And receiving the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the utterance of God (Ephesians 6:17).
At this point, our thoughts are girded with truth, our mindset wrapped in the righteousness of Christ, our feet prepared with the readiness of the gospel of peace, we are taking God at His word, and have received the helmet of salvation, which secures our mindset concerning our position in Christ. Now, we take up the sword of the Spirit.
The final part of the armor is taking up the sword of the Spirit. This sword belongs to the Holy Spirit and is an utterance of God. Therefore, it will be effective on us against rotten speak (Ephesians 4:27-30), and busybody (1 Timothy 5:13), and any other methodologies Satan attempts to use to get around the other parts of the armor. This is not an offensive weapon for attack, but a defensive implement, effective in silencing satanic enticements. When Satan attempts to influence us to act against who we are in Christ, specific utterances from God’s Word strike down those desires.