Flaming Arrows
“For we are not ignorant of his (Satan’s) intentions.” 2 Corinthians 2:11.
The form of satanic attack that is probably the most difficult of all to endure is having blasphemous thoughts.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones said on this:
“The devil has often plagued some of the noblest saints with blasphemous thoughts-
– blasphemous thoughts about God,
– blasphemous thoughts about the Lord Jesus Christ,
– and blasphemous thoughts about the Holy Spirit.”
How horrible and terrifying such thoughts can be.
Sometimes the Devil hurls the most awful words and phrases into the mind.
But again, it is important to see that these do not arise from within the heart of the believer.
They come from the Devil, who is trying to confuse and demoralize you.
How grateful we should be to the saints down the ages who have recorded these satanic attacks-
– for otherwise we would be tempted when experiencing them to believe that they have never happened to anyone else.
Many masters of the spiritual life have described these satanic attacks in great detail-
John Bunyan and Martin Luther being the two best examples.
But how do we deal with these “flaming arrows” of Satan?
What action must we take to repel these devilish attacks?
There is only one answer:
We must take and use the shield of faith.
What we must not do is expose our chests, expecting the breastplate of righteousness to deal with this problem.
Each piece of the equipment is designed to deal with a particular attack.
And the answer here is-
Faith.