In this verse the writer says accept (or, receive), which is particularly appropriate for salvation “as a gift from God” (Barth). Salvation here is to be understood as a present fact (in 1 Thes 5.8 Paul speaks of “our hope of salvation” as the helmet); Beare says, “the divine protection which safeguards the wearer.” It should be noted that the word here translated salvation is the neuter form to sōtērion, which occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Luke 2.30; 3.6; Acts 28.28; it is never used by Paul, who always uses the feminine form he sōtēria. Some see here a difference in meaning between the two; and in light of Isaiah 59.17 (where the Septuagint translates the Hebrew “salvation” by sōtērion), which speaks of Yahweh putting a helmet of salvation on his head, these commentators take “salvation” here in the sense it has in the Isaiah passage, “bringing salvation” (so Murray), or else “the helmet of victory” (see Barth). The helmet of the ancient soldier could be of heavy leather or metal and was designed to protect the head from the enemy’s sword slashes.

The statement accept salvation as a helmet may be made somewhat clearer if one translates “receive God’s saving you, for it will be like a helmet” or “… something to protect your head.” In some languages, however, “to receive God’s saving you” must be rendered as “let God save you.” Or else, “Accept the salvation that God gives; it will protect you like a helmet.”

The rest of the verse in Greek is “and (receive) the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This is the only offensive weapon mentioned, although there were others used by soldiers at that time, especially the javelin.

Some take “the sword of the Spirit” to mean the sword that the Spirit uses (or owns); so Beare: “the sword which the Spirit Himself wields.” Others take it to mean the sword provided by the Spirit (Abbott, Barth; Good News Translation the sword which the Spirit gives you; also New English Bible and others). Unlike the other genitive phrases (“the breastplate of righteousness,” “the shield of faith,” “the helmet of salvation”), in this genitive phrase, “the Spirit” is not in apposition to “the sword,” that is, the Spirit is not the sword; it is “the word of God which is the sword” (see Heb 4.12 for similar language).

The statement accept … the word of God as the sword which the Spirit gives you may be restructured as “receive from the Holy Spirit the word of God, which will be like a sword.”

Here the word of God is to be understood as God’s message given the believer to be proclaimed; this is the offensive weapon which will defeat the enemy. It is not clear why New English Bible has here “the words that come from God,” unless it is to avoid the misinterpretation that the Bible (“the word of God”) is the sword.

Here the word of God is “the message that comes from God” or “the messages that are given by God.” A simile may be used, “The message (or, word) of God will be like a sword which the Spirit gives you.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert C. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1982. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .