“above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
Ephesians 6:16 NKJV

A shield is for protection and defence and, in some cases, is used as a weapon of attack. In Roman times, a shield was worn by a solider on the arm and was flexible enough to be moved around while protecting one’s self against missiles.

In Ephesians 6, faith is referred to as a shield because the things that come against us as Christians come with the intention to destroy us, to leave us fruitless and unproductive. The above scripture says our shield is to defend against the wiles of the wicked one.

It is said that Paul writing this verse likened the fiery darts of the devil to the missiles used during battle in Roman times; the enemies shot tiny arrows covered in a cloth that had been soaked in something flammable. The intention was for there to be an explosion on impact.

The darts of the devil can come at us both internally (through our minds) and /or externally (through people and events), and it is important that we are able to identify and stand against them with the shield of faith.

The Bible says that without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11: 6). Faith is the currency that allows us to cash in on heavens benefits here on earth. It enables heaven to be activated on earth. By faith, we speak a different language: God’s language.

To live a God-driven life in this world, you need to walk by faith and not by sight. That is your shield. Faith is what separates you as a Christian and prevents you from living a mundane life affected by anything and everything the world throws at you. By it (faith) the elders obtained a good report Hebrews 11:2. This is both our defence and our offence as Christians.

The enemy fires darts of judgment, condemnation, fear, worry, feelings of inadequacies and more. Sometimes these darts present themselves in a very logical fashion and if we are not mindful, we begin to entertain them and that opens up an entryway for the enemy’s lies. These seemingly harmless thoughts and emotions, if allowed, explode into much bigger things.

Other darts may come externally and if not identified trap us in a vicious cycle of fighting against people and losing sight of the enemy preying on that situation. Whichever way these fiery darts come, Ephesians 6 tells us we are able to quench ALL of them through the walk of faith. A walk empowered by the Word

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 10 :17 NKJV
The Word gives us a picture into the mind of God and what is available to us as believers, and this brings faith to our hearts to stand and receive and walk in them; helping us identify darts from miles away!