The Shield of Faith, Helmet of Salvation, and Sword of the Spirit

Ephesians 6:16-17: “16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

The shield, the helmet, and the sword are the last three components of the full armor of God we must equip ourselves with as believers.

What is The Armor of God?

The shield of faith: Faith is not just believing in God, it is trusting His promises, character, and purpose for our lives. The flaming arrows from the enemy (i.e. “You made a mistake, God isn’t going to get you out of this one, your life is going to fall to pieces”) can be fully extinguished as we pick up our shield and defend ourselves with radical faith in God.

The helmet of salvation: Salvation is constant. Through salvation, we have three things: forgiveness of all past and future sins, a new identity in Christ, and the promise and hope of eternity with God. A helmet is strong and protects against fatal blows to our head and thoughts. We must use this to rebuke the lies from the enemy that question our identity and authority in Christ Jesus.

The sword of the Spirit: It is important to note that the sword is both defensive and offensive. The enemy will throw warped scripture at you to deceive you, as he did to Jesus in the wilderness. When we are rooted in God’s word, we can use precision and proper timing to both defend and strike the enemy with the promising Word of God that we know is the ultimate truth.

Now Let's Pray

Dear Heavenly Father thank You for Your constant presence and love that transcends through space and time. Please fully equip us with the full armor of God everyday. Press conviction into our hearts to study and apply Your Word, so we can draw on it in battle. I pray strength over our faith as believers so we can continue to trust in Your character and promises. Please align our will with Yours.

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.