Arrows (956) (belos) is literally something thrown (pointed weapon, arrow, dart) and metaphorically as used here speaking of Satan's temptations as weapons of attack. This is the only NT use of belos which is found 34 times in the Septuagint (LXX) (Deut. 32:23, 42; 2 Sam. 18:14; 22:15; 2 Ki. 9:24; 13:15, 17; 19:32; 2 Chr. 26:15; Job 6:4; 16:9; 20:25; 30:14; 34:6; 39:22; Ps. 7:13; 11:2; 18:14; 38:2; 45:5; 57:4; 64:7; 77:17; 91:5; 120:4; 127:4; 144:6; Isa. 5:28; 7:24; 37:33; 49:2; Lam. 3:12; Joel 2:8) TDNT adds that belos means... “Pointed weapon,” “javelin,” “arrow,” used also for lightning, rays of the sun, moon, or tire. Greek and Semitic gods are armed with both bows and arrows. In the OT the rainbow is God's bow (Ge 9:13), lightning is His burning arrow (Ps 7:13) and the arrows of the sun cause drought and sunstroke (Ps 90). God shoots the wicked with His arrows (Lam 3:12, Job 6:4). God's servant is an arrow in (Isaiah 42:9) and (Isaiah 59:17) speaks of ethical and spiritual armament. In the NT in Eph 6:16 we see that the righteous are armed as God's warriors (cf Isa 59:17). They are attacked by the flaming darts of the evil one but they can parry this assault with the shield of faith, which gives union with God. (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans) Eadie writes that... The Greek fathers, with too great restriction, think that reference (to fiery darts) is made to such lusts and desires as we sometimes term “burning” lusts and desires. The darts appear to be Satanic assaults, sudden and terrible—such suggestions to evil, such unaccountable impulses to doubt or blaspheme, such horrid insinuations about the Divine character and one's own state, as often distract persons, especially of a nervous temperament. The biographies of Luther and Bunyan afford apposite examples. But the shield of faith must be used to repel such darts, and if brought to intercept them, it preserves the Christian warrior intact. His confidence in God keeps him from being wounded, or from falling a prisoner into the hands of his ruthless enemies. Whatever happens moves him not; his faith saves him from despondency and defeat. The future form of the verb by no means supports Meyer's view as to the period of the evil day. (John Eadie, D., LL.D. The Epistle of St Paul to the Ephesians) Blaikie writes that... Fiery darts” were weapons tipped with inflammable materials, firebrands, curiously constructed, adapted to set on fire. Metaphorically, considerations darted into the mind inflaming lust, pride, revenge, or other evil feelings, emanations from the great tempter, the evil one. That such considerations sometimes start up suddenly in the mind, against the deliberate desire, sometimes even in the middle of holy exercises, is the painful experience of every Christian, and must make him thankful for the shield on which they are quenched. An act of faith on Christ, placing the soul consciously in his presence, recalling his atoning love and grace, and the promises of the Spirit, will extinguish these fiery temptations. (The Pulpit Commentary: New Testament; Old Testament; Ages Software) Vincent has a lengthy comment on "fiery darts" writing noting that the Greek literally reads... the darts, those which have been set on fire. Herodotus says that the Persians attacked the citadel of Athens “with arrows whereto pieces of lighted tow were attached, which they shot at the barricade” (8:52). Thucydides: “The Plataeans constructed a wooden frame, which they set up on the top of their own wall opposite the mound.… They also hung curtains of skins and hides in front: these were designed to protect the woodwork and the workers, and shield them against blazing arrows” (2:75). Livy tells of a huge dart used at the siege of Saguntum, which was impelled by twisted ropes. “There was used by the Saguntines a missile weapon called falarica, with the shaft of fir, and round in other parts, except toward the point, whence the iron projected. This part, which was square, they bound around with tow and besmeared with pitch. It had an iron head three feet in length, so that it could pierce through the body with the armor. But what caused the greatest fear was that this weapon, even though it stuck in the shield and did not penetrate into the body, when it was discharged with the middle part on fire, and bore along a much greater flame produced by the mere motion, obliged the armor to be thrown down, and exposed the soldier to succeeding blows” (21:8). Again, of the siege of Ambracia by the Romans: “Some advanced with burning torches, others carrying tow and pitch and fire-darts, their entire line being illuminated by the blaze” (38:6). Compare Ps 7:13, where the correct rendering is, “His arrows He maketh fiery arrows.” Temptation is thus represented as impelled from a distance. Satan attacks by indirection — through good things from which no evil is suspected. There is a hint of its propagating power: one sin draws another in its track: the flame of the fire-tipped dart spreads. Temptation acts on susceptible material. Self-confidence is combustible. Faith, in doing away with dependence on self, takes away fuel for the dart. It creates sensitiveness to holy influences by which the power of temptation is neutralized. It enlists the direct aid of God. See 1Cor. 10:13; Luke 22:32; Jas 1:2; 1Pe 4:12; 2Pe 2:9. (Vincent, M. R.. Word Studies in the New Testament 3:409) Warren Wiersbe asks... What are the “fiery darts” that Satan shoots at us? I take it that they are thoughts of one kind or another—doubts, fears, worries, and so on. I have sometimes been prayerfully meditating on the Word when suddenly a terrible thought would invade my mind. Of course, Satan wants us to think that we are to blame, because this kind of thinking would make us discouraged