WITH SWORD & SHIELD

Going into battle with only the shield and the sword would make for a very challenging fight.  You would be so fixed on trying to cover your body from injury or death that it would make it very difficult to slay the enemy.  Believe me you do want to slay this enemy because the enemy would like nothing more than to take you out permanently.

Unfortunately you do not get to choose when you are going to fight a battle so you must be prepared at all times to engage.

Ephesians 6:16-17(NKJV)
above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 

Faith is (the shield):  Hebrews 11:1(NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

We choose to believe, even though we do not see.  Oh, by the way there is a special blessing if we do…John 20:29(NKJV) Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

The shield is movable (faith), so that no matter where the darts of the enemy are coming from it can be positioned to stop the “dart” from penetrating into you.  The shield mostly grants added protection to the vital organs such as the heart! 

With Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance we can gain more insight to meanings of these words such as:

Dart – (G956):  missile, spear, arrow

Quench – (G4570):  extinguish

Fiery – (G4448):  to kindle, be ignited, refined by, inflamed with anger-grief-lust, be on fire.

I don’t know about you but if I am going to be refined, ignited, or inflamed I want it to be with the Word of God and not evil!

THE SWORD:

SEC (G3163) – sword means:  judicial punishment

WOW, with the Word of God we can inflict judicial punishment on the enemy.  To do this we must know the Word of God and use it as a sword driving it right through the heart of the enemy inflicting God’s judicial punishment!

Ephesians 6:10-18(TMSG)
And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. 
So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. 
This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.
Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. 
Truth, righteousness, 
peace, 
faith, 
and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life. God’s Word is an indispensable weapon. 
In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other’s spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

TOGETHER A FORCE - AN UNBREAKABLE

Dear friends we have one more part to study about the Armor of God; Ephesians 6:18(NKJV) praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— …to be continued