"Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one" (Eph. 6:16). "Above all" means it is of extreme importance. The importance of "the shield of faith" cannot be stressed enough. It is specially designed to protect the entire body of the soldier against the onslaught of arrows and spears that the enemy may fire at him.
Spiritually, this shield is referred to as faith. It is our faith in Jesus that protects us from Satan's vicious attacks. This faith refers to our basic trust in God. It is this trust in Christ that saves us and guides us in our daily living. We are to live by our faith.
"The fiery darts of the wicked one" (v. 16b) are arrows whose tip is covered with strips of cloth, soaked in pitch, and lit on fire. It likely refers to the various temptations Satan brings our way. The "shield of faith" is built specifically to "quench" or put out the fire and stop those attacks. Again, victory is found in Jesus.
"And take the helmet of salvation" (Eph. 6:17a). We think of a helmet protecting the head in an attack, but in this context we should not regard the head "as standing for the seat of the intellect; the word is not so used elsewhere in Scripture" (W.E, Vine, M.A., Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Unabridged Edition, [MacDonald Publishing Company: McClean, Virginia, no copyright], 535). Spiritually it is simply a reference to salvation. Here "salvation is a present experience of the Lord's deliverance of believers as those who are engaged in spiritual conflict" (Ibid).
Satan thinks that if he can convince us that God doesn't really care about us and can get us to doubt our salvation, that he will have won. But that could not be further from the truth. He tries to shake us and make us doubt God. He specifically attacks the foundation of our security. He wants us to question our assurance of salvation.
In that manner, he thinks he can take us down. He will not stop at anything. He will throw every obstacle possible in our path. He will do anything he can to discourage us and lead us away from following Christ. But like Job, when he had lost all his possessions, all his children, and even his health, he declared, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). The "helmet of salvation" allows us to likewise strand firm in the faith with a similar rebuttal.
Finally, the one offensive piece of the armor of God, a powerful weapon to be taken up by the believer: "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17b). This may refer to a short sword that ancient soldiers used in hand-to-hand combat, but remember, this is spiritual warfare. There is another sword mentioned in Scripture that is specifically referred to as the word of God. Hebrew 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Our sword is "sharper than any two-edged sword!" Such is the word of God.
For our purpose here, remember that this weapon is specifically referred to as "the sword of the Spirit." The weapon is not a physical sword, but spiritual. It is a spiritual weapon for use against spiritual enemies. Remember our enemy? "For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). The source of our weapon for this spiritual battle is the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26).
When David faced off with Goliath, he declared what we must never forget: "the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands" (1 Sam. 17:47). Jesus was in the wilderness fasting, and when He was hungry, Satan tempted Him, saying, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread" (Matt. 4:3). Jesus responded by quoting Scripture: "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God'" (v. 4). "The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Eph. 6:17b) is the weapon of choice. That is why spiritual battles must always be met with the word of God.
Prayer is what undergirds everything. Prayer is the key factor in putting on and using the armor of God. Paul closed this passage in Ephesians with these words: "praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (v. 18). Prayer is the key for living the Christian life. Pray about everything—for yourself and for "all the saints." Even quick arrows of prayer in the midst of the battle. That is how we find victory.
The armor of God, like the Christian life, is all about Jesus. The belt of truth is Jesus—He is truth. The breastplate of righteousness is the righteousness of Jesus. The shoes or boots of the preparation of the gospel of peace is a readiness with the gospel of Jesus. The shield of faith is faith in Jesus. The helmet of salvation is salvation in Jesus. And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, is Jesus—He is the Word. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
When you learn to adorn yourself with the "whole armor of God" (Eph. 6:13a), you will be filled with the Spirit, you will walk in holiness, and Jesus will surround you, protect you, and give you the victory. You will be equipped to be fearless. You will "be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (v. 13b). Amen.
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