peter g. chase

DRAWING NEAR

September 18

Trusting God

"In addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which
you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the
evil one" (Eph. 6:16).

Intense spiritual warfare calls for intense trust in God.

An on-duty Roman soldier was always dressed for battle but didn't
employ his shield, helmet, and sword until the fighting started. But
we as Christians must be ready for battle at all times because our
enemy is relentless. We can't afford to overlook a single piece of
armor or slip into complacency or neglect.

In that regard, Ephesians 6:16 says in effect, "Now that you've
prepared for battle by girding your loins with truth, protecting your
vital organs with the breastplate of righteousness, and securing your
feet with the gospel of peace, don't forget to take up your shield."

Two types of shields were commonly used by Roman soldiers. One was a
small, lightweight, round shield that was strapped to the soldier's
left forearm and used to parry blows during hand-to-hand combat. The
other, which Paul refers to here, was a large shield measuring about
four-and-a-half-feet high and two-and-a-half-feet wide. It was made
of sturdy wood covered with metal and a thick layer of oil-treated
leather. The metal deflected arrows while the oily leather
extinguished the fiery pitch that arrows were commonly swabbed with.
That type of shield was ideal for full-body protection.

In the initial stages of a battle, the front-line soldiers knelt
behind their large shields to protect themselves and provide a
defense barrier for the troops behind them who were firing offensive
weapons. The goal was to inch their way forward as a human wall until
they could engage the enemy in hand-to-hand combat.

As a believer, the shield that protects you is your faith in God. If
you never question His character, power, or Word, you'll never fall
victim to Satan's attacks. That doesn't mean he won't besiege you
--but when he does, his assaults will be ineffective.

Suggestions for Prayer:

Faith is a precious gift from God (Phil. 1:29). Thank Him for it and
ask for wisdom to apply it properly when spiritual struggles come
(James 1:5).

For Further Study:

Read Romans 8:31-39.

Meditate on the victory you have in Christ.
What effect should that have on your daily living?

Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.

All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org

~~~


Philippians 1:29
29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to
believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake

James 1:5
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all
liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Romans 8:31-39
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can
be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us
all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
33 Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who
justifies.
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is
also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes
intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation,
or distress, or persecution, or famine, or *****ness, or peril, or
sword?


37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him
who loved us.
38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor
principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able
to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our
Lord.

These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.

In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.

If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.

You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:

http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/

and

http://www.gty.org.uk/

You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org

NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.

In Christ,

Peter

Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com

STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To f****ve is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg