When I was a boy and into my early manhood I belonged, went to and spent much time in a church. During that time I was taught that paying my tithe, being involved in the activities and “doing” certain things and not “doing” others was what God wanted. In this environment God was most often a feeling and Faith was what you “did” – then one day Thank God, He me woke up!
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” – Ephesians 6:16
Why a shield of Faith? What flaming arrows?
Faith is resting in what we can’t see, believing in what is not in our vision or in what any of our senses can actually connect with.
The reason why most Christians struggle with their Faith and the “flaming arrows” is that they still see their Faith as activities or “doings” and therefore any “sin” as a lack of Faith or as a weakness in Faith.
The disconnect with Grace here is that “the law is the power of sin” and therefore the more law you are under the less power you will have. This is why once the law has brought us “to Christ” as our tutor – we are no longer under the law but we have been reborn “By Grace through Faith!”
The “flaming arrows of the evil one” under Grace become guilt, shame and condemnation from the past or worry about the future just like under the law, however, “His Grace is sufficient for me!”
Faith grows each and every time we look up and say, “Abba I know you have forgiven me and I am righteous in your site just as Jesus is, I also know that the future and the moment I am in now are All given to me by you so I can learn to Love like Jesus did, Thank you Abba – I will rest in You Alone!”
The difference is under the law “the flaming arrows of the evil one” have merit as they are reinforcement for what you think is “right and wrong” in addition to this the “flaming arrows” are temptations to break a law which you think you are under in order to produce more guilt, shame and condemnation.
Basically the law produces a hamster wheel of continual works and effort and His Grace produces rest and Peace beyond human comprehension Here and Now!
