 (NKJV)
"But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin."
1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV)
"Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong."
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV)
"For we walk by faith, not by sight."
James 1:3 (NKJV)
"knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."
1 Peter 5:9 (NKJV)
"Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world."
Luke 18:8 (NKJV)
"Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”