NOTES for Eph 6:16
The words of the apostle about the faith that allows "to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked", seem at first sight, too optimistic. In fact, there are few believers, to whom to quench these very fiery darts does not succeed too much, in spite of their faith! But maybe we do not understand adequately the words of the apostle? What does he want to say, by speaking about faith? For us today, faith is above all connected to the known convictions, the main part of which consists of the fact that God exists and can intervene in our life, if we ask Him for that. Besides, as Christians, we can also believe in other things, but which in our personal consciousness are above all connected with our views and convictions. And however in the biblical language, faith means above all faithfulness, and not conviction. Faithfulness to God, faithfulness to Christ, faithfulness to the Kingdom. That’s when everything falls in place. Of course, convictions and views in themselves can also exercise an influence on the life of man, if of course man is coherent in his convictions.
But not the same, as faithfulness to a concrete person or to God; if of course God is a reality for man, and not a theological abstraction. And it is not surprising: because views and convictions are rather often connected to the intellectual activity of man, who, before coming to a particular conviction, thinks about many and weighs, coming to the corresponding conclusions. And the intellect, in spite of all its importance, does not define in itself the spiritual life of man.
It is defined by will, intention, decisions taken by man and the choice made by him in a concrete situation. The will is not based on the intellect, although sometimes it may seem to us that way. It uses the intellect only for its purposes. And the will is based only on the relation, on the relation with another person or with God. That is why faith, as faithfulness, is surer than faith as conviction. Such a faith can really be a reliable protection against temptations, what we can’t say about the faith based solely on conviction in the correctness of certain views.