Verse 17
17. Helmet The soldier’s cap, made of wood, of skins of wild beasts, or of metal, adorned with plumes, and framed to protect the head against the darts or blows of the foe.
Of salvation Safety, moral, spiritual, and eternal; safety from the missiles of Satan, and from sin, death, and hell. This warrior, then, is well protected, crowned even now with eternal salvation; and, as said above, sure to conquer unless he turns coward or apostate. But besides all this defense, he bears the emblem of all offensive war, the sword.
The word of God As the New Testament was not then written, this word of God must be the Old Testament, and the living word of the gospel as already preached, and being in process of writing by Christ’s authorized apostles. This sword is of the Spirit because the word is by the Spirit. And when the apostolic record was finished, and the volume of the book completed as the canon of Christ’s Church, then the Testaments, Old and New, are the sword of the Spirit wherewith we fight the battles of the faith. With this our Christian soldier will win his victories. He will not, indeed, kill the devil, or quickly drive him from the field; but he may deliver many a victim from his hand. And as for himself, the devil can never wrench the helmet of salvation from his head.
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