Sermon Title: Extinguishing every flaming arrow
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
The most faithful of Christians are the most peaceful; and the least anxious.
Every flaming arrow is the devil’s attempt to rob our peace in Christ; to sow doubt in our lives so that we fall away from the Lord into the devil’s darkness.
There are four main categories of flaming arrows - each is not only meant to rob our peace in Christ, but also to insidiously incite us towards the same fiery death as the one who shoots them.
Know the nature of these arrows; and you would be better prepared to extinguish them; and live victoriously in spite of the unceasing waves of attacks in the volleys of flaming arrows.
As you think about situations in your life that disturbs your peace in Christ – learn to identify the categories of ‘flaming arrows’ – in order to remain victoriously faithful and steadfast to our Lord and Saviour.
Nothing should rob our peace in Christ; if we have taken to heart that He is indeed, victorious, and has overcome the world! (Ref: John 16:33)
Remember that our faith is a gift from God (Ref: Ephesians 2:8-10, Hebrews12:2, 2 Peter 1:1); and that it is our essential safety shield against the flaming arrows of the evil one – one that we have been instructed to ‘take up’ (Ephesians 6:16).
This informs us that wounds from the devil’s flaming arrows are both unnecessary and a source of sadness to our Lord due to our disobedience and negligence to consistently and conscientiously keep our faith shield held up to extinguish every flaming arrow and remain safe in His faithfulness.
The four categories of ‘flaming arrows’:
Condemnation – to provoke doubts about our salvation in Christ;
Rejection – to incite doubts about God’s love for you through failed relationships and ambitions;
Anguish – to drive doubt about God’s Will and Promises over you through anger, bitterness, unforgiveness and misconceived notions about disease and death.
Persecution – to cause doubt about the reality of God’s coming, eternal Kingdom through the world’s increasing defiance against God’s love, design and destiny for Mankind.
Every day, let us soak and saturate our faith shields with the Power of the Holy Spirit and the word of God in order to effectively extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.
If you have already been wounded, now is the moment for you to let the Lord heal you through His Spirit’s healing presence and with His everlasting words.
Extinguish Condemnation
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
Let us pray:
“Holy Spirit, I ask that you fill my heart with the reality of God’s Grace and Mercy through Christ’s finished work of atoning for my sin and the sins of the world on the Cross at Calvary.
For indeed, in Christ, I am saved, I am freed, and I have life forevermore!
Forgive my doubts of your everlasting mercies and forgiveness over my transgressions.
More so, forgive me for ever doubting Your Salvation.
Lead me to the Cross; and from the Cross, grant me Your Power of Resurrection – that I may be revived and restored in my divine desire to know Christ ever more deeply with every passing moment; that my desire - to manifest the Power of God through prayer and Holy-Spirit filled living, and to know every promise and word of God through the discipline of reading and discerning the Bible – would grow increasingly with every day of my life.
In Jesus’ Name I ask and pray all this. Amen.”
Extinguish Rejection
“I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations.” (Ezekiel 20:41)
“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” (Psalm 32:7)
“As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)
“35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39)
Let us pray:
“Lord Jesus, thank you for Your assurance of eternal love for me.
Forgive my doubts of your love for me.
I recognize that every failed relationship and every failed ambition has caused me to feel rejected and ultimately led to my sin of drawing away from You.
Restore me to Your Sovereign Love and Will for my life.
I speak against rejection, bitterness and unforgiveness in my life; and receive Your Promises of Love, Power and Presence in my life; for to completely fulfill Your Will for me is my greatest desire!
Take away every seed of rejection and root of bitterness; and move my heart to look beyond every unfulfilled dream of establishing my own glory to a life devoted to bringing all the glory to Your Name.
Fill me with Your Power, Holy Spirit, and transform me into the likeness of my Saviour.
In Jesus’ Name I ask and pray all this. Amen.”
Extinguish Anguish
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2)
“ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)
“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight.” (Psalm 119:143)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Let us pray:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for giving me present and eternal rest from all troubles.
Forgive my doubts about Your perfect Will and Promises over my life; doubts that has caused me to sin against you in anger, bitterness, and even misconceived notions about the purposes of my life, or even about disease and death.
In all of my life’s circumstance, I pray that You would draw me closer and deeper to You.
In You, O Lord, I have eternal life in Your Kingdom.
Your Grace is more than sufficient for me.
Help me transcend the worldly notions of success, disease and death; that my life would be filled with salvation, strength, hope and love for You, for Your Church, and for the world.
Thank You for comforting me in all my troubles, so that I can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort I have received from You. (Ref: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
In Jesus’ Name I ask and pray all this. Amen.”
Extinguish Persecution
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.
As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you.
Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’
If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. (John 15:18-20)
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?
Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:4-8)
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the divine privilege of simply belonging to You.
Indeed, You are my Shepherd; I lack nothing! (Ref: Psalm 23)
I am Your child, O God – and You have chosen me “out of the world”; and that is why the world hates me.
Help me live in the divine integrity of belonging wholly to You; and make my life’s purpose be all about living for the reality of Your Present and Eternal Kingdom.
