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"In addition to all this ,take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Eph. 6:16 NIV)
This world has undergone plenty of hardships and trials this year. With the world pandemic even now still a valid concern, we have only one way to turn: to our heavenly Father! Please remember that the bad things that happen on Earth are not from Him. No way! It is the evil one who wants us to believe this! Remember, as we saw in earlier lessons on God's Armament, our struggle is, "...not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Eph. 6:12 NIV)
The devil is the one to blame! But he is constantly trying to make us blame God, for when we blame God, our faith disappears. Why would he do this? Because he knows the truth of God's Word. He knows that our faith is the shield we have against his weapons! The devil will do anything to bring you down, and if he can ruin your faith, he has succeeded.
But God says, "take up the shield of faith..."
Why? Because the shield of faith will make miracles. King Solomon tells us: "trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths." (Prov. 3:5 NIV). Doesn't Joshua tell us, "Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." (Jos. 1:9 NIV)
When you are in trouble, ask our Heavenly Father. He will open the door for you. He loves you. The more we know Him, the more we will know how much He loves us. We are NEVER alone. Victory comes from Him: "But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 15:57 NIV)
When we put our faith in our Heavenly Father, He gives us the victory against anything the devil can throw our way.
In the Irvine Regional park in Irvine, California, there is a monument in Memorial to the USS Maine. Its story is well known.
In 1898, the 6000-ton battleship, Maine, made a friendly visit to Havana. The Maine's purpose was to protect the interests of Americans due to a rebellion against Spanish rule that broke out in Havana in January of that year. The ship exploded on Feb 15, 1898, killing 260 Americans.
An official U.S. naval Court of Inquiry ruled in March of that year that the ship was blown up by a Spanish mine.
Within 3 months, the US had decisively defeated the Spanish forces on land and sea, and an armistice halted the fighting, resulting in the Treaty of Paris being signed between the US and Spain on December 12, 1898.
A team of American naval investigators would eventually conclude that the Maine explosion was not due to a Spanish mine after all, but more than likely was caused by an onboard fire that ignited its ammunition.
Let's stop blaming all the bad things on God. Instead, let's blame the true cause, the devil, the one who wants to ruin our faith in God so that his fiery darts can hit us and harm us. Remember, the shield of faith will, "...extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Eph. 6:16 NIV).
Rob Chaffart
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