Ephesians 6:16 With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. (NRSV)
In Roman warfare, the use of flaming arrows was a very intentional tactic. Soldiers had to wrap the arrow tip in specific materials (e.g. tar, hemp) that could combust easily. Just before shooting the arrow, they would lit it on fire so that it would glide through the air like a small fireball. When it latched onto the soldier’s shield, the flame could cause the soldier to drop his shield with nothing to protect him. And the effect wasn’t merely a loss of protection for that soldier – often it could lead to panic in the ranks.
In Roman warfare, flaming arrows was a very intentional and potent weapon of choice. Using this picture, Paul warns the church to guard against flaming arrows of the evil one. For Paul, it was a given that Christians had to deal with the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).[1]
In the well-known armour of God passage in Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul tells us about the schemes of the Devil. While the schemes of the Devil are legion, in what follows, I highlight two common flaming arrows of the evil one, intended to trap us in sin.
Desire
In the primal temptation, Satan incited our first parents through desire. We are told that Eve’s desire became transfixed on the forbidden. She saw that the tree was good …a delight … to be desired (Genesis 3:6). The Devil doesn’t simply tell us, “This is bad, do it.” Rather, he deceives us with false beauty and empty promises of satisfaction. Often, when we fall into sin, we don’t fall because we hate God, fall because we love sin. Our desires are like tentacles wrapped around an object are engrossed.
This is why the Apostle John says that all that is in the world— the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life —is not from the Father but is from the world. (1 John 2:16)
It may seem our desires are beyond our control and we can do nothing about it. But in reality, we can train it. When we stop eating junk food for a while, we realise we don’t really crave it anymore.
The call to Christ is a call to train our desire; to purify our love; to ignite a passion for what is truly good, true and beautiful – not what promises so much but gives so little. To be a Christian is to fight against illicit desire and to grow in loving God with all our heart (Matthew 22:37).
On this note, what illicit desires are you most prone to entertain (sex, money, comfort, recognition)? How does the Devil fan these desires into flame? What is the specific deception he uses?
One key way the Devil may fan illicit desires into flame is through relationships. Interestingly, Eve didn’t stop at eating the fruit for her own satisfaction – she also gave some to her husband who was with her (Genesis 3:6). We are created to be social creatures – we can’t but socialise. That’s not to say we are all extroverts. But rather, we always desire to share with others what we think is truly good. When we’ve had the best version of our favourite dish, we can’t but share (or nowadays, post). When we’ve watched a wonderful k-drama or movie, we want others to watch it also. Eve consumed what she perceived was good, a delight, to be desired and she had to share it with her husband, even if her perception was rooted in deception.
On the receiving end, this means we are always being influenced by the desires of others. This is known as mimetic desire – our desires don’t merely come from our innermost being, they come from our closest friends. To this end, some good questions to consider are: who are the people we spend the most time with? How have they shaped our desires? How has our social media habits shaped our desires?
Despair
If desire is the first common flaming arrow, it is often followed up with another specific flaming arrow – despair.
After we are lured and enticed by our own desire which gives birth to sin (James 1:14-15), often the Devil follows it up with words of condemnation and accusation. He begins with soft alluring words that entice our illicit desire but he moves swiftly on to harsh accusing words of our failures. The arrow of desire exaggerates the goodness of the temptation but after realising that it was just a mirage, the arrow of despair exaggerates the hopelessness of our condition.
He tells us that we are condemned before God when there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). He tells us that our entire life is a hypocrisy whenever we slip. He convinces us that we can never overcome sin when in reality sin will have no dominion over us, since we are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14).
But does that mean that all guilt is Satanic? Certainly not. Scripture speaks of the Spirit’s conviction of sin (John 16:8) and differentiates between godly grief that produces repentance versus worldly grief that produces death (2 Cor 7:10). The key is whether the guilt drives us away from God or toward Him. Do we respond like Adam and Eve covering our shame apart from God (Genesis 3:7) or like David confessing our sin to God (Psalm 51)?
If indeed the guilt is Satanic, how then are we to respond? Paul says we are to take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish these flaming arrows of desire and despair (Ephesians 6:16).[2] In other words, we are to trust God. We are to hold on to God’s word as the true description of reality, not Satan’s description. We are to put our faith in the blood of Christ. Using God’s Word, we are to speak back against alluring words of desire and condemning words of despair. The only way to slice apart the web of deception is to use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:17). We are to fix our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). There is no other way.
When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin
[1] While its often said that ‘idleness is the devil’s workshop’, for Paul, the Devil is anything but idle. The enemy isn’t passively waiting for life to happen and history to wrap up. Rather, the Devil is active in hindering the work of the gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:18 “Satan hindered us”); inciting bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (James 3:14) to divide the church; drawing God’s people away from staying the course (Matthew 24:24). In short, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).
[2] Roman shields were leather-covered and soaked in water precisely so they could extinguish flaming arrows.
