6:17a

And take: The verb take here implies the meaning “put on” or “wear.”

Some other ways to translate take are:

Put on (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
Accept (Good News Translation)
-or-
wear

the helmet of salvation: A helmet is the piece of armor that a soldier wore on his head to protect it. It was made of metal. See the helmet of a soldier in the picture at Section 6:10–20.

This is also a metaphor. Paul compared salvation to a helmet. One way to fully explain this metaphor is like this: “Just as a helmet protects and saves a soldier in a battle, so let the fact that God saved you be like a helmet of protection when Satan attacks you.”

salvation: The word salvation means that God has saved us and will save us from Satan’s power. See 1 Thessalonians 5:8 where Paul says that “the hope of salvation” is our helmet. See save, Word 2 in the Glossary for more information.

Here are some other ways to translate 6:17a:

• Keep the metaphor. Some ways to express the metaphor are:

Put on ⌊God’s⌋ salvation as your helmet.
-or-
Put on the helmet. The helmet is ⌊God’s⌋ salvation.

• Make the metaphor a simile. For example:

Let God’s saving power be like a helmet (Contemporary English Version)

• Give the full meaning of the metaphor. For example:

⌊As a soldier⌋ puts on a helmet ⌊to protect his head in battle⌋, let the fact that God saved you be like a helmet of protection from ⌊the devil⌋.

6:17b

and the sword of the Spirit: The sword of the Spirit is part of the metaphor and refers to God’s powerful word that the Holy Spirit enables you to use. It is like a sword that is used to attack the enemy. It is used as a metaphor and described below.

sword: A sword is a large, long knife which soldiers used in battle. A sword was sharpened on both edges. See the sword of a soldier in the picture at Section 6:10–20.

which is the word of God: Here the word of God refers to the written word of God. It is the Bible or scriptures.

The meaning of this metaphor can be fully described like this: “When Satan attacks you, you must use God’s Word (by reading it, quoting it, speaking it). This is like a sword that you can use to fight against Satan.”

Here are some ways to translate 6:17b:

• Keep the metaphor. Some ways to express the metaphor are:

Take the sword that the Spirit gives. The sword is the word of God.

• Make the metaphor a simile. For example:

Take the word of God that is like a sword that the Spirit gives.

• Give the full meaning of the metaphor. For example:

⌊As a soldier⌋ grasps a sword ⌊to defend himself⌋, use God’s word ⌊to defend yourself⌋. It is from the ⌊Holy⌋ Spirit.

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