And receive 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
“Receive” 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.”
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 makaira, which is derived from machē (from which we get the word machete). Machē refers to “a knife.” Makaira 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 1/100th of your life, yet fifteen minutes a day spent reading the Bible can make your life 100% better. Are you willing to devote 1/100th of your day, every day, so that you can wield your sword in battle?
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved