"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation..." ~Eph. 6:16-17
I feel, these verses are communicating the same truth, for two different applications.
The word "faith" in verse 16 is communicating a saving faith, an assurance, as does "salvation" in verses 17. So, Paul is telling to arm yourself with assurance, for what purpose? To guard against flaming arrows. But not just, to "extinguish" them. They have lost all there power. I mean, let's look at the picture:
You are running into battle, when your enemies begin not just to shoot arrows, but flaming arrows. I'm sure each of the warriors needed a change of armor once the battle was over. But, how does assurance play a role?
The adversary loses it's advantage. Jesus said, "My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand." (John 10:29) Think about it, the enemy can't beat you, neither can sin defeat you. Sin and the devil have lost their advantage over us.
This is not only useful in the general day to day struggle with sin, as a shield would be, but it is useful as a helmet, to keep our minds focused on the Lord instead of the world. By that I mean, assurance keeps us kingdom minded, focused on the Lords goodness, not on our own efforts and legalism, which is where the devil would want us too be: focused on ourselves and not God.
Rejoice in the Truth that the devil and sin will see it's defeat...
"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." ~Rev. 20:10
...and we shall stand, sinless, blameless, to see the face of God, only due to Christ's Righteousness and His Gospel.
"Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars —they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”~Rev. 21:1-8
So, soldier, arm yourself in assurance. Next time we will look at our main offense in the battle against sin and Satan....
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