faith

"Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one" (Ephesians 6:16). Goodman Brown did not have faith. He did not have religious faith nor faith in his fellow human beings in Salem. And because he didn't have faith he was became vulnerable to the "flaming arrows of the evil one". Goodman Brown like all of us has battles against the devil over our guilt, our sins, …

… by the devil to deceive Brown into thinking that the whole town was evil. And because of this Brown was wary of Faith ever since. He became distrustful of Faith his wife and also his religious faith as well as his faith in his fellow human beings. Brown in the end was not able to defend himself from the barrage of " flaming arrows of the evil one" and his "shield" was not strong enough.