The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
July 15, 2001
In
This Issue:
"The
Fiery Darts of the Devil and The Shield of Faith"
Author
Unknown
The Fiery Darts of the Devil
and The Shield of Faith
Ephesians. 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."
Picture yourself as a Roman soldier facing the enemy at close quarters. The enemy shoots flaming arrows, any on of which could inflict death. You would almost assuredly rely upon your shield to protect you from these fiery darts.
As we strive to live a Christian life in this evil world, we face many fiery darts that are shot at us by the devil. These darts are designed to cause us to sin, and, ultimately die in these sins if we do not repent. How we need the shield of faith to protect ourselves!
I would like to identify four of the fiery darts used by the devil and I would like to describe how we can be protected by the shield of faith.
The first fiery dart&ldots;
I. Creating doubt and prejudice against God's word
A. Gen. 3:1-6 - the familiar account in which the devil discredited the word of God before Eve and convinced her that things would not be as God had said.
B. Today, doubt and prejudice against God's word are caused by those who say there are errors in the Bible, that we do not have an accurate text, that there are contradictions in it and that the miracles are fictitious.
C. Put up your Shield of Faith
1. The bible is historically accurate. The times, places, events, and persons identified are accurate. Read Luke 3:1-3. These things can be verified from history books.
2. Rom. 10:17 - The shield of faith is our personal faith that we develop when we read and hear the Word.
3. Our shield of faith is based upon evidence and the evidence for the historical reliability of the Bible is abundant. We must use our faith to stand against this dart of doubt and prejudice.
The second fiery dart&ldots;
II. Unbelief
A. This flaming arrow says that Jesus was a teacher of ethics but not the Son of God. This false philosophy says that Jesus calls himself the Son of Man and that he could not be the Son of God because he suffered on the cross.
B. The shield of Faith boldly and unhesitatingly declares...
1. ...that there is ample evidence for faith in Christ. John 20:30-31 - speaking of the signs and miracles which Jesus did and how they confirmed His claim to be the Son of God. Luke 1:1-4 - Luke is assuring Theophilus and anyone who might read his writing that these things happened because he was there at the very first and witness them first hand, so the evidence for faith in Christ is here in front of us, written by someone who was actually with Him on earth.
2. ...that the resurrection of Christ is proof of His being the Son of God. Rom 1:3-4 emphatically declares such. I Cor. 15:3-6 again points out that there were witnesses who saw Him after His resurrection.
3. ...that Jesus was more than just a good man for a good man does not lie and, in John 14:1-6, Jesus said he was going to prepare a place for us and would come again and receive us unto Him. In John 6:38, Jesus also said he had come from heaven.
The third fiery dart&ldots;
III. Morality is determined by society
A. This fiery dart is particularly dangerous. It says that there is no absolute authority, no absolute moral code, that morals vary with the situation. Hedonism! (Situation Ethics)
B. This fiery dart manifests itself in homosexuality, fornication, men and women fondling one another's bodies (petting), cheating in business deals, gambling, telling half-truths (lying), etc.
C. The Shield of Faith replies that the Word of God is the Standard of Authority, that by which we are guided on all things. In II Pet. 1:2-3, we see that God has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness through knowledge. We get our knowledge through the Word. According to Matt. 7:24, if we do these things, we will be wise.
1. As a means of example, we see in Matt. 4:1-11 that Jesus used the Word of God to ward off temptation.
2. We also can ward off this fiery dart by using God's word as seen in Psm 119:11 - "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." I Cor. 10:13 also gives us additional assurance that God will provide a way for us to escape temptation.
The fourth fiery dart&ldots;
IV. Humanism is the fourth fiery dart.
A. Humanism places man at the center of life rather than God. It is a life lived without taking God into consideration. Humanists believe man can direct his own steps, is to live for the "here and now", and that religion is not only useless but is a hindrance to the "good life." These refuse to have God in their knowledge. Rom. 1:28
B. Humanism can be seen by a neglect of Bible study and attendance at worship services, by making churches social, recreational and political centers, by doing "what comes naturally", etc.
C. The Shield of Faith...
1. ...puts God first in our lives. Mt. 22:37,38 shows us where our priority should be placed. Mic. 6:8 shows simply what God requires of us.
2. ...centers our affections on things above, Col. 3:1-3 and lives now in a way that will result in eternal life.
Conclusion: We must be aware of the fiery darts of the devil. We must raise our Shield of Faith to protect ourselves. Please notice that against each of these fiery darts, our Shield of Faith would be less effective or of no effect if we do not strengthen it. How can we do that? Rom. 10:17 - "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." We must subject ourselves constantly to God's word in order to increase our faith.
A sermon outline, Author unknown