The Fiery Darts of the Adversary

While preparing for a talk “Becoming Goodly Parents” I ran across a scripture that speaks of the “fiery darts” of the Adversary. (Ephesians 6:16) What was unique with reading the verse this time and three others is how Satan uses many darts, shot with precision, at families to destroy them. Two of the scriptures speak of Satan’s darts and the other two speak of the darts thrown by the “wicked”. There are many combinations to “these “darts” with their mechanisms and forms.

What intrigued me in the research is how these darts or arrows have a double portion of destruction. The darts contain both fire and poison. The fire causes destruction to the outside or building, should it land on a structure. If the dart hits a person it carries a poison that is difficult if not impossible to get out of the bloodstream.

In like fashion the adversaries darts destroy both the outside and the inside. It is easier to put out a fire on the outside, than it is to remove poison once it is in the bloodstream from the inside. Sins from these darts are of both types from the outside in and from the inside out!

How are you shielding your family from Satan’s darts?

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
(New Testament | Ephesians 6:16)

And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction.
(Book of Mormon | 1 Nephi 15:24)

Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.
(Doctrine and Covenants 3:8)

Taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked;
(Doctrine and Covenants 27:17)