The Christian's Armour. 3
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4. "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (v. 16). I think the words "above all" have a double force. First, literally understanding them as a preposition of place, meaning over-all, shielding as a canopy, protecting the mind, heart, and will. There must be faith in exercise, if those three parts of our inner being are to be guarded. Second, "above all" may be taken adverbially, signifying, chiefly, pre-eminently, supremely. It is an essential thing that you should take the shield of faith, for Hebrews 11:6 tells us, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him." Yes, even if there were sincerity, love, and a pliable will, yet without faith we could not please Him. Therefore, "above all" take unto you the shield of faith.
Faith is all in all resisting temptations. We must be fully persuaded of the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures if we are to be awed by their precepts and cheered by their encouragements; we will never heed properly the Divine warnings or consolations, unless we have explicit confidence in their Divine authorship. The whole victory is here ascribed to faith "above all": it is not by the breastplate, helmet, or sword, but by the shield of faith that we are enabled to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
It seems to be a general principle in the Spirit's arrangement of things in Scripture, to put the most vital thing in the center: we have seven pieces of armor, and the shield of faith is the fourth! Faith is the life of all the graces. If faith is not in exercise, love, hope, patience cannot be. Here we find faith is likened unto a "shield," because it is intended for the defense of the whole man. The shield of the soldier is something he grips, and raises or lowers as it is needed. It is for the protection of his entire person.
Now the figure which the Holy Spirit uses here in connection with Satan's attacks, is taken from one of the devices of the ancients in their warfare, namely, the use of darts which had been dipped in tar and set on fire, in order to blind their foes: that is what lies behind the metaphor of "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one"; what is in view, is Satan's efforts to prevent our looking upward! When those darts are in the air the soldiers had to bow their heads to avoid them, holding their shields above. And Satan is seeking to prevent our looking upward.
The attacks of the devil are likened to "fiery darts," first, because of the wrath with which he shoots them. There is intense hatred in Satan against the child of God. Again; the very essence of his temptations is to inflame the passions and distress the conscience. He aims to enkindle covetousness, to excite worldly ambition, to ignite our lusts. In James 3:6 we read, "the tongue is set on fire of hell"—that means the devil's "fiery darts" have affected it. The third reason why his temptations are likened unto "fiery darts" is because of the end to which they lead if not quenched; should Satan's temptations be followed out to the end, they would land us in the lake of fire. The figure of "darts" denotes that his temptations are swift, noiseless, dangerous.
Now taking the shield of faith means appropriating the Word and acting on it. The shield is to protect the whole person, wherever the attack be made, whether on spirit, or soul, or body; and there is that in the Word which is exactly suited unto each, but faith must lay hold of and employ it. Now in order to use the shield of faith effectually the Word of Christ needs to dwell in us "richly" (Col. 3:16). We must have available a word which is pertinent for the particular temptation presented. For example, if tempted unto covetousness, I must use, "Lay not up for yourselves treasure on earth"; when solicited by evil companions, "If sinners entice you, consent not"; if tempted to harshness, "Be kindly affectioned one to another." It is because the details of Scripture have so little place in our meditations, that Satan trips us so frequently.
"Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Eph 6:16). Like most of the other terms used, "faith" here also has a double signification. The faith which is to be our "shield" is both an objective and a subjective one. It has reference, first, to the Word of God—the authority of which is ever binding upon me. It points, secondly, to my confidence in that Word, the heart going out in trustful expectation to the Author of it, and counting upon its efficacy to repulse the devil.
5. "And take the helmet of salvation" (v. 17). This is the fifth piece of the Christian's armor. First of all we may note the link between the fourth and fifth pieces as denoted by the word "and," for this helps us to define what the "helmet of salvation" is; it is linked with faith! Hebrews 11:1 tells us, "faith is the substance of things hoped for," and if we compare 1 Thessalonians 5:8 we get a confirmation of that thought: "But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation." Here in Thessalonians, then, we have "hope" directly connected with "the helmet."
