Lesson 19
Ephesians 6:17-20, spiritual warfare, part 3.
V 17, And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
The fifth component is the helmet of salvation. The helmet protects against head injury. The spiritual helmet of salvation is the hope of salvation. The assurance of salvation strengthens our faith.
1Thessalonians 5:8, “But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation”.
VV 18- 19, 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, 19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
The sixth component is prayer, the sword of the Spirit. Prayer is a weapon of defense as well as a weapon of offense. Prayer protects against demonic attacks and tears down demonic strongholds. We must pray persistently and with perseverance for all Christians. Even Paul requested his audience to pray for him for boldness in preaching the gospel.
Hebrews 4:12, ‘’For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart”.
Rev 2:12, “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this”.
Ezekiel 22:30, “So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one”.
2 Chronicles 7:14, “ if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land”.
V 20, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
Paul was an ambassador for Christ and preached the gospel boldly even when he was chained to a Roman guard under house arrest.
