“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16).
A Definition of Faith
Biblical –
New American Standard Bible: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1).
J.B. Phillips Translation – Now faith means putting our full confidence in the things we hope for, it means being certain of things we cannot see.
The Message: The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see.
New King James Version: Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
New Living Translation: Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.
Dictionary –
The dictionary defines faith as “belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.” It also defines faith as “belief in and devotion to God.”
What Do We See In Hebrews 11 Verse 1
Faith is:
- Not blind.
- Assurance. It is a know-so and not just a hope-so.
- Confidence in the things we hope for.
- Trust. And this trust is the firm foundation of everything that makes life worth living.
- The reality of what we hope for.
- Our conviction (a firmly held belief) of things we have not seen.
- Certain of the Things we cannot see.
- The evidence of what we cannot see.
Faith is belief in the one, true God without seeing Him.
How Important Is Faith?
Hebrews 11:6
It is so important that, without faith, we have no place with God, and it is impossible to please Him.
Read From Several Different Translations
JB Phillips – And without faith it is impossible to please him. The man who approaches God must have faith in two things, first that God exists and secondly that it is worth a man’s while to try to find God.
CEV – But without faith no one can please God. We must believe that God is real and that he rewards everyone who searches for him.
NIV – And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
NKJV – But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
NLT – And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.
How Must We seek God?
By Searching:
- Diligently
- Earnestly
- Sincerely
J.B. Phillips expounds on these efforts by saying that we must believe that God is worth pursuing and nothing else could be of greater importance.
The shield of faith can extinguish ALL the devils fiery darts. However, we must be holding it in front of us. Click To Tweet
Conclusion
The shield of FAITH can extinguish all the flaming arrows the devil sends our way – if we are holding it in front of us.
We Are More Than Conquerors With Our Faith In Christ. And because God is for us – no one can come against us.
