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Ephesians 6:16

The Word of God

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 23, 2025

Paul instructs us to put on or take up the various articles of the armor of God. The last piece of the Armor of God is the sword of the Spirit, “which is the Word of God.” The history of mankind is usually punctuated entirely by war. Life proceeds until war consumes. A new life proceeds until another war consumes. Someone said that the history of mankind has less than 300 years in which peace was the norm. War is the norm for us! We live by the sword. Jesus once said, “If you live by the sword, you will die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52). In that context, Jesus was responding to Peter’s attack on Malthus, in which he cut off his ear. One who lives a violent life will die a violent death. Taking up the “sword of the spirit” is not taking up a literal sword. It’s the word of God.

MacArthur observes, “Now when we think of a sword, we usually think of a long thing that someone flails around. The Greek word for that type of sword is rhomphaia. But the Greek word used here is machaira, which refers to a short, small dagger. The sword of the Spirit, therefore, is not a huge sword that you just flail around, hoping that you’ll whack off the head of a demon sooner or later. It is not something you use indiscriminately or wildly. But the sword of the Spirit is a machaira; it is a dagger, incisive, must hit a vulnerable spot, or doesn’t do any damage. The sword of the Spirit is not something general, but specific, allowing us to focus our efforts and strike at the heart of our spiritual battles.

When we see the phrase “Word of God” we are often looking at the English translation for the Greek word “Logos” for word. But this is not the case in this phrase. The word here is “Rhema.” I’m certain I can’t say it as well as MacArthur does, so let me quote him again. “When the Bible wants to speak of a specific, it uses the word rhema. Now it means ‘a specific statement.’ So the sword of the Spirit is the specific statement of the Word of God that meets the specific point of temptation.” I’ll add to MacArthur’s comment by reminding you that this is exactly how Jesus used God’s Word as he refuted Satan’s temptations while he fasted in the desert. MacArthur continues, “Now some people may say, ‘Well, I have the sword of the Spirit—I own a Bible.’ Listen, you could own a Bible warehouse, and you wouldn’t have the sword of the Spirit. Having the sword of the Spirit is not owning a Bible, but knowing the specific principle in the Bible that applies to the specific point of temptation.” Let me then, remind us all of the importance of studying God’s Word (logos), the bible. From it comes God’s word (rhema). It’s the comprehension and application of the truth of the principles of scripture that is the source of victory, enlightening us and guiding us in our spiritual journey.

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Ephesians 6:16, 1 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16-18

Limited Damage Only!

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 22, 2025

When Paul addresses the subject of the Armor of God, he includes the shield, the breastplate, the boots, and the helmet. The helmet did not prevent the blows from coming. It just protected the wearer from ultimate damage. It didn’t prevent pain! The blows to the head would still hurt but would not be fatal. Even today, however, helmets are not always effective. We still hear of those wearing helmets who take fatal blows. But the helmet of salvation is absolute protection against any fatal blow. Paul tells the Corinthian believers, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, struck down, but not destroyed” (1 Corinthians 4:8-9). We take many blows, but none of them will be fatal! This is the assurance of the Armor of God, providing us with a sense of safety and security in the midst of life’s challenges.

Notice that the first pieces of armor are put on: the belt, the breastplate, and the boots. The next three are the shield, helmet, and sword. Instead of being “put on,” they are “taken up.” The Greek text uses a different word for “take up” when it refers to the helmet. In his commentary on the passage in Ephesians, Rasnake says that my helmet “protects my head from fatal blows. There is an interesting change of pattern when we get to verse 17. Rather than using the same word he used in verse 16 for ‘taking’ up the shield of faith (analambánō), Paul uses a different word to “take” the helmet of salvation (déchomai), which literally means ‘receive.’ Again, if salvation is our helmet, how can we take it off?”

You see, the blows hurt! We all suffer in this world. It’s just part of the human experience, a shared journey of pain and endurance. Let me remind you once again of another very familiar passage that Paul writes to the Corinthians. He says that since we know the blows are not fatal, “…we do not lose heart! Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (1 Corinthians 4:16-18). We are all secure in Christ. When we put on Christ, we put on our armor. They are permanently fixed at our salvation. In Hebrews 13:5 God assures us, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Then in verse 6 the writer asserts, “So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’”

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The Warranty

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 21, 2025

In Ephesians 6, Paul teaches us about Spiritual warfare and the armor of God. Paul uses a metaphor when he speaks of the “helmet of salvation.” Being saved, through faith, by God’s marvelous grace, there is protection from the onslaughts of the enemy. Our focus should not be on our failures but on the victory that will ultimately be ours regardless of the circumstances of our present moment. In 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Paul tells them and us, “…let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.” We have a guarantee of victory. Believers come with an unbreakable warranty written by God in the blood of His son. It goes into effect the moment we put our faith in Christ.

