Helmet and Sword

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; Ephesians 6:17 NKJV

Here we have two more pieces of armor which are God’s work: the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. Let’s take a look at how these protect us.

The helmet of salvation is the piece of armor protecting our head, our brain and our thoughts. Romans 12:2 says “and do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind…” We have confidence in the Lord’s ability to save us. We know we don’t have to earn or work for salvation. It’s a done deal – Christ died to save us. So we strap on the helmet of salvation to remember it’s His work, not our own.

We must continually renew our minds with God’s Word to keep us close to Him. When we don’t draw close to God, we stray away to our own devices. The sword of the spirit is the word of God. God’s word is called a two-edged sword. Even Jesus said it was sharp enough to divide bone and marrow.

But why did Paul use the image of a sword? Maybe Paul did because a sword can be precise. It is exact. It cuts right down to the root cause of every issue. A sword can be used both for defending oneself by fighting off an attacker and used offensively in pointing out anything not aligned with God’s truth. We know God’s truth is like a sharp sword, cutting away at our attitudes, beliefs and desires. It’s no fun at the time, but in the end we benefit from it’s cutting away sin in our life.

Lord thank you for these pieces of armor to help us remember what you’ve done for us and to slice out of our heart everything that opposes you. Enable us to apply these in our life today. In Jesus’ name we pray Amen.

© Elizabeth Marks, author of ThinkOnIt Devotions and has a heart for encouraging others with God’s Word. For more devotions, bible studies and a recommended book store, visit http://www.ThinkOnItDevotions.com today.