June 8
“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 addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:14-16)
Yesterday we asked the question what is the key to extinguishing the flaming missiles, the temptations and trials, of the evil one? The verse above answers that question.
The shield of faith. Faith is the key to extinguishing Satan’s missiles and rendering them impotent. Faith is the key to prayer. Faith is the key to viewing sin as evil and repulsive. Faith is the key to brining to mind all the good reasons for resisting temptation and refusing it effectively. Faith is key to viewing our current difficulties as insignificant compared to the reward we will receive. Faith is key to believing God and choosing the love of Christ and fellowship of Christ over our sin.
Faith is simply critical in our fight against temptation. We have already discussed knowing truth and using scripture in other rebuilding and resisting principles, but this principle of refusing temptation immediately, decisively, and persistently relies heavily on our faith. Believe God. Understand that His will and His way are good and that the way of sin is destructive and results in nothing good whatsoever. Believe these things and trust God, and you will be able to refuse temptation in a way that effectively repulses the devil and brings relief from the trial.
It was by faith we are told Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing to endure ill-treatment with God’s people rather than enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, and by faith he considered the treasures of heaven greater than the treasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11:24-26). I don’t think many of us would deny ourselves the pleasures of sin or riches that we might obtain through sin today if we didn’t believe that there will be a greater reward in eternity for those who don’t sin. Think about what Moses did in terms of a modern day context. Suppose you were born into a very wealthy family, where great riches, pleasures, and luxuries were yours for the taking. But this lifestyle required you to accept certain behaviors, beliefs, and activities that clearly were sinful, or at least turn a blind eye to obvious and repeated sinful behaviors. Would you walk away from that and choose rather to be poor and insignificant for the sake of righteousness? How would you be able to do that without great faith in God and a desire for His righteousness?
It is very much a possibility that denying ourselves sinful pleasures in this life will not result in greater pleasures or riches in this life, and therefore it is only in eternity that we will see the fruit of our choices in this life. That makes faith an even more crucial part of our ability to overcome temptation today.
How do we access this kind of faith that denies ourselves pleasure in order to please our Lord in heaven? Where do we get it, and how can we increase what we have? Pray. Pray for the faith to overcome. Pray for the faith to resist temptation. Pray for the faith to endure the difficulties and struggles that resisting will inevitably bring. Pray for the faith to endure. Pray for enduring faith. Ask God for these things, and for the faith to refuse temptation immediately, decisively, and persistently.