and God; if we are at war with the devil, we are at peace with God. Fear not therefore, beloved; it is a “gospel,” that is, a word of good news; already is the victory won. “Withal taking up the shield of faith.” By “faith” in this place, he means, not knowledge, (for that he never would have ranged last,) but that gift by which miracles are wrought.491 And with reason does he term this “‘faith’ a shield”; for as the shield is put before the whole body, as if it were a sort of rampart, just so is this faith; for all things yield to it. “Wherewith ye shall be able,” saith he, “to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.” For this shield nothing shall be able to resist; for hearken to what Christ saith to His disciples, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove.” (Matt. xvii. 20.) But how are we to have this faith? When we have rightly performed all those duties. “By the darts of the evil one,” he means, both temptations, and vile desires; and “fiery,” he says, for such is the character of these desires. Yet if faith can command the evil spirits, much more can it also the passions of the soul. “And take the helmet,” he continues, “of salvation,” that is, of your salvation. For he is casing them in armor. “And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” He either means the Spirit, or else, “the spiritual sword”: for by this492 all things are severed, by this all things are cleft asunder, by this we cut off even the serpent’s head. Ver. 18, 19, 20. “With all prayer and supplication,” saith he, “praying at all seasons in the Spirit, and watching thereunto in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints; and on my behalf that utterance may be given unto me, in opening my mouth to make 168 known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” As the word of God has power to do all things, so also has he who has the spiritual gift. “For the word of God,” saith he, “is living, and active and sharper than any two-edged sword.” (Heb. iv. 12.) Now mark the wisdom of this blessed Apostle. He hath armed them with all security. What then is necessary after that? To call upon the King, that He may stretch forth His hand. “With all prayer, and supplication, praying at all seasons in the Spirit”; for it is possible “to pray” not “in the Spirit,” when one “uses vain repetitions” (Matt. vi. 7.); “and watching thereunto,” he adds, that is, keeping sober; for such ought the armed 491 [This interpretation does not suit the context. “Faith is here saving faith, bringing assurance of forgiveness and future blessedness.”—Meyer.—G.A.] 492 [It simply means the sword which “is furnished by the Holy Spirit,” and this sword, as the apostle himself declares, is the word of God, the gospel, which the Holy Spirit brings vividly to the consciousness of the Chris- tian.—Meyer and Ellicott.—G.A.] 310 Ephesians 6:14-17