Fight Club 204 - Know Your Tools



What have we done so far? We've wrapped ourselves in truth, gotten right with God, and prepared ourselves for action with His good news of wholeness. We're not done yet. As we get ready to move, the world is going to try and prove us wrong. More accurately, to try and prove God wrong. How do combat that? What does Paul say is the most important thing that we use?

"Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the firey darts of the wicked one." - Ephesians 6:16

Faith.

That's where we started with this, and we're right back to it now. Faith. You must have faith.

The shield he's talking about isn't some tiny little shield you strap on one arm like a gladiator or Captain America. Not even close! He's talking about a Roman shield that's as big as a door. It's heavy, sturdy, and huge. It's big enough to cover and protect your entire body - all of you - from the enemy's attack.

Your faith is your shield. Your faith is what guards and protects you from the enemy. If the enemy is getting to you, if you're being injured somehow and in some way, then there's a hole in your shield - or you're not standing behind it. You either need to get back behind your shield and in your faith, or you need to develop your faith in that area.

While we're talking about the enemy's tactics... what does Ephesians 6:16 tell us? What does the enemy do? He shoot firey darts or arrows at you. Quick review... we saw this in our "Know Your Enemy" sessions... the biggest thing the Devil has to attack you with is words. Psalm 57:4 says that the enemy's teeth are spears and arrows - their tongue a sharp sword. James 3:6 also confirms that the tongue - words - are fire and set on fire by Hell itself. And as we've seen before in 1 Peter 5:8, the Devil roams about like a roaring lion. He uses his mouth - he uses words - to try and get a reaction out of you. He wants you to respond to what he's saying. What is your reaction? Fight, flight, or freeze? (See Fight Club 103d - Know Yourself)

Pick up your shield of faith. Get behind it. Although the Roman shield was heavy and burdensome to carry and use, faith isn't. Romans 10:17 says faith comes how? By hearing. What do you hear? What are you listening to? What are you believing? The world or the Word? One of them has to be lying - and it's not God. That's one of the biggest reasons you have to gird yourself - wrap yourself up in the Word... so you can more easily discern the lies of the world.

Practice the love of God.



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