Ephesians Lesson 39 of 39 part 4

Ephesians 6:16a

"Above all, taking the shield of faith,..."

The next is probably the most important weapon we have against Satan. This is what we are to use in our Spiritual warfare. We are sure you have all heard it at one time or another before but we are going to repeat it again. All the things that Paul is mentioning here are on the front of the soldier, and what does that tell us? We are to never run, because the back side is left virtually undefended though it be covered by the robe of righteousness. All the average Roman soldiers armor was to the front, as he was never to retreat. He fought to the death no matter what.

Ephesians 6:16

"Above all, taking the shield of faith*, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked **."

*the Roman soldier used the shield to deflect arrows, they would interlock the shields to make a wall several layers deep and so forth. **the wicked one, the unbelievers and the infidels, the religiously wicked.

So the shield is what? Our trusting faith! And how do we emphasize faith, and what is our definition of faith? "Taking God at His Word!" Trusting Him as Seth, Enoch, Noah, Shem, Eber and Abram who became Abraham did. They expressed their trust of Him by their love for Him and how did they show their love? By doing as He told them, therefore faith works through our deep love of God. We have all these great and precious promises that God has given us, and so how do we appropriate them? By loves trusting Him, Who is faithfulness, we believe with them and are therefore counted with them. And who's faith are we to trust in? Why, Christ's, as He trusted His Heavenly Father's faithfulness, just as we are too. Jesus said that He and  the Father of Life were one by love and deep respect for each other. And everything that comes from the opposition, we deflect with something that the Word has promised. We think that even the staunchest believer have to admit that Satan will come and hit us with doubt and vain imaginations. The weak and beggarly things of our own flesh, the enemy within. We do not think that there is anybody that is not hit at times with doubt or wrong images, thinkings and perceptions of things to come or of the unknown. (Speaking of the unknown, many are not true believer because they are afraid of change, because change has a degree of risk in the unknown. Faith often works best in total darkness of the unknown and is therefore requires of us.) Where and how or through whom does he accomplish this, by our own friends and neighbors, he may at times use our own words against us as well. Well, how are we going to deflect it? With our faith. How are we going to resist all these attacks of the evil one from within? With our faith. It is just simply "God has said it and I believe it," and if God has said it what more do you want. So our shield is faith, and oh what a word that Paul uses over and over. In fact just back up a page or two to Ephesians chapter 2.

Ephesians 2:8a

"For by grace are ye saved through faith;..."

Remember faith is not something that you can lay out on the table, faith is not something that you feel. But rather faith is something that you just simply take at Word value, the value of God, and say, "I BELIEVE IT" because this is what God has said. In every aspect of our Christian experience, how do we know that the Holy Spirit dwells within? The Holy Spirit did not make some big announcement saying, "I’m coming in to live with you." There is not a diploma that someone signs, that the Holy Spirit dwells within. So how do we know that He does? The Bible says so, and we take it, receive Him by faith and we continue to posses Him by faith. We cannot feel Him, but we know He is here, because this is what the Word teaches and declares to us.

I have to take us back to the verse that I gave in the book of Matthew chapter 24. The question is asked, "What about all these different things that we are hearing and reading about in Christendom today?" They are as different as daylight and darkness, and they are as false as false can be, and what does all of this tell us? Well, according to Matthew chapter 24, it tells us that we are nearing the end of the age, and one of the basic signs of the end times is a tremendous wave of deception, even John in First John reveals that there are many anti-Christ's gone out from among them, and we are seeing and hearing it. Before we turn to Matthew we will look at 1John 2 beginning with verse 19 to the end of this chapter, for a moment;

 

“They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. But you have an unction from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is anti-Christ, that denies the Father and the Son. Whosoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father: Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. This is the promise that He has promised us, eternal life. These have I written to you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which you have received of Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as He has taught you, you shall abide in Him. And now, little children, abide in Him; that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that every one that does righteousness is born of Him.”
John here reveals the many who came out from among the believers as anti-Christ's, the ones who deny that Christ has come again, returned as the Holy Spirit to indwell man. Which was promised and happened on the day of Pentecost, not many days after His ascension. In total fulfillment of scripture. Jesus said that He would never leave them, the disciples and therefore would never leave the world empty of Himself again. Which happened after man rebelled, through Adams disobedience, as the seed within him. Which put all mankind in this rebellion and disobedience. The family of Satan's likeness.

 

Look at what the Lord Himself says in this great chapter. As we look at this keep in mind, this is in the Lord’s earthly ministry and the twelve have approached him with a question.