In the 1600’s, Oliver Cromwell, known as the Lord Protector of England, had never lost a battle. It’s often argued that his victory through all kinds of adversity was the result of his trust in God and the Salvation that awaits him after this life. Boice says that Cromwell and his army “…knew that their destiny was secure and that they were fighting because God had led them to that spot and would prosper them in that work. There is a sense in which that should be true of us. True, we suffer setbacks in our attempts to live the Christian life. Even Paul said that he was sometimes tripped up by Satan’s onslaughts: ‘hard pressed … perplexed … persecuted … struck down’ (2 Cor. 4:8–9). But these momentary setbacks are not the end, nor are they even utter defeats. For Paul said, ‘We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. … Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly, we are wasting away; inwardly, we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So, we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal (2 Cor. 4:8–9, 16–18).”

What was true for Cromwell and his men is also true for all believers. The battles come! They press us. The corner us! They assault our joy! They confuse us! They bring doubt! They bring discouragement! They bring Depression! And, unlike what was said of Cromwell, we even lose battles. We experience occasional defeat. It’s well known that In 1831, Abraham Lincoln failed in business. In 1832, Abraham Lincoln was defeated for state legislator. In 1833, Abraham Lincoln tried a new business, and failed. In 1835, Abraham Lincoln’s fiancée died. In 1836, Abraham Lincoln had a nervous breakdown. In 1843, Abraham Lincoln ran for congress and was defeated. In 1848, Lincoln ran again, and was defeated; again. In 1855, Lincoln ran for the Senate, and lost. In 1856, Lincoln ran for Vice President, and lost. In 1859, Lincoln ran again for the Senate. He was defeated. But all that doesn’t matter. We know the ultimate result! God guarantees our ultimate victory. Just as Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860 and has come down to us in history as one of the greatest of our presidential leaders, so too, we’ve won God’s election! We too will have ultimate victory! It’s guaranteed.

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Ephesians 6:16, Titus 1:2

Security & Assurance

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 20, 2025

Just a few years before he passed away, J. Vernon McGee was the commencement speaker at Dallas Theological Seminary. It was a pleasure to hear this 80+-year-old man explain some of the more difficult doctrines of our faith in a simple, home language that we could all understand. He does that well in his writings as well. In one text, he writes about the subject of eternal security. He explains, “There is also a sharp difference between eternal security and assurance. Nevertheless, they are two sides of the same subject. It’s like two sides of a door. Eternal security is the exterior—that’s the outside of the door. Assurance is the inside of the door, and that’s internal. Eternal security is objective—it depends on what is outside of us. It doesn’t depend on anything inside of us. Assurance depends on the inside. It is subjective. Eternal security is not an experience at all. Assurance is experienced. And eternal security is theological, while assurance is psychological.”

He goes on to clarify even further when he discusses salvation in general. He says, “There is actually no difference between salvation and security. Will you notice this? The only salvation God is offering is eternal salvation. He’s not offering any other kind. The kind of life that God is offering is eternal life. This is quite simple, yet it is important to see.” He uses John 3:36 to illustrate this truth from a biblical passage. It says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” We could find dozens of passages that further support McGee’s observation that the only kind of salvation offered by Jesus is “eternal” salvation. John 3:16 is key also. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” What kind of life? Everlasting!!

It is essential to shift our understanding of eternal security from a theological concept to a personal assurance. This is the truth that Paul was conveying to Titus when he said, “This truth gives them confidence that they have eternal life, which God – who does not lie – promised them before the world began” (Titus 1:2). John MacArthur, in his commentary on the book of Romans, aptly points out, “Many Christians, including many in our own day, refuse to believe that God guarantees the believer’s eternal security. This denial is tied to the belief that salvation is a cooperative effort between men and God, and although God will not fail on His side, man might-thus the sense of insecurity. Belief in salvation by a sovereign God alone, however, leads to the confidence that salvation is secure, because God, who alone is responsible, cannot fail. Beyond that theological consideration, Paul is saying that the truth of eternal security is clearly revealed by God to us, so that all believers are able with certainty to know the comfort and hope of that reality if they simply take God at His word. God’s child need never fear being cast out of his heavenly Father’s house or fear losing his citizenship in His eternal kingdom of righteousness.”

