16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;
– Ephesians 6:16 (ESV)
If I said the word “fire”, it would likely generate a multitude of responses. Maybe your child accidentally pulled a fire alarm, maybe you were a volunteer fireman (thank you for serving your community!), or maybe you really enjoy campfires, hanging out, and roasting marshmallows.
Years ago, I went through firefighting training. The exciting part was going into a building that had a real fire and we worked together to extinguish the blaze. The classroom portion of the training involved learning about the Fire Triangle. Every fire has three elements: fuel, heat, and oxygen. If you can remove one of those elements, you can extinguish the fire. That’s why those red canisters around buildings, and maybe your home, are important. They contain carbon dioxide which removes oxygen from the fire. They are accessible but aren’t effective if not used properly.
This Sunday, we will be studying the next piece of armor, the shield of faith. The Shield of Faith is vital to our Christian life if we're going to extinguish the fiery darts of the enemy. Just like carbon dioxide fights many common fires, our faith is what God has provided to combat the attacks of the evil one and allows us to stand firm and victorious.
I look forward to opening God’s Word with you together on Sunday and learning about how to extinguish the darts of the enemy!
Take some time to listen to the worship set to prepare your heart.
Love you Church,
Ed Bley
Pastor of Ministry & Care