Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:13-16.
If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. James 3:2.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
In My armor, which I give to you to be your shield and bulwark to resist and stand firm against the schemes of the devil, there is one piece which I tell you must be incorporated into all the pieces and I tell you why it must be up constantly: “in 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. Never let down the shield of faith for the flaming arrows of the evil one are a constant barrage, especially against you who are born again from above and are now his enemies. He is so afraid of you exercising your authority over him, which you have in Christ Jesus, that he shoots at you constantly. If he can keep you in fear, doubt, sickness, lack, and pain he knows you will not be working against him but for him. But he can only do this by getting you to receive his lies into your thoughts, i.e., flaming arrows. The word translated “arrows” in the Greek in which the New Testament was written is “belos (βέλος)” which means a missile, dart, javelin, arrow, and is even translated as “needle.” So you see these flaming, fiery missiles can needle you to make you worried and uncomfortable or they can hit hard as they try to take you off guard. Never put down the shield of faith.
Satan and the angels who joined him in rebellion as their master, the unclean spirits, are constantly shooting these fiery missiles at your body and your soul, they cannot penetrate to a born again believer’s spirit but if you have not renewed your mind to line up with My Word he can take you captive and blind your mind to what you have and who you are in Christ. This is the only way the devil and his demons can get entrance into your mind and once they have your attention on the darts they can burn you down as well as your whole world. A tiny spark can set a whole forest ablaze. And you could have stopped immense destruction if you had just quenched that fiery dart and not entertained it.
And the devil can keep you in chains and living a life just like the unbelievers for as long as you let in those darts. There are many who never uncover the enemy and just accept every missile he shoots thinking it originated in them or even that it came from Me! But even if an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to what has been preached to you, he is to be accursed! Galatians 1:8. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14.
What is the shield of faith that it would so effectively extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one? First consider what is the spirit of faith? You believe in your heart and speak with your mouth. You believe, so you speak. It works with faith and it also works with fear. So how is it you let the thoughts of the devil in? Jesus told you, “Do not worry then, SAYING, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ Matthew 6:31. You take a thought by saying it instead of dismissing it. If you say the thoughts that the devil shoots in with his fiery missiles you have taken them in, you have not extinguished them.
When the fiery dart comes, if you let it enter and even consider it for a moment, it will try to force you to say it and will burn in you until you release it—whether it be worry, fear, conjecture involving future evils that will come upon you, unforgiveness, bitterness, gossip, rude words, angry words, obscene words, selfish words, proud words, abusive words, or malicious words. You will know they are not from Me because they will not edify you and others, will not encourage, and will not give you joy. Even when I correct and exhort you I do so in a way that enlightens you and gives you hope of better things to come by changing your behavior. I never condemn, I correct and lead.
When the thoughts of dreaded outcomes, death, fear, or of addictive lusts and sensuality hit you must not think they are from you and entertain them. The devil will try anything until he finds a dart that he has some success with catching your attention and then makes you cringe, cry, sin, plead with Me, go into panic, gossip, get offended, indulge in unhealthy and perverse lifestyles, or the like. And how does he know he had some success? By what you say and your countenance. And what you say will not be words of faith in My Word if you are entertaining his thoughts. And once he has your tongue, you are out of control, or should I say YOU are no longer in control, he is. And he and his demons move in seven times harder with their fiery missiles, for now they are in your house, that is, they have access to your mind and can force you to speak as they want. Because, once you have spoken the devil’s thoughts he has taken your dominion authority over the earth and can work through you to bring his kingdom into the earth.
“See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell.” James 3:5-6.
Those fiery darts from hell can set your tongue on fire, profane fire! And do you remember what happened to Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, when they took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before Me, which I had not commanded them? They were consumed by the fire. Leviticus 10:1-2. Be careful. Do not play with fire. Do not entertain the devil’s thoughts and never speak them, for they will defile your entire body, and set on fire the course of your life, and will set your tongue on fire by hell. And once Satan has taken your tongue by filling your head with his thoughts, he will use your tongue to send fiery darts against others. There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18.
You must recognize which are his thoughts. If you look upon another person and only see their faults and think rude and ugly things about them, those thoughts are from the devil and you must not entertain them for even a moment. He will do this about your spouse, your siblings, your parents, your boss, your co-workers, your teachers, your pastors, your fellow students and even your friends. Instead refute those immediately and answer them with that you only think on things which are lovely and excellent. Call that person a new creation in Christ if they are a believer and be careful to have respect for those who are in authority. I tell you to pray for them, not to criticize and say nasty things about them. 1 Timothy 2:1-6. If you are talking negatively about the boss to the other employees that is NOT from Me, it has another source. Ephesians 6:5-9. And I tell husbands and wives to respect, honor, and speak well of one another, they are not to nag each other or act as if the other is stupid. Ephesians 5:22-33. And I tell children to honor their parents and parents not to nag, provoke and anger their children. Ephesians 6:1-4. And I tell you all to forgive as I have forgiven you in Christ. And I did that by making you a new creation by My Word and washing away your sins in His Blood.
Whatever the fiery missile is that the devil tries to make you think upon, it may start small and seemingly harmless but if you do not quench it, that is check it, immediately it will go from simple irritation to burning anger, from a passing sensual thought or influence (feeling) to a full blown addiction to pornography, from curiosity to try things you know are wrong and not good for your body “just once” to full blown addiction, from wounded pride to full blown offense, you can extinguish it if you take up the shield of faith.