Grant me the courage, strength, resolve and wisdom to maintain the exclusivity of faith in God’s Salvation through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour; along with Your divine notion of life, gender, marriage and family.
Grant me the divine audacity to fulfill the Great Commission and preach the Gospel of Your Kingdom.
Even in the face of persecution, may I never shy away from differentiating between good and evil; righteousness and unrighteousness; and by Your Spirit’s Power, may I never compromise my Christian standing in this dark and fallen world.
Forgive me for succumbing to the temptations of denying Christ for fear of persecution. And forgive me when I failed to stand up for the sake of the Gospel.
Above all else, I fear You, O God; for the world can only kill my body; but You O God has the “authority to cast into hell.” (Luke 12:4-7)
I am Your beloved, O God – and in that divine revelation, I fear no one, and I fear nothing – for I belong to You. You are my God; in whom I trust; and I will live wholly for the sake of Your Glory and Kingdom.
Thank You for your Grace and favor to me.
I humble and submit my life entirely to You.
I will resist the devil in his attempts to shoot me down with flaming arrows; and I know that he will flee from me.
Purify my heart O God; and grant me Your Power to live victoriously in the face of persecution.
In Jesus’ Name I ask and pray all this. Amen.”
Brethren, never get wounded by the devil’s attempts to take you down in flames; take up your shield of faith daily; and be strong in the Lord and in His mighty Power.
Do not take C.R.A.P. from the evil one; but extinguish his every flaming arrow with courage, strength, resolve and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
Daily soak and saturate your faith-shield with the Power of the Holy Spirit and the ageless Word of God; that with Your faith shield taken up and held right in the face of darkness, though you might feel the impact of the arrows, you will never get wounded.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Thank You for Christ’s Victory imputed and imparted upon me.
Forgive me for the moments that I doubted Your Salvation, Love, Kingdom, Presence and Power.
Increase my faith in You, Lord Jesus!
As I constantly and conscientiously take up my faith shield and keep it raised; and as I soak and saturate my faith daily in the Power of the Holy Spirit and in Your Word; I know that every flaming arrow of the evil one will be extinguished, every weapon forged against me will not prevail, and every tongue that accuses me will be refuted – for “this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord” and this is my vindication from You, O God. (Ref: Isaiah 54:17)
Lord God Almighty, I fully rest in Your Protection, Providence and Power over my life.
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
“In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” (Ephesians 6:16)
Dearly Beloved,
Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
The most faithful of Christians are the most peaceful; and the least anxious.
Every flaming arrow is the devil’s attempt to rob our peace in Christ; to sow doubt in our lives so that we fall away from the Lord into the devil’s darkness.
There are four main categories of flaming arrows - each is not only meant to rob our peace in Christ, but also to insidiously incite us towards the same fiery death as the one who shoots them.
Know the nature of these arrows; and you would be better prepared to extinguish them; and live victoriously in spite of the unceasing waves of attacks in the volleys of flaming arrows.
As you think about situations in your life that disturbs your peace in Christ – learn to identify the categories of ‘flaming arrows’ – in order to remain victoriously faithful and steadfast to our Lord and Saviour.
Nothing should rob our peace in Christ; if we have taken to heart that He is indeed, victorious, and has overcome the world! (Ref: John 16:33)
Remember that our faith is a gift from God (Ref: Ephesians 2:8-10, Hebrews12:2, 2 Peter 1:1); and that it is our essential safety shield against the flaming arrows of the evil one – one that we have been instructed to ‘take up’ (Ephesians 6:16).
This informs us that wounds from the devil’s flaming arrows are both unnecessary and a source of sadness to our Lord due to our disobedience and negligence to consistently and conscientiously keep our faith shield held up to extinguish every flaming arrow and remain safe in His faithfulness.
The four categories of ‘flaming arrows’:
Condemnation – to provoke doubts about our salvation in Christ;
Rejection – to incite doubts about God’s love for you through failed relationships and ambitions;
Anguish – to drive doubt about God’s Will and Promises over you through anger, bitterness, unforgiveness and misconceived notions about disease and death.
Persecution – to cause doubt about the reality of God’s coming, eternal Kingdom through the world’s increasing defiance against God’s love, design and destiny for Mankind.
Every day, let us soak and saturate our faith shields with the Power of the Holy Spirit and the word of God in order to effectively extinguish the flaming arrows of the evil one.
If you have already been wounded, now is the moment for you to let the Lord heal you through His Spirit’s healing presence and with His everlasting words.
Extinguish Condemnation
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
Let us pray:
“Holy Spirit, I ask that you fill my heart with the reality of God’s Grace and Mercy through Christ’s finished work of atoning for my sin and the sins of the world on the Cross at Calvary.
For indeed, in Christ, I am saved, I am freed, and I have life forevermore!
Forgive my doubts of your everlasting mercies and forgiveness over my transgressions.
More so, forgive me for ever doubting Your Salvation.
Lead me to the Cross; and from the Cross, grant me Your Power of Resurrection – that I may be revived and restored in my divine desire to know Christ ever more deeply with every passing moment; that my desire - to manifest the Power of God through prayer and Holy-Spirit filled living, and to know every promise and word of God through the discipline of reading and discerning the Bible – would grow increasingly with every day of my life.
