1. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ

2. Spiritual Warfare, Part 15 Ephesians 6:10-16
The devil seeks to keep the unsaved from salvation in Jesus & keep the saved from living for Christ.
The unsaved fall victim to:
False religions & cults
Self-righteousness,
The futile pursuit of happiness & vanity

3. Spiritual Warfare, Part 15 Ephesians 6:10-16
Christians can also fall victim to the devil’s lies & slander and live contrary to God’s commands.
Escape from pain
Materialism
Hedonism
We must be controlled by truth even when it is uncomfortable

4. Spiritual Warfare, Part 15 Ephesians 6:10-16
We must be clothed with the imputed righteousness of Christ and walk in practical righteousness
Our feet must be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace in order to stand firm against the devil

5. The Shield of Faith
Not the smaller, light shields of the calvary, but the large θυρεος / thureos ft X 2 ½ ft

6. The Shield of Faith Ephesians 6:16
Soldiers walking together could form a moving wall
Arrows would bounce off or harmlessly stick into such shields.

7. The Importance of Faith
The shield is emphasized
If you mess up with the rest, DON'T FORGET YOUR SHIELD!
It is by the shield of faith that “you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one.”

8. The Importance of Faith
It is by faith that the righteousness of Christ is applied to my life and I am made holy in God's sight
It is by faith that I walk in practical righteousness of believing and obeying the Lord
It is by faith in Jesus that my bondage to sin is broken and I gain God’s peace by being reconciled to Him

9. Defining Faith
Faith is “complete trust or confidence the assent of the mind to the truth of a proposition advanced by another”
Properly, faith is tied to actual truth, but it can often be improperly based in the whims of emotion and thought

10. Defining Faith
Many claim faith in propositions that actually oppose each other:
Economics: Socialism & capitalism
Science: Evolution & science
Morality: Tolerance for all - except the opposition
Theology: Good works & faith in Christ.

11. Defining Faith
The faith of Hebrews 11:1 is not a blind leap in any sense.
The Christian faith is reasonable and demonstrable being based in truth and the quest for truth
Since the evidence proves God in the areas I can observe & test, it is easy to trust Him in those I cannot

12. Faith, Belief & Trust
Faith, belief & trust are all based on the same Greek word root - πιστις / pistis and πιστευω / pisteuo
To pick and choose what you want about Jesus results in the belief in a false Jesus that cannot save you
Faith must have the correct object. You must have faith in the right Jesus.

13. Faith, Belief & Trust
The correct Jesus Christ is
God incarnate,
Born of a virgin,
Sinless,
Died as a substitute sacrifice for sin
Rose from the dead on the third day,
Seated on the right hand of the Father
Is coming again

14. Faith, Belief & Trust
Belief, faith and trust cannot be separated from each other or you prove to be self-deceived or a liar
Biblical belief in Christ does not equal intellectual assent

15. Faith, Belief & Trust
Saving faith means that I believe that
The person and work of Jesus Christ is sufficient for salvation from my sin,
And on that basis I place my complete trust in God for my eternal future

16. Faith in Daily Life
Faith in God in daily life is what extinguishes the fiery missiles of our enemy
Satan will lie and slander God, but faith in God enables you to believe, trust and obey Him
Faith is not passive. It must be exercised - See Hebrews 11

17. Faith in Daily Life
Their faith continued even in circumstances that were very unpleasant
Faith may suffer set backs, consider:
Abraham
Gideon
Barak
David

18. Faith in Daily Life
Faith continues on, strives & perseveres to victory.
It is not the amount of faith, but the object of faith that is important.
Faith in faith is foolishness & mimics sorcery.
Faith must be in the God who rewards those who seek

19. Have you picked up your shield?
What is your faith in?
Have you picked up your shield?

20. Grace Bible Church Glorifying God by Making Disciples of Jesus Christ