Ephesians: The Shield of Faith
Ephesians 6:16 - We are in a war zone with a battle for our minds.
“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 NASB1995
This devotional will be published on July 4. I pray for a wonderful Independence Day celebration for all who are blessed to live in the United States of America. Our nation has many flaws but it also has many more virtues that have not been emulated anywhere else on Earth. My ability to write these devotionals without interference is based on a 250-year heritage of freedom of speech and religion. God Bless America!
The image for this verse had this description, from ChatGPT:
Concept 3 — The Extinguished Arrows
A close-up scene.
A weathered Roman shield fills much of the frame. Half a dozen flaming arrows protrude from it—but here’s the important detail:
Every flame has already gone out.
Tiny wisps of smoke curl upward.
Behind the shield we see only part of the soldier’s face, looking peacefully beyond the danger.
This is wonderfully symbolic because Paul doesn’t merely say the shield blocks the arrows—he says it extinguishes them.
Theme: Faith robs temptation, fear, and accusation of their power.
The theme that an AI tool came up with for the “shield of faith” is very astute, in my opinion. Apparently, because we call on this tool for images for our devotions, it actually reads what we write to fine-tune its suggestions. Yeah, a little scary, I know.
Let’s look at commentary on the shield of faith. First, from Enduring Word:
c. Taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one: Faith is represented as a shield, protecting us from the fiery darts of the wicked one, those persistent efforts of demonic foes to weaken us through fear and unbelief.
i. The shield Paul describes is not the small round one, but the large, oblong shield that could protect the whole body. In ancient warfare, these fiery darts were launched in great numbers at the beginning of an attack. The idea was not only to injure the enemy, but to shoot at him at all sides with a massive number of arrows, and thus to confuse and panic the enemy.
ii. “Even when such a missile was caught by the shield and did not penetrate to the body, says Livy, it caused panic, because it was thrown when well alight and its motion through the air made it blaze most fiercely, so that the soldier was tempted to get rid of his burning shield and expose himself to the enemy’s spear-thrusts. But the shield of faith not only catches the incendiary devices but extinguishes them.” (Bruce)
iii. Thoughts, feelings, imaginations, fears, and lies – all of these can be hurled at us by Satan as fiery darts. Faith turns them back.
This commentary by Ray Stedman, as quoted on Precept Austin is just wonderful:
A MAN NAMED THOMAS became a monk, joined a monastery, and took a vow of silence. The only exception to the vow was that, once every ten years, monks were allowed to make one statement then the silence must resume for another decade. After his first ten years in the monastery, Thomas was called into the study of his superior, who said, “Brother Thomas, do you have anything to say?”
“The food is bad,” the monk replied. Then he went back to his duties.
A decade passed. Again, Thomas was summoned to the study of his superior. “Brother Thomas,” said the superior, . “do you have anything to say?”
“The bed is hard,” the monk replied. Then he returned to his chores.
Another decade passed. Again, Thomas was called in before his superior. “Brother Thomas,” said the superior, “do you have anything to say?”
“I quit,” the monk replied.
The superior frowned. “I’m not surprised. You’ve done nothing but complain ever since you got here!”
Friend in Christ, there is nothing that more clearly indicates that we have succumbed to the schemes of the devil than to complain about our lot in life. Again and again, the Word of God shows that the mark of a Christian who has learned how to be a Christian is that he rejoices in everything and gives thanks in all things.
Understand, this does not mean that God expects us to enjoy every circumstance in our lives! Nor does it mean that we should merely pretend to rejoice in everything. There is nothing as ghastly as the forced smile people put on and the superficial attitude they assume in the midst of difficulties because they think this is what a Christian ought to do. The truth of Scripture is that it is genuinely possible to rejoice even through tears and pain and there is nothing that more surely indicates that we have failed to understand what it means to be a Christian than a whining, complaining, self-pitying attitude toward what happens to us in life.
Do not be surprised at the devil’s attack. Of course he attacks! That is his character. That is his nature. Do not complain that you are being treated unfairly. That is the nature of life--struggle, warfare, and satanic attack.
Furthermore, God allows the devil to attack. This is the clear revelation of Scripture. God permits these attacks because, for one thing, we need them. We never would develop or grow properly if we were not attacked in this manner--and this is what ultimately accomplishes God’s will for our lives.
The whole outworking of God’s eternal plan could never be brought to pass were it not that God permits the devil to operate within his limited sphere of activity. Let us never forget that. God allows these things to happen, and all the writers of Scripture agree on this. Peter says, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12). And the Lord Jesus Himself said, “In this world you will have trouble.” But He goes on to add, “But take heart! I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33).