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Ephesians 6:16

My Helmet & Eternal Security

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 19, 2025

In Ephesians, chapter 6, we read about the Armor of God. The helmet of salvation is protection against the fatal blows of the enemy. It protects our minds. It’s always a battle over our thoughts. The fiery darts of the evil one are directed primarily at what we think. He uses the world (its systems & values) as well as our flesh (our lusts and passions) to incite rebellious thinking in the hopes it will result in rebellious actions. We might not be able to prevent the thoughts from striking us, but the helmet of salvation will help prevent their penetration into our souls. The fiery darts of despair, discouragement, depression, and defeat are all instrumental weapons that are used skillfully by our enemy to weaken our faith and open our minds to inappropriate thoughts that will lead to sinful actions. The exhortation in this whole passage on the Armor of God contains the call to “Stand firm” several times. We are not to give way, surrender ground, or retreat from our position in Christ.

The knowledge of God’s Word is the very material from which our helmets are crafted. The first and most crucial piece of information we glean from God’s Word is the truth of Christ’s salvation, a gift of His marvelous grace, received through the channel of faith. According to Isaiah 59:17, the Messiah would come, fully equipped for battle against evil. It states, “He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head.” As Paul essentially quotes this passage in Ephesians, we are reminded that what we are called to put on is His righteousness. Our own righteousness will not protect us. It is his that will. The helmet of salvation, which we use, is also His. Our salvation, if based on our own efforts, would be most precarious. But His salvation is certain and true. This issue is what we refer to as “eternal security.”

Even in the face of the most profound attacks from the evil one, we can find inspiration in the example of ancient Job, who wore his helmet of salvation well. In Job 19:25-26, he declares, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God.” He was certain of the presence of a redeemer, a savior in the midst of all our pains and struggles in life. As the old spiritual says, “there’s a balm in Gilead.” That balm is Jesus. Job also had the assurance that one day, in his flesh, he would see this redeemer. In his comments on this passage, Norm Geisler adds, “In other words, Job had present knowledge that he had been redeemed (‘my Redeemer’) and that he would see Him in his heavenly resurrected body: I ‘know’ (now) that I ‘will see God’ (later, in heaven). Such knowledge implies his assurance of eternal security.

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Ephesians 6:16

Death From Afar

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 18, 2025

The shield of faith is used by the soldier to quench “all the fiery darts…” The passage implies there are a lot of them. I remember how the Navy would lay off the coast of Vietnam and send in fighters from the Aircraft carriers to soften up the enemy before the ground troops would advance. The big battleships of World War II were brought into action and used to shell the enemy from many miles at sea before the advancing troops would engage the enemy. This pictures the enemy using the many fiery darts shot at us from a distance. Martin Lloyd Jones says, “Soldiers used to throw these darts at the enemy in great profusion from all conceivable directions so as to cause confusion. Having prepared the way in that manner, the troops would then advance. This was the ancient way of doing what in modern warfare is known as the preliminary barrage of the guns to prepare for the advance of the infantry.”

Long-distant spiritual warfare is a battle of words. While on the Cross, Jesus’ enemies, clearly under the direction of Satan, “hurled” their insults at him. The word hurled is used for arrows and/or spears. Words are the weapons. Thoughts are the substance of words, so our spiritual battle is a battle for the mind. Satan, you will remember, “blinds the minds,” not the eyes of unbelievers. An unbeliever is, by very definition, a person without faith. We may find ourselves under a barrage of Satan’s fiery darts. They are designed to cause us to doubt, despair, and ultimately desert our faith in God. We must wield the shield with skill to extinguish all his fiery darts. When those darts find their way into our thought lives, they have a way of building what the Bible refers to as strongholds. Satan establishes patterns of thinking in our lives that eat away, like cancer, our trust and confidence in God.

A Christian Doctor, Dr. Michael Jacobson, talks about these strongholds. He quotes Ed Silvoso, an Argentine Christian evangelist. He defines a stronghold as “a mindset impregnated with hopelessness that causes me to accept as unchangeable something that is contrary to the will of God.” A mindset is a pattern of thinking. And so, if I have a pattern of thinking which is inconsistent with God’s revealed truth, it is a stronghold. And, as we saw earlier, the Christian has weapons of warfare which are stronger than these strongholds, and are capable of bringing these wrong patterns of thinking into obedience to Jesus Christ.” Therefore, “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one.”

