The Nugget:
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
My Comment:
The Scriptures should be used against our spiritual enemies (The New Topical Textbook, topic “The Scriptures,” page 240). I have been sharing the sub-topics from The New Topical Textbook about “The Scriptures” for some while in these Daily Bible Nuggets. I first encountered this information as a teenager. I believe my study of this topic has had an important part in my life. I believe this topic to be one of the most important topics for Bible study there is. If we have a right understanding about the Bible based upon what the Bible says about itself, that will permit God’s Word in the Bible to have a proper place and impact upon our life. Without this understanding we will be weak and anemic Christians in no position to be what God really wants us to be.
Paul speaks of the Bible as the sword of the Spirit. The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Some while ago on this site I quoted a meaty paragraph from Bishop Horsley, who highly commended studying the Bible by means of cross references. It was his observation and belief that anyone who learns truth from the Bible by studying it this way would be well prepared against false teachers and false teaching. Doing Real Bible Study for ourselves is an important way to defeat the devil’s attacks against us. But a sword is not only a defensive weapon. A sword can be an offensive weapon. The Bible can and should be used to inform others about the truth. I believe the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who will believe it (Romans 1:16). I believe if more people truly believed the Gospel and lived accordingly that our present society would be much better for it. Not to mention that since each person, each soul, is worth more than the whole world, according to what Jesus said, we ought to be very eager to reach others for Christ.
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1369 for Ephesians 6:17.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 1388 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Ephesians 6:17.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
Ep 6:17. And take. or, receive. Gr. dechomai (S#1209g, Mt 10:14). We receive, we do not take, salvation (CB). the helmet. 1 S 17:5, 38. Ps 140:7. *Is 59:17. **1 Th 5:8. salvation. *Ps 27:1. Is 61:10. Lk 2:30. 3:6. Ac 28:28g. *He 6:17-19. the sword. =Ex 32:27. 1 S 21:9. Ps 64:3. SongS 3:8. Is 49:2. Ho 6:5. Zc 9:13. 2 Cor 6:7. *Phil 1:17. 1 Tim 1:18. 2 Tim 2:3. **He 4:12. Re 1:16. 2:16. *Re 19:15. Spirit. Gr. pneuma, +Mt 3:16. Ep 4:3. +Jn 7:39. which. *Mt 4:4, 7, 10, 11. *2 Cor 10:4. He 12:5, 6. *He 13:5, 6. *Re 12:11. word. or, utterance. Gr. rhēma (S#4487g), Mk 9:32n. The written word. “Here a rhema is the sword of the Spirit used in spiritual warfare to carry out God’s will in the earth, as in He 11:3. Compare Ro 10:17″ (Lavender NT, fn g). +*Is 8:20n. Mt 4:4, 6, 7, 10. of God. T#1076. Ep 5:26. Ps 17:4. **Is 55:11. Ho 6:5. *Mt 4:4-10. Lk 4:4, 8, 10. +Ro 9:6. **1 Th 2:13. +**2 Tim 3:15-17. **He 4:12. 6:5. *2 P 1:21. Re 19:13.
eph 6.17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is
the word of God.
encouraging cross refs. (the best commentary on the bible is the bible)
1. 1 th 5.8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the
breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
2. heb 4.12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any
two edged sword, and piercing as far as division of the soul and spirit, of
both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the
heart.
3. mt 4.4 But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live on bread
alone, but on every word that proceeds out the mouth of God.
4. heb 12.5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you
as sons, My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when
you are reproved by Him;
5. heb 12.6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every
son whom he receives.