10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints."
Ephesians 6:10-18
The next piece of armour that Paul mentions is the shield of faith. Concerning this he says 'Above all, take the shield of faith'. This 'above all' has been variously interpreted: some take it to mean 'most especially', others that it means 'over all'. With respect to position, others still take it to mean 'in all duties, in all temptations'. Certainly, it could be taken to mean all these things - and why not? But there is some ground for opting for the first suggestion, 'most especially', for not only does it take the central place in this catalogue of armour, but also it is the one piece which is spoken of specially as having a particular function and result - 'that ye may be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked'. This in itself should give it a special position. The shield in question, the commentators tell us, refers to the big, massive shield used by Roman infantry in battle, the kind that could cover the whole body with ease. The Greek word is used in Homer to mean 'a stone put against a door to block or shut it', the shield of faith closes and blocks the door against the enemy. That is a useful thought, isn't it?
What is the nature of these 'fiery darts'? The picture is taken from ancient warfare, and refers to arrows, or like missiles, around which combustible material was fastened and ignited, then fired against the enemy. Such arrows thus fired into thatched houses would set them ablaze instantly. This is what is in view. And the characteristic of these arrows is their swiftness, their unexpectedness and their immediate effect. The application of this to the believer's experience is surely obvious, and we shall give some examples of this in our next reading.