Standing Firm in the Strength of God

"In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one."Ephesians 6:16 (NASB)

Have you ever stopped to think about why God gave us the armor of God?

People have wondered for centuries what our purpose is. The answer is found throughout Scripture. We were created to bring glory to God. One way we do that is by living in obedience to Jesus Christ. That includes putting on the full armor of God.

The Lord, in His kindness and mercy, knew we would face spiritual battles. He did not leave us to fight on our own. Instead, He gave us everything we need to stand firm.

One part of that armor is the gospel of peace.

Ephesians tells us to have our feet "shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." The word shod simply means to have something securely fastened or tied on. Just as a soldier's footwear was securely strapped to his feet, the gospel should be securely fastened to our lives.

Wherever we go, we carry the good news of Jesus with us.

How do we make sure the gospel is always with us? One of the best ways is to know it well. When we hide God's Word in our hearts, we are prepared to share the hope we have in Christ whenever the opportunity comes.

The gospel also brings something every person longs for—peace.

This is not peace because life is easy. It is peace that remains even when life is difficult.

Storms still come.

Trials still happen.

But when we have surrendered our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, He gives us an inward peace that cannot be found anywhere else. If you find yourself struggling to have peace today, bring your heart to Jesus. He alone can give the kind of peace that remains when everything around us feels uncertain.

Paul then tells us to take up the shield of faith.

Our shield of faith is our protection against the attacks of the enemy. On our own, we are not strong enough to stand against Satan. But we were never meant to rely on our own strength. Our confidence is found in the Lord.

Faith is not something we use only once. It is something we exercise every day. As we continue trusting Christ, our faith grows stronger, and we learn to rely on Him more completely.

Ephesians says our shield of faith is able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

What does extinguish mean?

It means to put out the fire.

The purpose of a flaming arrow is not simply to strike its target. It is to start a fire that spreads and causes even greater damage.

Many of those arrows begin in our minds.

Fear.

Doubt.

Discouragement.

Temptation.

These thoughts can grow if we allow them to, but faith has the power to extinguish them before they become something greater.

Fear is one of the most common arrows the enemy uses against believers. It keeps us from sharing our faith. It keeps us from stepping out in obedience. It keeps us from trusting what God has already promised.

Yet God has not called us to live in fear.

He has given us a shield.

The more we learn to trust Him, the more confidently we stand.

The armor of God reminds us that we are not fighting for victory. Through Christ, we are standing in the victory He has already won.

So let me leave you with a few questions to think about this week.

Is the gospel securely fastened to your life?

Are you experiencing the inward peace that only Jesus can give?

Are you taking up your shield of faith each day?

What flaming arrows might God be calling you to extinguish by trusting Him more completely?

May we learn to put on the full armor of God, stand firm in His strength, and bring glory to Him in the way we live each day.