with our Christian walk. But he is to blame! I have had fiery darts thrown at me while I have been preaching the Word! If we do not quench these darts, they will ignite whatever they touch, and we will have a destructive fire to put out. I have found that trusting God’s promises and laying hold of his Word will quench these fiery darts. How important it is for the Christian soldier to know Bible doctrine! (This explains why the Christian soldier is described in chapter 6 of Ephesians. Paul spends the first three chapters explaining basic doctrine, and the next two on basic Christian living.) We do not quench the darts by faith in ourselves (even our past victories), faith in faith, or faith in some creed. It is faith in Christ and his Word. We cannot stop Satan from throwing the darts, but we can keep them from starting a fire. A great saint has said (was it Martin Luther?), “I cannot keep the sparrows from flying about my head, but I can keep them from making a nest in my hair!” The important thing is to quench that dart immediately. Instantly look to Christ by faith, recall some promise of the Word, and believe it. Otherwise the fire will start to spread, and if you add fuel to it it will get beyond your control. Your feelings will get aroused and upset, and before long Satan will be in control. I can recall situations in which fiery darts made me impatient, and I was about to say and do things for which afterward I would have been sorry. I turned to the Lord in faith and believed him for the patience I needed. There came to me a sense of control and calm that quenched the fiery darts. The times I have not turned to him in faith, I have been burned—and so have others. (Wiersbe, W: Strategy of Satan: How to Detect and Defeat Him) (Bolding added) Evil one (4190) (poneros) refers to actively harmful or hurtful evil one. The definite article points to a specific evil entity, undoubtedly Satan. The idea is one who is pernicious, which means highly injurious or destructive, exceedingly harmful, and vicious. Poneros describes Satan as utterly bad. While admittedly the devil uses men as his agents in his conflict with believers, the devil, aided by his cohorts, is the believer's real and persistent enemy The Oxford English Dictionary says that pernicious means "having a harmful effect, especially in a gradual or subtle way. (Soanes, C., & Stevenson, A. Concise Oxford English dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press) Wuest adds that... “The wicked” is ho poneros “the pernicious one,” Satan, who is not content to perish in his own destruction, but seeks to drag everyone else down with him to the utter ruin that will be his in the future eternity. The fiery arrows represent the temptations with which he assails the saints. These saints were saved in the sense that they were justified (Ed note: Past Tense Salvation - See The Three Tenses of Salvation). The salvation spoken of here must therefore be salvation from the power of sin in this present life (Ed note: Present Tense Salvation = Sanctification - See The Three Tenses of Salvation), salvation from the onslaughts of Satan.(Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Eerdmans) Jesus used this same word poneros for Satan in His prayer in John 17... "I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 15 "I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. 16 "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Thy word is truth. (John 17:14-17) Here are all the other 8 (out of a total of 10) NT uses of the phrase "the evil one", each referring in context to Satan... Mt 13:19 "When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. Mt 13:38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 2 Th 3:3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 1 John 2:13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. 1 John 2:14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. 1 John 3:12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous. 1 John 5:18 We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him. 1 John 5:19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. ><> ><> ><> Though many foes beset you round, And feeble is your arm Your life is hid with Christ in God, Beyond the realm of harm. Weak as you are, you shall not faint, Or fainting, shall not die; Jesus, the strength of every saint, Will aid you from on high. Though unperceived by mortal sense, Fate sees Him always near, A guide, a glory, a defense: Then what have you to fear? As surely as He overcame, And triumphed once for you, So surely you that love His name Shall in Him triumph too! by John Newton ><> ><> ><> Smart Armor System (November 30, 1994) - United States Army and Pentagon officials are developing a sophisticated armor system to protect tanks against enemy fire. According to the Army Times, this new system will protect armored vehicles against the latest kinetic energy rockets, which are long, thin, sharp-pointed projectiles that pierce armor when they hit head-on. The Smart Armor System (SAS) will keep these missiles from penetrating the armor of tanks because special reactive tiles will deflect them. As followers of Jesus Christ, we need protection from the "fiery darts" being hurled at us by Satan. He has some powerful missiles that can stir up within us doubt, fear, disappointment, impurity, lust, greed, selfishness, covetousness, and pride. And he attacks us when we are most vulnerable in these areas. But God has given us the shield of faith for our protection to deflect Satan's most powerful missiles. When we trust God, believing what He tells us in His Word, the enemy's most deadly attacks will be futile. As you go out into battle today, put on the whole armor of God. Above all, take up the shield of faith. Reassert your trust