Incidentally, this verse is one of many in the New Testament which puts salvation in the future, rather than in the past!—hope always looks forward, having to do with things to come; as Romans 8:25 tells us, "But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it." Now faith and hope are inseparable: they are one in birth, and one in growth; and, we may add, one in decay. If faith languishes, hope is listless. By the helmet of salvation, then, I understand the heart's expectation of the good things promised, a well-grounded assurance that God will make good to His people those things which His Word presents for future accomplishment.
We might link up with this, 1 John 3:3—scriptural hope purifies. It delivers from discontent and despair, it comforts the heart in the interval of waiting. Satan is unable to get a Christian to commit many of the grosser sins which are common in the world, so he attacks along other lines. Often he seeks to cast a cloud of gloom over the soul, or produce anxiety about the future. Despondency is one of his favorite weapons, for he knows well that "the joy of the Lord" is our "strength" (Neh. 8:10), hence his frequent efforts to dampen our spirits. To repulse these, we are to "take the helmet of salvation": that is, we are to exercise hope
6. "And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (v. 17). God has provided His people with an offensive weapon as well as defensive ones. At first sight that may seem to clash with what we said about Christians not being called upon to be aggressive against Satan, seeking to invade his territory and wrest it from him. But this verse does not clash to the slightest degree. 2 Corinthians 7:1 gives us the thought: "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit": that is the active, aggressive side of the Christian's warfare. We are not only to resist our lusts—but to subdue and overcome them.
It is significant to note how late the "Sword of the Spirit" is mentioned in this list. Some have thought that it should have come first, but it is not mentioned until the sixth. Why? I believe there is a twofold reason. First, because all the other graces that have been mentioned are necessary in order to make a right use of the Word. If there is not a sincere mind and a holy heart we shall only handle the Word dishonestly. If there is not practical righteousness, then we shall only be handling the Word theoretically. If there is not faith and hope we shall only misuse it. All the Christian graces that are figuratively contemplated under the other pieces of armor, must be in exercise before we can profitably handle the Word of God.
Second, it teaches us that, even when the Christian has attained unto the highest point possible in this life, he still needs the Word. Even when he has upon him the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, his feet shod with the shoes of the preparation of the Gospel of peace, and has taken unto himself the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, he still needs the Word!
The Word of God is here called "the Sword of the Spirit" because He is the Author, the Interpreter, and the Applier of it. He is the only One who can give it power over us. We can handle the Word, meditate upon it, pray over it, and it has no effect upon us whatever, unless the Spirit applies His Sword! If you think of this verse in the light of Christ's temptation, you will find that He used that Sword for self-defense in repulsing the assaults of the devil: He was not aggressively attacking him! And blessed, too, is it to mark that, as the dependent Man, He used that weapon in the power of "the Spirit": See Matthew 4:1, Luke 4:14.
7. The last piece of armor is given in verse 18, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints." Prayer is that which alone gives us the necessary strength to use the other pieces of armor! After the Christian has taken unto himself those six pieces, before he is thoroughly furnished to go forth unto battle and fitted for victory, he needs the help of his General. For this, the Apostle bids us to pray "always" with all supplication of the Spirit. We are to fight upon our knees! Only prayer can keep alive the different spiritual graces which are figured by the various pieces of armor.
"Praying always": in every season—in times of joy as well as sorrow, in days of adversity as well as prosperity. Not only so, but "watching thereunto with all perseverance": that is one of the essential elements in prevailing prayer—persistency. Watch yourself that you do not let up, become slack or discouraged. Keep on! The 18th verse is as though the Apostle said, "Forget not to seek unto the God of this 'armor,' and make humble supplication for His assistance; for only He who has given us these arms can enable us to make a successful use of them."
Some have called it the "all verse." "Praying always with all prayer . . . with all perseverance and supplication for all saints": think not only of yourself, but also of your fellow-soldiers who are engaged in the same conflict!
Question—What does the 12th verse mean?
Answer—It does not refer to the sphere or place where the "wrestling" itself is done, but emphasizes the fact that the foes which attack the Christian are superhuman. We are not to interpret that verse by the language of earth's geography: it does not say "for we wrestle in high places against principalities and powers." No, the high places are connected with those who attack the Christian, and not with the place where the wrestling is done.
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