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Ephesians 6:16, Hebrews 11:1, Romans 1:16-17

Live By Faith

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 17, 2025

In the first century, the Roman soldier had two kinds of shields. One was a small round shield that was carried into hand-to-hand combat. It was a lighter, thinner shield that could be maneuvered easily in battle. The other one, the one Paul talks about in Ephesians 6:16, is a large door-shaped shield. That word for this shield is the same word translated as door in English. It was about five feet high and two feet wide. It could cover a hunkered body completely. When soldiers carrying this “thura” advanced in lines together, the enemy was presented with what appeared to be a solid wall of shields, and there would be row upon row of them as well. These advancing columns of the Roman army were called “phalanxes.” They were well known by the enemy and highly feared. When discussing this, Boice writes, “Paul is saying that our faith should be like that. It should do three things: (1) it should cover us so that not a portion is exposed, (2) it should link up with the faith of others to present a solid wall of defense, and (3) because it covers our entire person and links up with the faith of our fellow soldiers, it should be able to strike down whatever fiery arrows the enemy hurls at us.”

Paul’s reference to the shield of ‘faith’ is not a shield of ‘the faith’, which would imply a set of truths that we believe in. Instead, it’s a shield that represents our personal confidence in God and our strong conviction in His reliability and trustworthiness, as well as in His promises. Barnhouse, in his interpretation, simplifies the concept, ‘What is Faith? It is simply believing God. If we believe Him, nothing can shake us. Only when we allow our faith to be deceived, does our love grow cold; and we become an open target for Satan’s attacks. When we believe God, nothing can deceive us. No matter what attack is launched against us, if we believe God; the enemy’s efforts are harmless. ‘Let God be true, but every man a liar,’ said Paul (Rom. 3:4). When we adopt this mindset, we become invincible. If we love Him, we KNOW: and if we KNOW, the shield of faith will deflect every attack.’

Faith is not just a defensive shield. It’s one of the most powerful offensive weapons in God’s arsenal. The writer of the book of Hebrews teaches us how important faith is. Chapter 11 begins with, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel…” It goes on to say “by faith…” and names all the heroes of the faith who trusted God while being attacked by the fiery darts of the evil one and prevailed. Faith is the substance! Paul tells us in the opening verses of Romans that he’s not ashamed of the good news of Jesus because it is the power of God to everyone who believes….” It is by God’s grace through faith… Faith is the substance!

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Ephesians 6:16

The Key of Faith

Filed Under: Devotions by Chuck
August 16, 2025

The normal citizen doesn’t carry a shield with him. We don’t need protection like that. Society is usually considered safe enough that we can go about our way without carrying weapons or wearing armor of any kind. While it’s very true for us in our society as far as our physical safety is concerned, it certainly is not true for us spiritually. We have an enemy who’s always on the prowl. He’s diligent in looking for openings, lapses in our preparedness, weaknesses in character, and flaws in our personalities that he might get to us in any way he can. It’s for this reason we need the Armor of God and particularly the shield of faith.

One commentator writes, “To be without faith is to be without God, as our belief relies on our faith for its existence. Such is the nature of believing in a redeeming Creator. Our faith relies on trusting God’s Word and accepting it as true. This can only be done through faith, with perseverance. Without it, we are lost.” Paul says that those without faith in the Lord are “lost…aliens…excluded… and hopeless…without God” in this world (Ephesians 2:12). The author of the book of Hebrews tells us that it’s impossible to please God without faith. It’s our faith, our trust, in Him through all the cares and woes as well as the temptations and trials of life that protect us through it all. Faith is not an optional accouterment. It’s an essential piece of the arsenal God gives us in our battle with the Evil one. As one credit card commercial puts it, “Don’t leave home without it.”

In the wonderful little allegory, “Pilgrim’s Progress,” John Bunyan tells of Pilgrim on his journey to the celestial city. When he entered the territory of Giant Despair, he was captured and thrown into a deep, dark dungeon. He was tied up and placed in the pits of doubting castle. He began to despair for his life. He thought all was lost and he’d never reach the celestial city. When he lost all hope, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him and informed him that he need not lay low in doubting castle under the bondage of the Giant despair because he had been given a key. That key would open any door. He had the key to freedom and deliverance from the wiles of the giant. He had but to put it to use. What was that key? The angel informed him that it was faith. Pilgrim put the key of faith into the great gate and it swung open and once again he was on his way to the Celestial City.

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