Ephesians 6:17

"And take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the spirit, which is the word of God."

This verse keeps going through my head for this weeks devotional, and as always I ponder and meditate as to why. Really the second part of the verse is what stands out the most for me right now. I will though, go through the whole verse. So this verse is taken from the well known chapter in Ephesians, written by Paul. In this chapter Paul is talking about spiritual warfare and how we are not fighting against flesh and blood, but principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness. In short Paul is saying that the trials we go through, be it people or circumstances, are just tools and schemes from the enemy of our souls. He then gives a comprehensive list of our weapons we have at our disposal. The comparison is that of a soldiers armor from that day. Each piece of armor worn by that soldier is equally important but performs different tasks. When used together properly by a skilled fighter, it serves as protection from his opponent. From that list we have our text from which to work with. The helmet of salvation. I venture to say most of our battles are fought right there in the mind. If your anything like me, then one little thought can cascade into an avalanche of cataclysmic disaster that renders me useless for a period of time. If not, you are BLESSED! The helmet in days gone past served to protect the head obviously. This is one of the most important pieces of armor that could be worn. If the head was not protected, a soldier could go down fast. Plus all the decision making went on there. If the head don't work, the rest of the body is useless. I know there is another message in that just waiting to be jumped on. Anyways. So in our walk and battle against the enemy, if we leave our head, ( mind) , unprotected, the rest of the body will suffer. It is so important that when a thought comes into your mind, the process should include bringing it before the Lord first and letting Him decide and then guide. If it's legit it'll stick, if not, then out it needs to go. Easier said then done right? So now the sword of the Spirit. The text reveals what it is. It is the Word of God. The word for word is an interesting one. I like vines description the best. Here it is. " The significance of rehma (as distinct from logos) is exemplified in the injunction to take " the sword of the spirit which is the word of God", here the reference is not to the whole bible as such, but to the individual scripture which the spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with scripture." Whew! What a mouth full! The implication is that, if we study and read on a regular basis, when we need the right scripture to comfort, correct, or whatever, the Spirit will bring it to mind. Just like a sword for a soldier, it is our main weapon for attacking the enemy. When we are being accused or beaten down by his torment in this world, God's word will slice him to bits. The devil is the father of lies the bible says. God's word is truth. When Jesus went to the cross and paid our debt in full, the wind was taken out of his sails. He is just a bunch of hot air now. I know, I know, it sure is hot sometimes right? Yep. If we though, put on the whole armor of God, He is our protection. He is our defense. He is our offense. He is our everything. Just one word of caution here. Don't go around slicing off ears with your sword. Know when to wield it, and when to keep it in it's sheath. Be sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. Man does that sound funny coming from me. So many times I led myself and you know what, it was an endless circle. Thankfully God is merciful and full of grace.
Have a great week and don't forget to suit up before you go out into daily life.

In Christ, Bob.