Dodge the Darts

Back in-the-day, what school playground lacked a good game of dodge ball! As alert and quick as you tried to be, [maybe more than] occasionally you were unable to ... dodge the ball. God instructs His children to "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). The imagery of darts (arrows) hurled at us is a vivid description of what we face as we navigate life. Part of the Roman soldier's defensive armor was a shield made sturdy to protect him, even soaked in water to deflect arrows of fire meant to - not just kill - but cause widespread chaos. Like a small flame sets a forrest afire, one fiery arrow from our spiritual enemy can destroy our peace, joy, contentment as well as ruin friendships; and, yes, it's disruption can be widespread! "Take up the shield of faith," God says - trust in The unfailing promises of Him Who is our Shield: Psalm 33:3 - "You, O Lord, are a shield about me" ... Psalm 28:7 - "The Lord is my strength and shield; in Him my heart trusts" ... Proverbs 30:5 - "Every word of God proves true; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him" ... Psalm 5:12 - "You bless the righteous, O Lord; You cover him with favor as with a shield" ... Psalm 91:4 - "He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and a buckler." God is who He says He is AND He does what He says He will do. Satan's flaming darts will always be coming at us but the Godly shield of faith assures us we can ... dodge the darts.