But this is exactly the opposite of the way we frequently feel. When attacked, we tend to think that something most unusual is happening to us. No one has ever gone through what we are going through. No one has had to undergo the depression of spirit we feel. But Paul says, “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear” (1 Corinthians 10:13). So stop complaining about what happens. It is God’s will for you. Let us face that fact.
And instead of a fretful, peevish, whining attitude, let us do what the Word of God says to do when these things occur: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” There is no other way to handle the devil’s attacks. There is no other solution to these basic human problems. (Ray Stedman. Spiritual Warfare - Available online and highly recommended!)
Self-pity and whining and complaining are rapid growth industries in our society; if you could invest money in those self-centered attitudes, you would be very wealthy.
The devil throws so many fiery arrows at us that can quickly cripple us without a shield of faith in place. Here’s a list of those arrows flying our way that just happens to follow the fabled seven deadly sins format; the antidote to these sins from using our shield of faith is noted for each case.
Pride - Our fragile egos are smashed daily by the realization that others are better at us at certain things (making money, passing exams, being more attractive, being more popular, having more stuff). People take pride in the weirdest things - their sexual preferences, their political causes, their economic status. All of those things are temporary conditions. The burgeoning therapeutic industries to build “self-esteem” wrongly tell us that we are the center of the universe. Well, I’ve got news to share on that front and it starts in Genesis and ends in Revelation.
The antidote from the shield of faith that snuffs out the prideful fiery arrow: Humility.
Envy - Many people today have a zero-sum mindset. If someone has more that means that I must have less and/or they stole it from me. The reality is that there are an infinite number of pies that can be created in a free society and you can actually take responsibility to try and create something and create a new pie! When Elon Musk was briefly made a trillionaire by the IPO of SpaceX stock (this has since leveled out a bit), people were furious that he wasn’t immediately using that money (that was only on paper) to solve problems that trillions and trillions in government spending over many decades has not solved (that’s not a very good return on investment for the taxpayer).
The antidote from the shield of faith that quenches the envious fiery arrow: Gratitude.
Greed - Pope Gregory I defined greed as follows: “treachery, fraud, deceit, perjury, restlessness, violence and hardnesses of heart against compassion." (This definition was noted in an article on Wikipedia). I like those definitions. Many people today are so greedy that they see no problem with committing fraud with private and/or government funds to gain more money for themselves (there are many stories in the media about billions in Medicare and COVID funds that were diverted to fraudulent activities). The greedy among us practice deceit by using various schemes to get people to send them money; we laugh at the Nigerian prince letters, but the schemers are much more subtle these days, emulating bank accounts and credit card companies and capturing the naive.
The antidote from the shield of faith that overcomes the greedy fiery arrow: Honesty/Charity.
Lust - Our culture is saturated in lust and overt sexuality. Casual relations outside of marriage, adultery, wrongful sexual preferences, constant images from movies and television, and very profitable pornography businesses are undermining our national virtue and morality.
The antidote from the shield of faith that extinguishes the lustful fiery arrow: Purity/Chastity.
Gluttony - This sin is closely related to envy and pride. We want the next best thing in heaps - fancy food, fancy wine, fancy clothing, elaborate “luxury” vacations. Our culture aids and abets gluttony by showcasing the best through advertising that forces us to compare our situation to others. I confess to being a glutton.
The antidote from the shield of faith that burns out the gluttonous fiery arrow: Contentment.
Wrath - Everyone is mad about something today, when we should instead be standing back in awe of the things that make life so comfortable now compared to previous generations. Instead, we fume about politics, traffic, hot weather, cold weather, perceived insults and slights, comments on social media, you name it.
The antidote from the shield of faith that destroys the wrathful fiery arrow: Joy.
Sloth - I can’t believe how many stories I’ve seen about people quitting their jobs just after being hired somewhere because they were expected to perform honest work for several hours every day (and much whining was also heard). Sloth is the sin of avoiding responsibilities and it can be characterized as boredom, lack of interest, and even a lack of belief in anything beyond ourselves. It can creep into our churches and our schools and into our families. Sitting around doing nothing becomes a preferable state to learning and working and acquiring wisdom.
The antidote from the shield of faith that detonates the slothful fiery arrow: Fortitude/Knowledge.
Well, that was an interesting way to look at those fiery arrows; I would appreciate feedback on my ideas. There are other fiery arrows as well, like worry, doubt, and fear. Here is what Charles Spurgeon says about faith, as quoted in Precept Austin:
We are not to neglect our sincerity, our righteousness, or our peace, but above all, as the most important, we are to see to it that our faith is right, that it be true faith, and that it covers all our virtues from attack. There is no respect in which faith is not useful to us, therefore, whatever you leave out, see to your faith; if you forget all besides, be careful above all that ye take the shield of faith. And then, again, we are told above all to take the shield of faith, because faith preserves from all sorts of enemies. The fiery darts of the wicked! Does that refer to Satan? Faith answers him. Does it refer to wicked men? Faith resists them. Does it refer to one’s own wicked self? Faith can overcome that. Does it refer to the whole world? “This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.” It matters not who the enemy may be; let the earth be all in arms abroad, this faith can quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. Above all, then, take the shield of faith.
There’s one more thing I found in looking at commentary that is worth excerpting. This was in Precept Austin and it is entitled “How do I take up the shield of faith?” The author is not identified but it is a gem. Here are a few paragraphs:
In summary then, what is it that protects me? It is my attitude of obedience. "God, I am going to obey You regardless of what comes at me." When that is my attitude, it becomes like a protecting shield. My faith is expressed by my willingness to obey. Don’t misunderstand. Faith and obedience cannot be separated. What I believe I obey. I show you what I believe by how I live, not by what I say. So that act of obedience becomes like a door shield in front of me and wards off the fiery darts of the enemy.
…
He [the enemy] is constantly trying to lead us astray with wrong thinking. What would the darts be wrapped up in? To me it would have to be thoughts that he is constantly throwing at us. These thought are like “Scud missiles” coming into our mind. We can’t turn on the television without these “fiery missiles” bombarding our living room. We can’t walk into the world without these thoughts bombarding our mind. So as those things are coming in, we must make a conscious choice to adhere to the truth. Then you can recognize the deception and error. Secondly you have to obey the truth that you are adhering to. Your willingness to obey wards off those darts that are coming in.
You are up against an enemy that wants to get your mind. If he can lock it up and hold it hostage with immoral thoughts, he will do it. If he can lock it up with anger, he will do it. If he can lock it up with resentment, he will do it.
You’ve got to make up your mind.
Are you going to obey God or are you going to listen and receive the incoming flaming missiles of the evil one?
…
We have to learn that we are in a war all the time. There are people in the church who have not had their loins girded about with truth. They don’t care about the Word of God. They don’t even study it. They would rather just go out, do something and then ask God to forgive them. They have been deceived by error. They think we can go on and live any way we want, go to church on Sunday and get everything right. That is not found in the Word of God. They have believed a lie and what I am saying irritates them! I’ll tell you why it is irritating. Because they don’t understand the battle.
You are in a battle and you have to learn to choose between what is truth and what is deceit in this world. The enemy will throw deceitful, lying thoughts at you you at random, when you least expect them. Listen, fire destroys. A flaming missile that is allowed to lodge doesn’t just inflict a wound but burns and destroys everything in the vicinity of where it landed.
…
Folks, we have talked about it for many years. Sometimes it goes right over our heads and we don’t understand what we are saying.
We are in a war zone and it is a battle for our minds.
As a man thinks, so will he also do. God wants to renew your mind. That is why it starts with a total commitment to truth. That is what strengthens us so we can stand in the face of the onslaught of the devil.
You are in a war zone. You were born into the kingdom of darkness. What is going on in your life? I guarantee you we have a lot of wounded saints because in battle they have let down their shield and received the flaming missiles of the evil one. You must make up your mind to trust and obey. The fiery missiles are going to come in like Scuds. But when you choose to obey Christ, at that moment you are protected from the onslaught of the evil one
The battle is not a power struggle. It is a truth struggle.
Am I going to adhere to it [faith] or am I not? If I am not, I am going to reap the consequences.
WOW - Good words!! Obeying in faith God’s truth will help us win this struggle in our mortal lives. I would love to hear more sermons like this.
My next devotional examines Ephesians 6:17 - The helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Help me to be an antidote to the random, fiery arrows that attack me in all directions from the enemy. Help me to cultivate humility, gratitude, honesty, charity, purity, contentment, joy, and fortitude. Help me to cultivate true agape love by emulating these virtues. Amen.
Citations and Credits:
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.Lockman.org.
Precept Austin was accessed on 07/03/2026 to review commentary for Ephesians 6:16. Links are provided where appropriate.
Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission and without any alteration. ©1996-present The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik – enduringword.com. With that commentary:
Bruce, Frederick Fyvie The Epistles to the Colossians, to Philemon, and to the Ephesians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1984)