Ephesians

The Shield of Faith

Paul writes in Ephesians 6:16, “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” The devil’s arrows come in many forms, including blue moods of depression, dark nights of fear, gray days of doubt, and more. Sometimes those arrows come in the form of evil thoughts—and they occasionally come at the most unwelcome, incongruous times. We may be reading the Bible or on our knees in prayer or thinking about something else entirely when suddenly a filthy, lewd, or blasphemous thought comes to mind. Where did that come from? we wonder. But we don’t need to wonder at all. It is a fiery arrow of the devil. The devil’s fiery arrows can be recognized by two characteristics:

1. The flaming arrows of Satan seem to arise out of our own thoughts. We think, “What a shocking thought! How could such a thing even cross my mind?” But it is really the devil whispering to us, trying to influence us. In our ignorance and innocence, we blame ourselves for a horrible thought that really has its source in the deceiver. That, of course, is exactly why the devil sent that thought your way. He sends us doubts to make us think we have already lost our faith. He sends us horrid thoughts to make us feel dirty and unworthy. He sends us blue moods to make us feel hopeless and defeated.

The arrows of the devil take their toll on us in the form of mental anguish, emotional strain, confusion, and tension. It is important that we recognize the source of such thoughts. It’s important that we recognize the lies of the devil for what they are. We are not the source of such thoughts. Satan is.

2. The flaming arrows of Satan always seem to attack our position in Christ. They insinuate doubt about the reality or reliability of our relationship with God. Read the Bible from beginning to end and you see this satanic strategy all the way through, beginning with Satan’s subtle attack on Eve in the garden: “Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1). Here is a subtle insinuation of doubt—not a blatant attack, but a sneaky undermining. The same devil was at it again—not in a garden this time, but in a barren wilderness—when he tempted Jesus with these words, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” (Matthew 4:3). If?! The devil knew well who Jesus was, but that word if is subtly inserted to insinuate that Jesus’ sonship was somehow in question.

So what can we do? How can we combat the devil’s arrows of fire? The apostle replies, “Take up the shield of faith!” Notice that Paul does not say “the shield of belief.” Faith is more than a belief system. To have faith means to act on what we believe. Faith is decision, resolution, action.

Have you learned to take up the shield of faith when doubts come? It means saying to yourself, “Christ is the truth. He is reality. I have committed myself to Christ because I have been persuaded that He is the way, the truth, and the life.

Have you learned to take up the shield of faith when feelings of unworthiness come? It means saying to yourself, “Yes, I’ve failed God—but His promise to me is that He always accepts me. Great men and women of the Bible have failed God from time to time, yet God still used them, and I know He will use me. Christ is my righteousness—I am one with Him and His righteousness covers me. Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ.”

Have you learned to take up the shield of faith when depression and anxiety come? It means saying to yourself, “Feelings are not facts. Feelings come and go, but the truth of God is forever. I refuse to believe the lie of Satan. With the Lord Jesus Christ as my shield, I am going to cling to my faith despite my feelings.”

Have you learned to take up the shield of faith when evil thoughts arise? It means saying to yourself, “These evil thoughts are not my thoughts. They came into my mind as fiery arrows from the devil. I reject them. Lord Jesus, fill my mind with Your thoughts. Drive everything out of my mind but what You want me to think!”

This is what the Bible calls resisting the devil (see James 4:7). This is the shield of faith. Refuse to believe the lie of the devil. Take refuge in the truth of God. When you resist the devil, says James, he will flee from you. Resist those thoughts whenever they come your way, refuse to yield your position, and sooner or later, those thoughts will clear up. Your feelings will change. The attacks will cease.