Daily Bread – October 24, 2023 (The Third Day – Genesis 1:9-13) Ephesians 6:16 – In everything taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench the fiery darts of the wicked. The Necessity Of The Shield Of Faith Access to God has been given to us at any time. Yet even beyond that, we have been granted the right to live and dwell in His presence at all times. God has made Himself totally available to us and supplied to us His living and indwelling power and authority. He has given to us a oneness with Himself that defies the imagination. However, we must believe this is true and participate with the relationship He has provided in Christ Jesus. In this fellowship with God, we find an ever increasing confidence which brings us into the faith of God. This is the faith that stops every attack of the wicked. The warfare of the wicked set against us is pictured as fiery darts or arrows aimed at our lives. These fiery darts are the temptations and assaults coming from the demonic realm. They include every kind of attack, whether it is spiritual, physical, or material. God has not left us ill prepared and defenseless against these devices of the wicked one. Rather, God has given us His power to bring every demonic influence and assault to nothing – He has given us His faith! Without faith we cannot put out the fiery rage of Satan aimed against our lives. If we are to effectively quench every fiery dart aimed against us, then we must do exactly what God has said. Satan would try to make God a liar in our everyday experiences and prevent the blessings of God and the authority of God from working in our lives. Without the shield of faith we will certainly be defeated. The necessity of the shield of faith should be placed above everything else we need in our defense against the powers of darkness. It should be confidently used in everything we encounter in this world. God Himself guarantees its effectiveness! The shield of faith will stop every fiery arrow that is targeted against our lives. Blessings, Pastor Mark Spitsbergen