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1 Thessalonians 5:8 – Ready For Battle?

Posted on June 17, 2016 by Will

But we, being of the day should be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and of love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

Truth to Learn

It is important for Christians to always be battle ready.

Behind the Words

“Be sober” is the translation of the Greek verb nēphō, which we saw back in verse six. It originally meant “to abstain from wine.” Later it was used to mean” to avoid abuse of wine or other alcoholic drinks.” Metaphorically it means “to be sober minded or watchful.”

The words “putting on” are from the verb enduō, which is made up of en, meaning “in” and duō, meaning “to sink” or “to go under.” It is a picture of a person getting under the outer garment of the day (like a dress) as it was being put on. Thus enduō means “to put on clothing.” It is expressed here as an aorist middle participle which means to have done something to yourself at a point in in time in the past. We could translate this as “having dressed yourself with” or “having put on.”

Thōrax is the word translated here as “breastplate.” This is the word from which we get our English word thorax, referring to the upper part of the body, the chest area. It is also the name given to the piece of armor a soldier would put on to cover his chest.

The Greek word translated “helmet” is perikephalaia, which is made up of peri, meaning “around” and kephalē, meaning “the head.” Therefore, perikephalaia refers to that piece of armor that goes around (or covers) the head.

The word “hope” is translated from the Greek word elpis, meaning “hope.” However, it is more than just a wish, it is a hope that carries with it the full expectation that it will happen.

Meaning Explained

Paul has just contrasted Christians (children of light) with unbelievers (those who are in spiritual darkness). He now gives us instruction on how we are to prepare for the daily spiritual battles that we will face. In the English translation he starts off with our mental preparedness (be sober). The construction of the Greek grammar, however, indicates that the verb “having put on” occurs in time before the main verb (be sober).

A soldier knows that the most important aspect of his protection is his armor. He doesn’t dare go into battle without protection. Once he has put on his armor, he then prepares mentally for the conflict he is about to enter into. Likewise, Christians (those who are of the day) are in spiritual battles every day. We will be in battles against the enemies of God, so we need to be prepared for battle.

The first thing we need to do to prepare for the coming battles is to have our armor on. For another description of Christian armor see Ephesians 6:13-17. Once we have our armor on, we need to be mentally prepared by being sober minded.

You may also notice that Paul talks about our “hope of salvation” in today’s verse. We have talked before about the two different aspects of our salvation. When we first believed in Jesus Christ, we were recorded in God’s record book as being righteous, which sealed our salvation. At the rapture we will receive our eternal body and the complete salvation that God promises us when we accept Christ as Savior. This latter description of our salvation is what we hope for and fully expect to happen.

Application

Christians are in spiritual battles every day. We need to have our armor on and be clear minded so that we can effectively fight for the glory of God. Are you ready for battle?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Thessalonians 5:8 – Ready For Battle?

Posted on August 31, 2012 by Will

But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.

Truth to Learn

It is important for Christians to always be battle ready.

Behind the Words

“Be sober” is the translation of the Greek verb nēphō, which originally meant “to abstain from wine.” Later it was used to mean” to avoid abuse of wine or other alcoholic drinks.” Metaphorically it means “to be sober minded or watchful.”

The words “putting on” are from the verb enduō, which is made up of en, meaning “in” and duō, meaning “to sink” or “to go under.” It is a picture of a person getting under the inner garment of the day (like a dress) as it was being put on. Thus enduō means “to put on clothing.” It is expressed here as an aorist middle participle which means to have done something to yourself at a point in in time in the past. We could translate this as “having dressed yourself with” or “having put on.”

Thōrax is the word translated here as “breastplate.” This is the word from which we get our English thorax, referring to the upper part of the body, the chest area. It is also the name given to the piece of armor a soldier would put on to cover his chest.

Meaning Explained

Application

Christians are in spiritual battles every day. We need to have our armor on and be clear minded so that we can effectively fight for the glory of God. Are you ready for battle?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 6:17 – The Sword, The Word

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Will

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Truth to Learn

Christians have a sword to use in our spiritual battle.

Behind the Words

“Take” is translated from the Greek verb dechomai, meaning “to deliberately and readily accept what is offered.” It is different from the word lambanō, which means “to take as a self-prompted action.” Thus, we could more accurately translate this word as “receive.”

The word “helmet” is from perikephalaia, which is made up of peri, meaning “around” and a form of kephalē, meaning “head.” Hence, we see that perikephalaia means something that goes “around the head.”

Sōtērion is the word translated “salvation.” This is derived from the verb sōdzō, meaning “to save,” “to deliver,” or “to preserve safe from danger.”

The word “sword” is from machaira, which is derived from machē (from which we get the word machete). Machē refers to “a knife.” Machaira refers to a short sword (a knife) used in close hand-to-hand combat. It is used in a thrusting or slicing manner. A different Greek word, rhomphaia, refers to a longer “broadsword.”

Meaning Explained

For a Roman soldier, the large shield (thureos) protected most of his body, but during actual hand-to-hand combat, the head had to protrude above the shield. Therefore, the helmet became a crucial piece of his armor. It was typically made of iron or brass, often adorned with a horsehair crest, dyed red. The helmet was so crucial that a soldier might continue to fight (and win) while missing any other part of his armor, but without his helmet he was as good as dead.

Paul said ours is a “helmet of salvation.” Like a Roman soldier in the physical world, any person is spiritually dead without salvation. In this metaphor a Christian is never without his or her helmet, but it must be worn to protect us in our battle. In other words, we must always be aware that salvation by grace, through faith, guarantees us forgiveness of all our sins and it secures for us the promise of eternal life. Notice that Paul tells us to receive (dechomai) this salvation. It’s not something we can take or earn; it is a gift that we can only receive by faith.

The final piece of our armor is the sword. This is the only offensive weapon in the arsenal. The Greek machaira was shorter than the romphaia, being slightly curved and having a single sharp edge designed for slicing. Paul tells us that our machaira is “the word of God.” Knowledge of Scripture is of vital importance in fending off attacks from our enemy. It is what Jesus Himself used against the temptations of Satan. It is good and useful to memorize Scripture, but it is even more important to read and study the Bible on a regular and consistent basis. I always encourage new believers to read their Bible daily, even if they think they’re not getting anything out of it. The Holy Spirit will direct our use of the Sword.

Application

Fifteen minutes a day is about 1/100^th of your life, yet fifteen minutes a day spent reading the Bible can make your life 100% better. Are you willing to devote 1/100^th of your day, every day, so that you can wield your sword in battle?

In God's service, for His glory,