The shield of faith

With such a self deprecating under-statement, so beloved of Public School educated Englishmen, Jeremy Moore, commander of English Forces on the Falkland Islands introduced himself on 14 June, 1982, to some residents of those islands huddled in the General Store in the town of Stanley.

The Falkland Islands was named after a Royal Navy Treasurer who with soldiers landed on those islands in 1690. In 1833 the islands became part of Victoria’s far-flung empire, 8,000 miles from England. In the early eighties of the last century General Galtieri detected a general slow distancing of the British Government from their South Atlantic protectorate and under the guise of scrap metal merchants some Argentinian soldiers arrived on South Georgia, on 19 March 1982, as a prelude to the invasion.

Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, was in no mood for parley and helped by Sir John Leach, Chief of Naval Staff, who assured her they could have ships ready to sail within 48 hours, Mrs Thatcher rallied the Cabinet and the Falklands War was on.

General Menendez surrendered and the Falkland Islanders were released. Jeremy Moore’s calm announcement may have given the impression it was all so easy but, in reality, it was not. With calm authority Jesus told his disciples; “I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven.” Luke 10 v 18.

The victory of Jesus over the ‘powers of darkness’ is a theme of practically every New Testament book. Col 2 v 13-15 will suffice us here; “God forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that it was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away, nailing it to the cross. and having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Demons are subject to the rule of Christ and we in Christ’s strength are strong too, as we read in 1 John 4 v 4; “You my dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

In this petition we ask to be delivered from the evil one. Jesus was aware that the contest between good and evil was constant and would go on until Satan and his angels would be cast into perdition. Alexander Whyte of Edinburgh fame in the final years of Victoria’s reign, graphically described the work of Satan this way; “The blood hounds of temptation will pursue the child of God even to glory and leave their bloody slaver on the bars.”

We must not dismiss Satan as incidental in the Christian life nor must we over emphasise his power. God is omniscient, knowing all things; God is omnipotent and able to acomplish all things; God is omnipresent, constantly near and supportive: Satan possesses none of these attributes.

He cannot foresee the future, or read our minds or overcome against our will. He is not to be feared, but confronted and overcome, in the power of Christ as Saint Paul exhorted the Ephesians in 6 v 16; “Take up the sheild of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”

Charles Wesley had grasped the teaching of the Scriptures on this theme and wrote;

“Jesus, the name high over all, in hell, or earth, or sky;

Angels and men before it fall, and devils fear and fly.

Jesus, the prisoner’s fetters breaks, and bruises Satan’s head;

Power into lifeless souls he speaks and life into the dead”

“The Son of God appeared to destroy the devil’s work.” 1 John 3 v 8.