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 eleventh title the Bible gives itself is the sword of the Spirit. This classic passage on spiritual warfare is worth repeated study. The Bible is an offensive weapon. Its message is powerful. The Bible can counteract the influence of Satan. It can change the climate of a home, a family, a classroom, a school, a neighborhood, a city, and on up to the world at large. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, accompanies the word of God found in the Bible and renders it effective to change lives and bring people into a right relationship with God. Recall that Jesus during His temptation by the Devil in the wilderness defended Himself with this very weapon, the Word of God, telling Satan “It is written.” We, on our part, need to get well-acquainted with the Bible so God can use it in our lives to ward off the attacks of the enemy of souls. We are told in Scripture to resist the Devil, and he will flee from us. One major way to resist the Devil is to answer him with Scripture, just as Jesus did.
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:
Ephesians 6:17. And take. or, receive. Gr. dechomai (S#1209g). 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. SS 3:8. Is 49:2. Ho 6:5. Zc 9:13. 2 C 6:7. Ph *1:17. 1 T 1:18. 2 T 2:3. He **4:12. Re 1:16. 2:16. *19:15. Spirit. Gr. pneuma, Mt +3:16. Ep 4:3. Jn +7:39. which. Mt *4:4, 7, 10, 11. 2 C *10:4. He 12:5, 6. *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 T +**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.
1. 1 th 5.8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on
the breastplate of faith and of love; and for an helmet, the
hope of salvation.
2. heb 4.12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper
than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of
soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.
3. rev 1.16 and he had in his right hand 7 stars: and out of his mouth
went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun
shineth in his strength.
4. mt. 4.4 But he answered and said, It is written, man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.