Flaming Darts

Deas Vail

Read: Ephesians 6.10-20

Paul writes about how we do not wrestle against the physical, but the battle is supernatural. The devil throws his schemes in our paths all the time. Paul calls them flaming darts, which makes me think of a mischievous boy hiding in a tree, shooting darts at the people passing by. In a way, the devil does that. Hiding away in situations leaving subtle (or not-so-subtle) temptations that can be disguised so well as something good. He prowls around looking for ways to tear us down and make us falter.

So Paul calls us to put on our full armor of God so that we can continue to stand firm in our faith no matter where we are or who we might be spending time with.

I went to a Deas Vail concert a few weeks ago, a Christian group, and didn't even think about the bands that would be opening for them. These four groups who opened were not Christian bands. Each group expressed their elation about opening for Deas Vail, but I wondered if they even knew their music and what they sang about. I wondered this as a young lead singer danced around in a shirt that bared all her stomach, and I wondered this as the next guy cussed every time he spoke between his songs.

It occurred to me about that time how Deas Vail must constantly keep their armor up, being on the road like they are, hanging out backstage and after the show with these bands. The influence could cause a wavering faith to be skewed, but their good influence could rub off on others.

Before I even fully formed my makeshift thoughts into takeaway wisdom, Jordan said the exact same thing to me as we sat at the tall tables outside Mitchell's Coffee Shop eating sandwiches. He said it makes sense to have secular bands open for a Christian band because there is the perfect opportunity to minister. The crowd, who may be there for other reasons, will hear about the Christian faith without going into a church, and some seed might be planted. Jordan successfully tied all my floating thoughts together within a minute.

It was obvious that Deas Vail has their whole armor of God on. I was standing on the sidewalk outside the venue just before Deas Vail was to go on stage, and I spotted the whole band just fifty feet away, huddled close, praying together. Samantha nudged me, "Is that the band?"
"Yea, that is definitely the band." I replied.

Deas Vail - "Common Sense"- click here to watch a cool live version