"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17)

In this letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul is talking to people who not only face persecution but who were infiltrated by Paul's teachers spreading lies and bad theology. Paul tells the church all the ways God is protecting them in the midst of these trials. He starts with truth, then righteousness, then the gospel of peace, all of which are fully provided for us in Jesus. He says, faith in God is like a shield protecting us from the enemy's lies and even that faith is a gift from God. Then here in this section, he mentions the helmet of salvation which is the protective assurance that God has saved us. Then he mentions the sword of the Spirit because God's word is our sword. In all the armor listed, Scripture is the only offensive weapon, everything else is defense. We fight back against the enemy's lies by knowing who God is. Do you know Scripture? Set your heart to read it and look for who God is on every page. He's where the joy is!