Fully Armed 5!

Fully Armed 5!

‭Ephesians 6:15-16 AMP‬

[15] and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. [16] Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

We come to other parts of the armour provided by God for my use, protection and advancement against the schemes of the devil. There are the feet which carry me to the place of the battle; to the lives who need to be delivered from the power of sin and the devil. How can they hear the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus, and all that He has secured for them, if nobody tells them? My feet have become the channel of propagation and dissemination, and I walk, speak and work from a place of personal conviction and experience. I do not speak theories and principles promoted by men, but  I speak of what I have seen, heard, tasted and personally encountered. 

That is the strength and power of a personal or private witness, as well as public proclamation. I cannot have received good news, and then fail to tell others about it. When I know the earthly and eternal benefits that come from the good news, I just have to tell others. Of course, with the knowledge of the gospel about Jesus also comes the understanding of how to rightly apply what I know. The shield of faith is a protective weapon which guards me from the flaming arrows of the evil one. He knows the power of the gospel, and he will try his utmost best to sow seeds of doubt around the seed of the gospel that is planted in the hearts of men. 

The evil one knows the power and motivation that come from personal conviction, and if he is able to insert fear or doubt in a man's heart, the work of faith may struggle. The devil is skilled in warfare, and he can play the long game, waiting for moments of vulnerability. Faith holds on to God's provisions, even when things do not look convincing yet. Faith holds on to God's Word, even when everything else around seem to be falling to pieces. As we have also read somewhere else in the bible, without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who will come to Him must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of all who diligently seek Him. Hold on to God; He is able to preserve all who hold on to Him. God's time of favour is here.