For the last several weeks this blog has been
focused on the apostle Paul’s teaching in Ephesians 6:16: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can
extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (ESV). The two previous
blogs are archived and can be accessed by clicking on Blog Archives to the left.
Each time we engage in worship, each time we pray in faith, each time we open the Word of God believing that God is going to speak to us, we are performing an act of faith. Each time we step out in faith like this, we are reminding the enemy that a part of our armor is the “shield of faith.”
Each time we engage in worship, each time we pray in faith, each time we open the Word of God believing that God is going to speak to us, we are performing an act of faith. Each time we step out in faith like this, we are reminding the enemy that a part of our armor is the “shield of faith.”
In war, the Roman legions marched toward the
enemy, and the soldiers often banged on their shields with their swords as they
marched. The horrific rattling, banging sound of thousands of shields and
swords was meant to frighten the enemy. When we raise our shield of faith and
declare the “sword of the Spirit (the Word of God)” we are, by faith, declaring
the victory of the Lord over all the power of hell.
I recently did some research on what Paul meant when he used the term “flaming/fiery darts.” I always thought he was referring to arrows that had been set on fire, like we see in some of the epic movies. I was close but my understanding was a little incomplete.
When Paul speaks of “flaming darts,” he is speaking from a first century Roman context. The world Paul lived in was dominated by Roman military might. Roman soldiers maintained the rule of Rome throughout the world that Paul lived and ministered in. In fact, Paul constantly used the prevalent Roman soldier to illustrate truths he was teaching.
The “flaming darts” were not exactly arrows. They were more like very thin, hollow pieces of reed or bamboo. Into the hollow portion, flammable liquid was inserted and somehow sealed in. Into one end of the hollow portion a wick was inserted and just before the dart was to be used, the wick was set afire. The soldiers then threw or launched the dart filled with flammable liquid at the enemy. When the projectile hit, it would shatter, splashing the liquid, and setting the burning wick on fire. This was a first century equivalent of a “Molotov cocktail” or an incendiary bomb.
It was to protect against these flaming darts that the Romans got rid of the small metal shields used in warfare and moved to the larger wooden shield covered in leather. The Romans soaked their leather in water before going into battle so that when the flaming darts of the enemy came, the “soaked” leather would extinguish the fire. And we are to raise our “soaked” shields of faith so that when the attacks come, we are ready!
I recently did some research on what Paul meant when he used the term “flaming/fiery darts.” I always thought he was referring to arrows that had been set on fire, like we see in some of the epic movies. I was close but my understanding was a little incomplete.
When Paul speaks of “flaming darts,” he is speaking from a first century Roman context. The world Paul lived in was dominated by Roman military might. Roman soldiers maintained the rule of Rome throughout the world that Paul lived and ministered in. In fact, Paul constantly used the prevalent Roman soldier to illustrate truths he was teaching.
The “flaming darts” were not exactly arrows. They were more like very thin, hollow pieces of reed or bamboo. Into the hollow portion, flammable liquid was inserted and somehow sealed in. Into one end of the hollow portion a wick was inserted and just before the dart was to be used, the wick was set afire. The soldiers then threw or launched the dart filled with flammable liquid at the enemy. When the projectile hit, it would shatter, splashing the liquid, and setting the burning wick on fire. This was a first century equivalent of a “Molotov cocktail” or an incendiary bomb.
It was to protect against these flaming darts that the Romans got rid of the small metal shields used in warfare and moved to the larger wooden shield covered in leather. The Romans soaked their leather in water before going into battle so that when the flaming darts of the enemy came, the “soaked” leather would extinguish the fire. And we are to raise our “soaked” shields of faith so that when the attacks come, we are ready!
The flaming darts are not primarily going to be attacks on your physical person, attacks of sickness or disease. The majority of the “flaming darts” will be attacks of temptation, lust, greed, disappointment, discouragement, jealousy. The attacks will be against your faith, your mind or your emotions.
The flaming darts of Roman warfare did not look all that lethal, all that menacing. If launched in daylight, you could hardly see the long, thin projectiles coming. While looking innocent in flight, when they impacted and shattered, pain and death was released. How many times have I heard people say that they didn’t understand how dangerous and hurtful their problem would become until it was too late? Thousands and thousands of men and women in the church today are hooked and devastated under the control of pornography because they thought it would be no problem to spend a few minutes of personal time looking at porn. That quick looking was the launching of what seemed like a harmless projectile that exploded in their mind with devastating consequences. Current polls indicate that up to 50 percent of church-going men and over 20 percent of women are addicted to pornography.
When the enemy attacks and attempts to cripple your spirit and control your mind and emotions, it is time to take your stand in faith—it’s time to raise the shield! “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand” (Romans 5:1-2, ESV).
If the embracing of sinful thoughts or sinful behavior opened the door to the attack, then confess that sin according to 1 John 1:9, know that God will forgive you, and then take a stand in the freedom of grace that Jesus Christ has provided for you. Declare that you are God’s child, brought into relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Declare that “greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world” and that the power of the enemy is broken in your life! Declare that you are raising the shield of faith on the authority of the Word and in the name of Jesus! Declare that by the shed blood of Jesus, “I am free!” And declare that the flaming darts of the enemy are extinguished by your faith in God, because God’s Word says so!
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