“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” John Wooden’s famous quote was backed up by decades of success coaching the UCLA basketball team. From 1948 to 1975 coach Wooden prepared his team for whatever difficulties came their way. That is one reason he was able to lead the team to ten national championships over a twelve year period. His team was able to set a NCAA record for most consecutive wins with a total of 88 games played without a loss.
Reading coach Wooden’s quote about preparation makes me think of the need for Christians to prepare for spiritual battles. The enemy would love to attack unprepared soldiers. He would love to see unprepared believers overwhelmed by temptation and trials. As Christians, we need to make sure we are preparing to stand firm against the schemes of the enemy. If we are prepared we will be able to resist him and he will flee (James 4:7).
The apostle Paul understood the need for Christians to be prepared. That is one reason he wrote about the armor of God in Ephesians 6:11-20. Several weeks ago I wrote about the importance of putting on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the gospel, and the shield of faith. This week I want to write about the last two pieces of the armor, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.
One reason I separated the last two parts of the armor is because the apostle Paul sets them apart grammatically in the original passage. He does this by using a different verb when he wrote, “take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The verb “take” in the original Greek has the idea of taking up something quickly, “to grasp.” Harold Hoehner believes this verb was used because there was a sense of urgency with the helmet and the sword. These were the final pieces of the armor that the soldier would need as the enemy approached.
The helmet was not a comfortable part of the uniform. It was made of a leather cap interior and a metal covering, which was sometimes made of iron with a bronze exterior. The helmet was most likely hot and heavy to wear. Some scholars believe this type of helmet would have included a large neck guard and chin guards that were tightened around the face. This would have helped protect the soldier from near and distant threats.
The sword that is described is a makaira, which was the famous Roman short sword that was used for hand-to-hand combat. Thousands of these swords are still in existence today. They often had a two-inch thick blade, which was sharpened on both sides. The blade was about two feet long, with a hilt that was made to use with one hand. This was a defensive sword, which was only used when the enemy was close enough to attack from behind the shield. It was a deadly weapon when used in close proximity.
Paul saved these two pieces of the soldier’s uniform to the end for a reason. I believe he did so because he wanted to emphasize the importance of the helmet and the sword during the heat of a spiritual battle. The helmet of salvation plays a vital role because the enemy often tries to make Christian’s doubt their salvation. If he can tempt a believer to doubt their relationship with God, then he has already started winning the spiritual battle. But, if the Christian remembers verses such as John 10:29 then he will have confidence in the outcome of his salvation. John 10:29 is a quote from Jesus Christ, “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.”
The sword of the Spirit is easy to understand because the apostle Paul explained it “is the word of God.” The word of God refers to the sixty-six books of the Bible. 2 Timothy 3:16 describes God’s word as “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” God’s word is especially useful for resisting the temptations and attacks of the Devil. James 4:7 says, “Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.”
When Jesus Christ was being tempted by Satan in the desert he used the word of God like a defensive sword. When the Devil commanded Jesus to turn a rock into bread so he could eat after fasting for forty days and nights. Jesus pulled quoted Scripture, “It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone.” (Deuteronomy 8:3) Then Satan promised to give Jesus authority over kingdoms of the earth. Jesus quoted an answer from Deuteronomy 6:13, “It is written, ’You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve.’” The Devil’s final temptation involved tempting Jesus to start his earthly reign before the appointed time. Jesus replied, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Deuteronomy 6:16).
I love meditating on Jesus’ response to that temptation. He made it seem easy because he was using the word of God as his weapon. Satan did not argue with Jesus. He accepted his response and then tried a different temptation. Once Jesus responded correctly, the temptation came to an end. I believe that is what is possible for believers dealing with temptation as well. If a Christian is tempted to worry or be anxious he should draw the sword of God’s word and quote Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” If a Christian is dealing with inappropriate thoughts or temptations he can quote from 2 Timothy 2:22, “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
In order to defend against the enemy, believers must be prepared. They can be prepared by putting on the full armor of God, which includes armor and a sword, which is the word of God. Armed with the armor of God, the Christian will be able to obey the command of Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
