Instruments (3696) (hoplon) originally described any tool or implement for preparing a thing and then became specialized to refer to items such as a ship's tackling, a cable, a rope or a tool of any kind (blacksmith tools, sickle, staff) and then in the plural was used for "weapons of warfare. And so the instruments we are to put at the service of God are weapons (Ro 6:13KJV) or implements of war, either offensive or defensive. Hoplon is used 6 times in the NT (Jn 18:3; Ro 6:13; Ro 13:12-see note; 2Co. 6:7; 2Co 10:4-see note) and is rendered in the NAS as armor, 1; instruments, 2; weapons, 3. Hoplon - 31x in the Septuagint (LXX) - 1Sa 17:7; 1 Ki. 10:17; 14:26f; 2 Ki. 10:2; 2 Chr. 21:3; 23:9f; 32:5; Neh. 4:17; Ps. 5:12; 35:2; 46:9; 57:4; 76:3; 91:4; Prov. 14:7; Jer. 21:4; 43:10; 46:3, 9; 51:3, 12; Ezek. 26:8; 32:27; 39:9f; Joel 2:8; Amos 4:2; Nah. 2:3; 3:3; Hab. 3:11 Kenneth Wuest notes that in classical Greek hoplon referred to the weapons of the Greek soldier. Paul thinks of the members of the Christian’s body as weapons to be used in the Christian warfare against evil. The saint, counting upon the fact that he has been disengaged from the evil nature, does two things, he refuses to allow it to reign as king in his life, and he stops putting his members at its disposal to be used as weapons of unrighteousness. (Wuest, K. S. Wuest's Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: Studies in the Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament: Grand Rapids: Eerdmans) Marvin Vincent writes that hoplon... is used from the earliest times of tools or instruments generally. In Homer of a ship’s tackle, smith’s tools, implements of war, and in the last sense more especially in later Greek. In the New Testament distinctly of instruments of war (John 18:3; 2 Corinthians 6:7, 10:4). Here probably with the same meaning, the conception being that of Sin and Righteousness as respectively "rulers" of opposing sovereignties (compare reign, Ro 6:12-note, and have dominion, Ro 6:14-note), and "enlisting men" in their armies. Hence the exhortation is, do not offer your members as weapons with which the rule of unrighteousness may be maintained, but offer them to God in the service of righteousness." (Vincent, M. R. Word Studies in the New Testament. Vol. 3, Page 1-70) (Bolding added) Hoplon is used once in the NT to describe literal physical weapons (Jn 18:3) but more often is used figuratively to describe... members of the body = "instruments of unrighteousness" (Instruments used for evil purposes) armor of light (Ro 13:12-note), weapons of righteousness (2Cor 6:7) weapons of the Christian's warfare (2Co 10:4-note). To obey the desires of our body, is to place our hands, lips, etc at the disposal of Sin to be weapons which this enemy uses to carry out unrighteous war. Paul says stop doing this! And Romans 6:1-10 gives the truths which indicate that now in Christ Jesus, every believer possesses the power to stop presenting ourselves to Sin. If we don't stop doing so, it is because we don't want to stop, not because we cannot make the choice to stop. Notice the important corollary thought that if a person claims to be born again and a new creation and yet truly cannot cease from sin (as their continual practice) then they would be very wise to assess whether they are truly born again (see 2 Cor 13:5, as well as Jesus' sobering warning in Mt 7:21-note, Mt 7:22, 23-note) Peter Marshall has an interesting assessment declaring that The problem with most of us is that we are not Christian enough to keep from sinning, but we are sinning too much to enjoy our Christian life. I like the advice of Oliver Wendell Holmes who said "There is in my life a plant I call Reverence. It needs to be watered about once a week." (Amen!) In the following OT passages note the effect that Reverence or "fear of Jehovah" has on "evil" Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away (In the LXX this is a present imperative - continually turn aside - implying we have continual need to turn away from the all pervasive presence of evil) from evil. (Proverbs 3:7) Comment: "It is impossible to have fellowship with God while walking in that which His word condemns (cp 1Jn 1:6, 7, 2:9, 10, 11, 4:20, Jas 1:15, 16-note) The path of blessing is the path of obedience. If He has spoken, the submissive soul will not stay to question but obey implicitly." (Ironside). A reverential fear of the LORD "will get you away from sin, away from those things which corrode not only your spiritual life but your physical life as well" (J Vernon McGee) The fear of the LORD is to hate (despise, oppose, detest) evil... (Proverbs 8:13) ...By the fear of the LORD one keeps away (turns aside, departs) from evil. (Proverbs 16:6) The fear of the LORD leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil. (Proverbs 19:9) There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job, and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God, and turning away from evil. (Job 1:1) Ps 34:11-14-Spurgeon's note Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. 12 Who is the man who desires life, And loves length of days that he may see good? 13 Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. 14 Depart from evil, and do good; Seek peace, and pursue it. ...Let every who names the name of the Lord abstain (aorist imperative) from wickedness (sin) (2Ti 2:19-note). (Comment: Paul does not dissociate behavior from belief - if your belief is genuine, your walk will concur! cp a "faith that works" in Jas 2:14ff-notes) "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/romans_612-141.htm#Instrument