Ephesians 6: 17 NLT
“Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
“In the first century, Roman soldiers’ helmets were made of bronze fitted over an iron skull cap lined with leather or cloth. By Paul’s day, they often had a band to protect the forehead and plates to protect the nose and cheeks. Little of the head was exposed to danger, but a soldier could still see clearly so as not to be caught off gurad by swift-moving enemies or unexpected objects” (Living Insights: Ephesians – page 312)
Notice that Paul repeats the idea of salvation being protection. As his children, God protects us from evil/Satan. He also tells us the word of God is a sword. Before Paul told us it was a belt. Our Bible is something that keeps us safe, but it is also something that will convict others of God’s truth. It is protective armour and also offensive gear.
I know there are some people who question their salvation. They worry that they’ve done something wrong. They might struggle with some particular problem such as anger and are concerned that God will give up on them. Some religious groups stress various practices, and people fear that they haven’t done them enough.
Read these verses and understand God’s love and patience for you.
John 3: 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
John 10: 27 – 29 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand.”
Romans 8: 38 – 39 “And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.“
Paul’s second piece of advice today is “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”. How can the Bible be an offensive weapon? I don’t think shoving the Bible down people’s throats is what this is encouraging us to do. If we are too aggressive, it turns people away. Charles Swindoll in his commentary says the noun “word” in this verse is a little different from the first time it was used. “The Greek word rhema is a reference to the spoken word – the word verbalized.” (page 313) It takes a lifetime to get to know our Bibles, and even then we don’t know everything in them. But as we read our Bibles and we get to know God better, we will be more ready to talk about our faith with others.
Also notice it’s a sword of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is moving throughout our world. The Holy Spirit lives within us and gives us the strength to live well. Galatians 5: 22 – 23 tells us the Holy Spirit produces the qualities in us that will attract others to God. “The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,gentleness, and self-control.” The Holy Spirit will also help us to say the right words, to share our faith well.
We share our faith by the way we live, as well as speaking. Remember that thesis statement in Ephesians 5 – “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ.” Christ talked with people, had meals with them, helped feed them when food was not available, wept with people – shared life with love with all those people he met.
I can see us focusing on living well, but being nervous about sharing the Bible with others. Know that God is with you. He will help you as you are brave enough to talk. Give a Bible or New Testament to someone you know who seems interested in the Christian faith. Invite someone to church so they will hear the Word of God spoken.
“Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Our song for today is Holy Forever by Chris Tomlin.