¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,^(A) with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.^(B)

⁸ Be alert and of sober mind.^(A) Your enemy the devil prowls around^(B) like a roaring lion^(C) looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him,^(D) standing firm in the faith,^(E) because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.^(F)

⁴ for everyone born of God^(A) overcomes^(B) the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.^(C)

The Lord’s Covenant With Abram

15 After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram^(A) in a vision:^(B)

¹⁷ Because God wanted to make the unchanging^(A) nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised,^(B) he confirmed it with an oath. ¹⁸ God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,^(C) we who have fled to take hold of the hope^(D) set before us may be greatly encouraged.

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart.^(A) Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly^(B) we are being renewed^(C) day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.^{(D) 18} So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen,^(E) since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.