The Helmet and The Sword

Someone has written, “My orders are to fight. Then if I bleed, or fail, or strongly win, what matters it? I was not told to win or lose; my orders are to fight.”  

As we have seen these past months, you and I are in a fight—a death struggle—not against flesh and blood but against the unseen but real forces of Satan and his demons. Satan has formulated a blueprint to destroy everything important to you.

God wants us to do more than simply survive Satan’s attacks. He invites us to join Him in reclaiming this world and its inhabitants that are under Satan’s control. He has provided us with the weapons to accomplish that mission:

• The Belt of Truth
• The Breastplate of Righteousness
• The Boots of the Preparation of the Gospel
• The Shield of Faith

Today, we are going to look at the two final pieces of armor described in Ephesians 6 and discover the importance of the helmet and the sword.

1. The “Helmet of Salvation” (Ephesians 6:17)

In Paul’s day, a Roman soldier would never think of advancing toward the enemy without a helmet. The Roman helmet was made of strong, molded metal and fashioned with plates to guard the face. The purpose of the helmet was to protect the soldier’s head from a mortal wound inflicted in any number of ways. If the soldier was on foot, the helmet might save him from an enemy on horseback, flailing the long Roman broad sword you often see in movies. In hand-to-hand combat, the helmet was a powerful defense against the blows of daggers, clubs, and chains. Occasionally, the helmet might even protect the soldier from himself if he accidentally stumbled on a rock or fell off his horse.

In spiritual warfare, “the helmet of salvation” serves to protect our minds from the mortal blows of our adversary. As we saw earlier in this series, your mind is “command central” for your life.  Every choice you make begins with a thought. No wonder that your mind is a primary target for Satan’s attacks.

What does it mean to put on “the helmet of salvation”—especially if we are already Christians?  Most commentators suggest that Paul is using the helmet as a symbol of the assurance of our salvation. One of Satan’s most effective attacks against Christians is to cause us to doubt that the salvation we were promised really belongs to us. That is why we must continually remind ourselves of what we have received.

• Salvation from the Penalty of Sin (John 10:27-28)

Our salvation is eternal, not temporary, Jesus promises. We never need to fear perishing. No one—not Satan, another person, or even we ourselves—can pry us loose from our Father’s grip! 

• Salvation from the Power of Sin (Romans 8:2; Romans 6:11-13)

The assurance that has been delivered from both the penalty and the power of sin provides you with a powerful advantage over the enemy.

2. The Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17)

• Explanation of the “Roman Sword”

The final piece of armor Paul describes is “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17b). The Greek word Paul uses for “sword” is machaira, which refers to a large dagger rather than the unwieldy Roman broadsword. This weapon was only useful in hand-to-hand combat and required a great amount of skill to use effectively. 

• Identification of the “Sword of the Spirit” (Hebrews 4:12)

We don’t have to wonder what Paul has in mind when he speaks of the “sword of the Spirit.”  The apostle clearly identifies a Christian’s dagger as “the Word of God.” Like the machaira, the Bible can be lethal to our enemy’s ultimate purpose.  

The power of the Bible is not so much in what it does to Satan, but what it does for us. The Word of God has the ability to cut through the fog of Satan’s deceptions that may have descended upon our minds so that we can clearly see God’s truth.

Living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, or both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrew 4:12).

Yet God’s Word is more lethal than the two-edged sword because it has the power to pierce to the very heart of who we are. That is not an easy job, given our limitless ability for self-delusion. As the prophet Jeremiah said, our hearts are deceitful, wicked, and cannot be trusted (Jeremiah 17:9). Only the Bible has the ability to reveal our true motives for teaching a Bible study class, fixing a meal for a bereaved family, running an errand for our mate, or writing out a check for a church project.

But God’s purpose in slicing us open is not to hurt us, but to heal us. Through the healing power of His Word, God is the surgeon who cuts His patient open in order to remove the cancerous tumor of sin that is destroying his life. 

• Illustration Using the “Sword of the Spirit” (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:13)

Let’s consider Jesus’ encounter with Satan in the wilderness for a moment. When Satan tempted the Lord with thoughts of discontent, Jesus responded by quoting a verse from the Old Testament about God’s sufficiency to satisfy our deepest cravings.

When Satan tempted Jesus to act independently from God, Jesus responded by quoting the Old Testament admonition. “Jesus said to him [Satan], ‘On the other hand, it is written, YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST’” (Matthew 4:7).

When Satan enticed the Lord with thoughts of power and riches, Jesus responded by reciting God’s greatest commandment. “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go, Satan! For it is written, YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY’” (Matthew 4:10). 

Finally…”When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:13). 

What caused Satan to give up and leave Jesus alone? Satan was not fearful of what God’s Word would do to Satan, but what it would do to Jesus. Satan knew that God’s Word would strengthen Jesus’ resolve to say no to sin which is why Satan finally fled until a more opportune time came. 

Someone has said, “The test of a person’s character is what it takes to stop him.” Make no mistake about it, Satan has a well-crafted plan to stop you dead in your tracks in your pursuit of God’s plan for your life.  

But God has provided you with the spiritual equipment you need to move forward in spite of the flaming arrows the devil launches in your direction.  

• The Shield of Faith to remind you of the certainty of God’s promises.
• The Helmet of Salvation to provide you with the assurance of God’s deliverance from the penalty and power of sin.
• And the Sword of the Spirit—the power of God’s Word—to slice through the fog of Satan’s deceptions and see God’s truth clearly.

Against such weapons, your enemy doesn’t have a prayer.