In Jesus’ Name I ask and pray all this. Amen.”
Extinguish Rejection
“I will accept you as fragrant incense when I bring you out from the nations and gather you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will be proved holy through you in the sight of the nations.” (Ezekiel 20:41)
“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.” (Psalm 32:7)
“As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” (John 13:34)
“35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:35, 37-39)
Let us pray:
“Lord Jesus, thank you for Your assurance of eternal love for me.
Forgive my doubts of your love for me.
I recognize that every failed relationship and every failed ambition has caused me to feel rejected and ultimately led to my sin of drawing away from You.
Restore me to Your Sovereign Love and Will for my life.
I speak against rejection, bitterness and unforgiveness in my life; and receive Your Promises of Love, Power and Presence in my life; for to completely fulfill Your Will for me is my greatest desire!
Take away every seed of rejection and root of bitterness; and move my heart to look beyond every unfulfilled dream of establishing my own glory to a life devoted to bringing all the glory to Your Name.
Fill me with Your Power, Holy Spirit, and transform me into the likeness of my Saviour.
In Jesus’ Name I ask and pray all this. Amen.”
Extinguish Anguish
“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18:2)
“ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2)
“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight.” (Psalm 119:143)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Let us pray:
Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for giving me present and eternal rest from all troubles.
Forgive my doubts about Your perfect Will and Promises over my life; doubts that has caused me to sin against you in anger, bitterness, and even misconceived notions about the purposes of my life, or even about disease and death.
In all of my life’s circumstance, I pray that You would draw me closer and deeper to You.
In You, O Lord, I have eternal life in Your Kingdom.
Your Grace is more than sufficient for me.
Help me transcend the worldly notions of success, disease and death; that my life would be filled with salvation, strength, hope and love for You, for Your Church, and for the world.
Thank You for comforting me in all my troubles, so that I can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort I have received from You. (Ref: 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
In Jesus’ Name I ask and pray all this. Amen.”
Extinguish Persecution
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.
As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.
That is why the world hates you.
Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’
If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. (John 15:18-20)
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God?
Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you.
Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.” (James 4:4-8)
Let us pray:
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the divine privilege of simply belonging to You.
Indeed, You are my Shepherd; I lack nothing! (Ref: Psalm 23)
I am Your child, O God – and You have chosen me “out of the world”; and that is why the world hates me.
Help me live in the divine integrity of belonging wholly to You; and make my life’s purpose be all about living for the reality of Your Present and Eternal Kingdom.
Grant me the courage, strength, resolve and wisdom to maintain the exclusivity of faith in God’s Salvation through Christ Jesus, our Lord and Saviour; along with Your divine notion of life, gender, marriage and family.
Grant me the divine audacity to fulfill the Great Commission and preach the Gospel of Your Kingdom.
Even in the face of persecution, may I never shy away from differentiating between good and evil; righteousness and unrighteousness; and by Your Spirit’s Power, may I never compromise my Christian standing in this dark and fallen world.
Forgive me for succumbing to the temptations of denying Christ for fear of persecution. And forgive me when I failed to stand up for the sake of the Gospel.
Above all else, I fear You, O God; for the world can only kill my body; but You O God has the “authority to cast into hell.” (Luke 12:4-7)
I am Your beloved, O God – and in that divine revelation, I fear no one, and I fear nothing – for I belong to You. You are my God; in whom I trust; and I will live wholly for the sake of Your Glory and Kingdom.
Thank You for your Grace and favor to me.
I humble and submit my life entirely to You.
I will resist the devil in his attempts to shoot me down with flaming arrows; and I know that he will flee from me.
Purify my heart O God; and grant me Your Power to live victoriously in the face of persecution.
In Jesus’ Name I ask and pray all this. Amen.”
Brethren, never get wounded by the devil’s attempts to take you down in flames; take up your shield of faith daily; and be strong in the Lord and in His mighty Power.
Do not take C.R.A.P. from the evil one; but extinguish his every flaming arrow with courage, strength, resolve and wisdom from the Holy Spirit.
Daily soak and saturate your faith-shield with the Power of the Holy Spirit and the ageless Word of God; that with Your faith shield taken up and held right in the face of darkness, though you might feel the impact of the arrows, you will never get wounded.
Shalom.
Let us pray.
Our Father in Heaven,
Hallowed be Your Name.
Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.
Thank You for Christ’s Victory imputed and imparted upon me.
Forgive me for the moments that I doubted Your Salvation, Love, Kingdom, Presence and Power.
Increase my faith in You, Lord Jesus!
As I constantly and conscientiously take up my faith shield and keep it raised; and as I soak and saturate my faith daily in the Power of the Holy Spirit and in Your Word; I know that every flaming arrow of the evil one will be extinguished, every weapon forged against me will not prevail, and every tongue that accuses me will be refuted – for “this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord” and this is my vindication from You, O God. (Ref: Isaiah 54:17)
Lord God Almighty, I fully rest in Your Protection, Providence and Power over my life.
I thank You and pray all these in the Name of our King, Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.