Seemeth it not to thee to be “fiery darts,” when the patriarch burned with inward fire, as he was offering up his son? Yea, and other righteous men also have quenched “all his darts.” Whether then they be reasonings that assault us, let us hold out this; or whether they be base desires, let us use this; or whether again labors and distresses, upon this let us repose. Of all the other armor, this is the safeguard; if we have not this, they will be quickly pierced through. “Withal,” saith he, “taking up the shield of faith.” What is the meaning of “withal”? It means both “in truth,” and “in righteousness,” and “in the preparation of the gospel”; that is to say, all these have need of the aid of faith. And therefore he adds further, “and take the helmet of salvation”; that is to say, finally by this shall ye be able to be in security. To receive the helmet of salvation is to escape the peril. For as the helmet covers the head perfectly in every part, and suffers it not to sustain any injury, but preserves it, so also does faith supply alike the place of a shield, and of a helmet496 to preserve us. For if we quench his darts, quickly shall we receive also those saving thoughts that suffer not our governing principle497 to sustain any harm; for if these, the thoughts that are adverse to our salvation, are quenched, those which are not so, but which contribute to our salvation, and inspire us with good hopes, will be generated within us, and will rest upon our governing principle, as a helmet does upon the head. And not only this, but we shall take also “the sword of the Spirit,” and thus not only ward off his missiles, but smite the devil himself. For a soul that does not despair of herself, and is proof against those fiery darts, will stand with all intrepidity to face the enemy, and will cleave open his breastplate with this very sword with which Paul also burst through it, and “brought into captivity his devices” (2 Cor. x. 5.); he will cut off and behead the serpent. “Which is the word of God.” By the “word of God” in this place, he means on the one hand the ordinance of God, or the word of command; or on the other that it is in the Name of Christ. For if we keep his commandments, by these we shall kill and slay the dragon himself, “the crooked serpent.” (Isa. xxvii. 1.) And as he said, “Ye shall be able to quench the fiery darts of the evil one”; that he might not puff them up, he shows them, that above all things they stand in need of God; for what does he say? “With all prayer and supplication,” he says, these things shall be done, and ye shall ac- complish all by praying. But when thou drawest near, never ask for thyself only: thus shalt thou have God favorable to thee. 496 [Faith is not the helmet. Chrysostom’s exegesis of the parts of the armor is not clear. Salvation is the helmet; for τοῦ σωτηρίου is a genitive of apposition. Receive the helmet, which is salvation. “This salvation,” says Ellicott, “is not any ideal possession, as Meyer holds. Salvation in Christ forms the subject of faith; in faith it is apprehen- ded, and becomes in a certain sense a present possession.”—G.A.] 497 τὸ ἡγεμονικόν. 313 Ephesians 6:14-17