What “all” Means

You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield.

Psalm 115:11

A preacher, known for his diligent and exhaustive study of Scripture in the original languages of the Bible, stood in his pulpit to explain part of Ephesians 6:16 to his congregation: “you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” He began by saying, “I have studied this word all in the Hebrew and Greek languages. I have consulted the finest authorities who have written on this text. And I have discovered what Paul was really saying when he spoke of ‘all the fiery darts of the wicked one.’ ‘All’ in this verse means . . . ALL!”

Now that we know that all means “all,” perhaps every Christian should spend time contemplating how much of one’s life can actually be protected by the shield of faith Paul describes as the defense against Satan’s fiery darts. Satan has a large armory of various types of darts: he might fire a dart of discouragement, of frustration, of anger, of envy or jealousy, of confusion, of unforgiveness, of bitterness, of doubt, of worry or anxiety—the list goes on. But whatever kind of dart Satan fires, it is covered by “all.”

The shield of faith will protect you from every temptation and attack from the evil one—if you will make faith your shield.

Faith begins where man’s power ends.

ANONYMOUS