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Default Re: The Whole Armor of God: Gospel of Peace - 09-28-2009, 03:34 AM

16Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
επι πασιν αναλαβοντες τον θυρεον της πιστεως εν ω δυνησεσθε παντα τα βελη του πονηρου τα πεπυρωμενα σβεσαι

Once again, not only has the King James Bible perfectly translated the text, it has also proven to ring like poetry, resonating with the soul of the reader.

τον θυρεον-
"The Shield"--There were several types of shields commonly seen in Roman times, and many folks walk around with the mistaken notion that this is speaking of the "Spartacus"-type shield shown below. Nothing could be further from the truth. This word originally came from "door," meaning a large stone placed over the opening of a grave. In the New Testament, it came to mean the tall, door-shaped shield which the soldier could hide behind. The shield that Paul had in mind here is not the small, round buckler, but the oblong, door-like shield, measuring 4' x 2 ', curved to the shape of the body and carried by the Greek and Roman soldiers, as also seen below. When placed side-by-side for the front rank, and held overhead together (for those behind), these large shields formed a wall behind which a body of troops could hide themselves from the rain of the enemy's arrows.

These military shields were made of wood, covered on the outside with thick leather, which not only deadened the shock of the arrow, but protected the frame of the shield from the fire-tipped darts used in the artillery of the enemy.

Have you ever been told that you are "hiding behind your faith?" Especially when dealing with the lies of the aborticiders and evolutionists? I pray to God that more True Christians will "hide behind their faith!" What need do you have of arguments, or logic, or evidence? God said it, we win!


The funny thing is, the shield was not only a defensive weapon. In close combat, it could be used to knock the enemy off balance or even bludgeon them senseless! This is exactly what we must do with our faith! When some militant atheistic scientist challenges you to prove what you are saying without using the Bible, you must go on the offensive! "God said so (and quote the relavent King James passages), and that's that." Or you might hold your faith up and point out loudly and insistently how you are being persecuted for your faith. It's a sure way to knock the sinners off balance!
Do we need evidence? What is faith, anyway?

της πιστεως

"Of Faith"--What does the Bible say about faith? Anything at all? What is Faith?

We have already discussed Righteousness, and what it was that counted as righteousness, or "rightness" for
Abraham...and we know that it was his faith. How did we define that?

Quote:

Romans 4

3For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.


επιστευσεν (episteusen)
"Believed"--This word is interesting in its construction. Technically it is a Verb in the third person (he or she) singular aorist (past snapshot, meaning it happened once). Abraham believed God. It only needed to happen once. He believed God and that belief was accounted to him as righteousness. Now the root word here is πιστις (pistis) which is translated throughout the King James Bible as "faith." So faith is believing God.

One of the greatest discussions of faith is found in Hebrews 11. I recommend every True Christian™ not only read this regularly, but commit it to memory.

Hebrews 11

Quote:
1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2For by it the elders obtained a good report.


(And it was counted unto him for Righteousness)

Quote:
3Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.


(The only answer any True Christian needs for the Evolutionist! There was nothing, and God spoke it all into existence!)

Quote:
4By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
5By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.


So without faith it is impossible to please God, and what is faith? Believing in what you cannot see, believing in a hope! If you believe in dogs, what great thing is that, since you can see a dog? If you believe in a church, what great thing is that, since you can see a church and be a member of it? It is rooted in this world and you can see it, touch it, know it. There is no value in believing what can be proven!

Faith is not believing in the manner of "I believe I'll have more pie." Nor is it belief in the manner of "I believe that Barack Obama is a Musliim born in Africa." The first is no more than an opinion, an appetite. The second can easily be proven or disproven.

The value of faith, without which it is impossible to please God, is in believing in that which can never be proven! So why do you need arguments? Why do you need "creation science?" God said He created the world in seven days, about 6,000 years ago (counting all the generations and historical events recorded in God's Word). Why do you feel the need to try to prove it? If you can prove it, it no longer requires faith, which then makes it impossible to please God. If we say we believe in the fall of Jericho, that is faith. If archeology proves it happened, it no longer requires faith. So the only subject of faith that pleases God is that which defies reason, which contradicts rational thought, which denies the natural laws which govern our world.

The only faith that can please God, my beloved in Christ, is that which makes no sense in the earthly sense of the word. In other words, the truth of God is nonsense to man.

2 Timothy 3

Quote:
1This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
6For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,
7Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.




Quote:
20For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
22Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,


And so on and so forth. Do not cling to reason. Do not cling to facts, or evidence, or reason, or sensibility.
Take your shield of faith. Hold it high, hide behind it, use it to bludgeon the enemy into submission! Thank God for that gift of faith!

In Christ,
Warren
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