Ephesians 6:16. The shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Some have thought that the allusion here is to poisoned arrows. See note on Job 6:4 (#405). There were darts, however, sometimes used in ancient warfare that were literally “fiery.” They were hollow reeds filled with naphtha or some other combustible material, and, being set on fire, were shot from slack bows. Whatever the arrows struck, the flames consumed. Water served to increase their violence; they could only be extinguished by being covered with earth. Large shields were used by the soldiers against whom these “fiery darts” were thrown, and thus their persons were protected