What is that shield? It is knowing My Word by giving careful attention to it and keeping it before your eyes and in your heart day and night so that you are always ready to answer each attack of Satan with the specific scripture that refutes his fiery missile and gives you the upper hand. When you have the answer from My Word and speak it out, and stick to it, he has to flee. The angels, whether holy or fallen, have to obey the voice of My Word. Psalm 103:20. Even in your mouth. And at that point, he knows the game is over. You have checked him with My Word, so at that point, as in chess, he has only three options: (1) he must flee to move out of check, and if you keep resisting him, this will be his only option to avoid checkmate, but he will first try the second option, (2) he must block the check by hitting you with another dart that would try to make you doubt the Word and not continue to stand on it, and to agree with his thought instead, such as causing you to believe you are not healed because you still have the symptoms or try again to get you to hate the other person by reminding you of something else they did or said to you, and if he is successful with that he can exercise the third option, that is, (3) he must capture the piece putting him in check. But if you stand firm in My full armor, holding up your shield of faith and just laugh at him and keep answering with My Word, then checkmate has occurred and the game is over! His only option is to leave off and go. But he is ready to start a new game. He does not give up. Jesus won hands down with him every time but he never stopped shooting.
And I want you to see that the devil played the exact same game with Jesus. Satan, the dark king of this world, advance to take the pieces of Jesus’ life. He called Him merely, “If you be the Son of God, . . . “ whereas I had just called Him My BELOVED Son in whom I was well pleased. And then he sent the first fiery dart—to turn the stones to bread. But Jesus ANSWERED with My Word and that was a check, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” Now the devil was checked, so he had three options, he chose to stop the check, he shot his second fiery dart, “he took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, andsaid to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” But that was not what I meant by those words and Jesus knew it, so the check was not stopped but enforced all the harder, Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Now the devil had only one other option to avoid checkmate if he would not flee and that was to take Jesus captive, so off went the third fiery arrow. The devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.” This would not just stop the check, but take Jesus captive as his servant, as he had done with Adam and Eve. And he was doing the same move he did with them, offering Jesus to be sovereign without God in the world, and for Jesus, without going to the Cross. But this did not move Jesus into his grasp, Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! (that is checkmate), for it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’” Then the devil left Him; checkmate ends the game. And behold, angels came and began to minister to Jesus. Matthew 4:1-11. And they will when you win the game too.
And once you have fortified yourself with My Word, his tactics no longer terrify you for you recognize the game and this game becomes fun to you because victory is sweet. And I reward you for keeping My Word. “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various temptations and trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-3. Nothing can hold you back from partaking in and enjoying all My promises when you learn how to stand on My Word and you recognize which thoughts are not from you.
Even Abraham knew how to play this game. Remember when the king of Sodom tried to give Abraham his goods? Abraham would not so much as take a shoelace from him, lest he say he made Abraham rich. And what did I tell him? “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” Genesis 15:1. A shield. The shield of faith. Abraham is your father in the faith for a reason you know.
But it is up to you to fight the good fight of faith by controlling your tongue. You do this by yielding to the Holy Spirit and not to the evil spirit. “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.” James 1:26. But the result of taking control of your tongue by faith in My Word is wonderful and will set you free.
“For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.” James 3:2.
The word translated “stumble” in this passage is the Greek word “patio” which means to fall, sin, err, transgress, stumble, and, here in the dative form, it means to sin in word or speech. And the word “bridle” is “chalinagogeo,” which means to lead with a bridle, to curb, to restrain. And the word “body” is “soma,” which means your flesh, your physical body. Do you see why I tell you that My Words are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh? Proverbs 4:22. Death and life are in the power of your tongue. Proverbs 18:21. It is very important what words you speak out when the devil shoots his flaming arrows. You can choose his words or My Words and by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned. It is speaking out My Words in faith that will save you. Remember? Jesus often told those who received healing from Him that it was their faith that saved them.
Satan will try to FORCE you to speak the thoughts he shoots at you. But just remember you will not burst if you do not say them, but do not just keep silent and let them stay in your mind or you will not win, the only way you can cast down and extinguish his thoughts is to answer them with My Words, thus taking My thoughts as your own. This is exactly what Jesus did. He answered Satan’s thoughts with Mine, “It is written, . . . “ and finally after three times Jesus declared Satan out of the game. And My thoughts will give you peace beyond understanding. It is a wonderful place to live in grace by faith and you will take down all that would take you captive. Live free.
“If you continue in My Word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” John 8:31-32.
Remember, the weapons of your warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. Take up My armor and destroy imaginations, speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of My Word, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Extinguish every fiery missile, from needling to arrows to javelins. 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.
I love you. Take up My shield of faith and NEVER put it down. The devil and his demons are terrorists, they just keep shooting flaming missiles at My people but you can extinguish them all by speaking My Words that refute them in faith. Your weapons are not carnal but they are more powerful than the atomic bomb. Do you remember what marching out singing My Word in praise did to three enemy armies? Not one of the enemies was left alive. 2 Chronicles 20:20-24.
“In righteousness you will be established; you will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; and from terror, for it will not come near you.” Isaiah 54:14. “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is from My Aleph Tav,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 54:17.