And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. -Ephesians 6:17
Why the HELMET of Salvation? and the SWORD of the Spirit? Why are they linked in Ephesians 6:17?
Salvation and the Word of God are intricately interwoven. Our Savior, Jesus Christ is the Word made flesh. (John 1:1, John 1:14) When we are saved we receive the Holy Spirit. One of the works of the Holy Spirit is to enable us to properly interpret the Word of God, revealing its proper meaning and application. (John 16:13-14, 1 John 2:27, 1 Corinthians 2:14)
Let's start with the Sword of the Spirit:
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. - Hebrews 4:13
A sword is an offensive weapon, Jesus used scripture to rebuke Satan in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1-11) The bible is useful in both the inner and spiritual battlefields (Multiple Battlefields). It is an apologetic weapon that slays the wisdom of the world, and a self mortifying weapon that defeats the lusts and deceit of the heart.
A helmet protects the head, the mind. When we are saved we become new creations with new hearts. We are also given the mind of Christ through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:16) Our eyes and ears are opened to the truth found in the Word of God.
When we are battling lust we must have our minds straight. (Taking control of your thoughts). We do this by reading the bible. We can't fight with the sword if we don't know how to use it (2 Timothy 2:15). Have you ever noticed that temptation and selfishness sometimes seem stronger than other times? The bible isn't just a collection of stories and commands, it is spiritual food.
Consistently reading it has tangible effects on the state of our hearts and minds. Reading the bible will:
- calm your hearts
- keep your pride in check
- rebuke Satan's lies
- cleanse and protect your mind
- tame lust
- bring peace
When we read the bible we are protecting and renewing our minds (Romans 12:2). You cannot win a spiritual battle without meditating on God's Word.
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