When Malc and I were courting, we would go out with another couple to a pub called 'The Princess Alexander' in Brentwood, Essex (we knew it as the Alex).  Malc and his mate Ian and Ian’s dad Tony all played for the Alex’s Darts team. Thursday night was League match night and we would meet up at the Alex for either a home match there or an away match and we would drive in convoy to the hosting pub. It was always a great evening and Ian’s girlfriend Paula and I would sit and watch the darts match with our glasses filled, and we would all enjoy the food at the end of the match, put on by the home team - Jacket potatoes or often sandwiches. All very nice.

On one particular match night, we travelled to another Brentwood pub called 'The Chough.'  That evening, as usual, Malc partnered with Tony in the doubles matches. Although Malc was a pretty good darts player, he was never going to be a professional, but he was OK at pub level. Well, the doubles match got underway and Malc and Tony were doing OK. When Malc came up to the Oche to take what was to be the last throw of the match, the score had come down from 501 and they were left with 167. No way would Malc make that score, he thought.

Tony stood beside him and whispered "Treble 20." Malc threw his first dart and got it.
"Treble 19," whispered Tony. Bang. He got that too.
"Bull to finish," said Tony.
Bang! Bull!
And the roof came off that pub!

Malc later said later “As I heard Tony call it, I just looked at what he said and threw them. Chances of me ever doing anything like that again – zero.”

But happy days playing darts - but all now in the past.

But the bible speaks about darts that are still all too present. There is a warning of the ‘fiery darts’ which come from our enemy, the devil. The main theme of chapter 6 of the letter to the Ephesians deals with the wonderful armour that God has provided for us to use in spiritual battle - both for the attack on the enemy and to defend ourselves, and in verse 14 it says: “..above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

The devil always seeks to kill and to destroy and to put us under bondage and is called the accuser of the brethren. But God equips us to turn those darts around spiritually and fire them right back at him and knock him off his feet. Because Jesus has won the victory over sin and death. The devil is already a defeated foe.

There is victory for all who repent of sin and trust in Jesus, the Victor. Are you on the victory side yet? You can be. Go HERE to find out how.

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