Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Parallel translations
- WEB above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
- BSB In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
- NKJV above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
- NASB in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
- NLT In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Above all, faith is the shield that catches and extinguishes every flaming attack of the evil one. It matters because trusting God's promises is the believer's chief defense against temptation and doubt.
Overview
The large shield in view could cover the whole body, picturing how faith protects the believer comprehensively. The 'fiery darts' represent Satan's assaults-temptations, accusations, doubts, and fears-which faith quenches by taking refuge in God and his promises. Faith here is not self-confidence but reliance on Christ, so the strength of the shield lies in its object, the trustworthy God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Pet 5:8–9Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
- 1 Jn 5:4–5For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
- Prov 18:10The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.
- Ps 56:3–4What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
- Gen 15:1After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
- Ps 56:10–11In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
- 2 Cor 4:16–18For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
- Heb 11:24–34By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter;
- 2 Cor 1:24Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
- Heb 6:17–18Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:
- 1 Th 5:19Quench not the Spirit.
- Ps 120:4Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
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Christ at the center
Every spiritual blessing is 'in Christ,' the head over all things for the church, in whom Jew and Gentile are made one new man by his blood.
How Ephesians 6:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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