in God and commit your ways to Him. It's your Smart Armor System. --D C Egner (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved) The devil's tactic is surprise, He'll stop you in your tracks; So keep on guard and trust God's Word, Resist his strong attacks. -JDB Trust in God's Word is a sure defense against temptation. ><> ><> ><> Use Your Weapons December 8, 2005 While visiting a museum, I was intrigued by a small inscription describing a class of Roman gladiators-the Retiarii-who fought using only a net and a trident. Of all the fearsome and lethal weapons available to those warriors, who often battled to the death, these men were given two items-a piece of webbing and a three-pronged spear. When they entered the arena, their survival depended on how well they used their weapons. In the spiritual battle we face as Christians, God has chosen our weapons: "Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds" (2Corinthians 10:3,4). It's worth pausing to look at ourselves in the mirror of Ep 6:10-18 to see if we are properly equipped with "the whole armor of God." From the helmet of salvation to the shoes of the gospel of peace, we are to be protected and armed for a conflict that depends not on human strength but on the power of God. When we realize the nature of that warfare and the forces against us, it's foolish to enter the fray with anything except our God-given weapons. —David C. McCasland (Ibid) Does all the world seem against you And you're in the battle alone? It's often when you are most helpless That God's mighty power is known. -Anon Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. -Isaiah 40:31 Ephesians 6:17 And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (NASB: Lockman) Greek: kai ten perikephalaian tou soteriou dexasthe (2PAAM) kai ten machairan tou pneumatos, o estin (3SPAI) rhema theou, Amplified: And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. (Amplified Bible - Lockman) NLT: Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (NLT - Tyndale House) Phillips: salvation as your helmet and in your hand the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. (Phillips: Touchstone) Wuest: and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God; (Eerdmans) Young's Literal: and the helmet of the salvation receive, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the saying of God, AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION: kai ten perikephalaian tou soteriou dexasthe (2PAAM): (1Sa 17:5,58; Isa 59:17; 1Th 5:8 - note) O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. Psalm 140:7 And (Kai) - couples this piece of the armor with the preceding pieces of armor. The armor although composed of different pieces is a "unit" and not one piece can be missing if we are to successfully wage spiritual warfare in His power and for His glory. This figure of a helmet hearkens back to Isaiah's description of the Messiah in which he records that... He (Messiah) put on righteousness like a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head; and He put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and wrapped Himself with zeal as a mantle. (Isaiah 59:17) We always have a choice of helmets. And so we see a description of two other helmets, Goliath's helmet and Saul's helmet... The 1Sa 17:5 And he (Goliath) had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was clothed with scale-armor which weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. Comment: The world system arrayed against God and His people is deceived into thinking it has a defense against God's omnipotent weapons. However, the defeat of every "Goliath" (that fails to bow the knee and receive Christ as Savior) is sure! One little word (or "rock") will fell every Goliath! It may not look that way in your life today, but you know the end of the story! Indeed, "in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us" (Ro 8:37), "for whoever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world-- our faith...he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (1Jn 5:4, 5) and even now God "always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place." (2Cor 2:14). Hallelujah! 1Sa 17:38 Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. Comment: Saul is a man of flesh and so gives David the armor of flesh. But praise God, that in 1Sa 17:39 David recognized that it was not by (man's) might, nor (man's) power, but by God's Spirit that he would win the victory. Spurgeon commenting on Ps 140:7 adds: When he looked back upon past dangers and deliverances, the good man felt that he should have perished had not the Lord held a shield over his head. In the day of the clash of arms, or of the putting on of armour (as some read it), the glorious Lord had been his constant Protector. Goliath had his armour bearer, and so had Saul, and these each one guarded his master; yet the giant and the king both perished, while David, without armour or shield, slew the giant and baffled the tyrant. The shield of the Eternal is a better protection than a helmet of brass, When arrows fly thick and the battle axe crashes right and left, there is no covering for the head like the power of the Almighty. See how the child of providence glorifies his Preserver! He calls him not only his salvation, but the strength of it, by whose unrivalled force he had been enabled to outlive the cunning and cruelty of his adversaries. He had obtained a deliverance in which the strength of the Omnipotent was clearly to be seen. This is a grand utterance of praise, a gracious ground of comfort, a prevalent argument in prayer. He that has covered our head aforetime will not now desert us. Wherefore let us fight a good fight, and fear no deadly wound: the Lord God is our shield, and our exceeding great reward.