Prepare for Spiritual Battle with the Sword of the Spirit
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Now we are really getting into the battle. What says “go time” more than a sword?
As we start to study the offensive weapons that God has entrusted to us, we will begin with the Sword of the Spirit (the Word of God). This is one of the most effective, yet often underestimated pieces of armor in the Christian’s life. May we learn more about how we can lean on the Word of God to attack the enemy.
“Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit — which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:10-18).
Our focus verse this week is Ephesians 6:17: “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit — which is the word of God.”
What Is the Sword of the Spirit?
God lays it straight out for us in verse 17 above. He says the sword of the spirit is “the word of God.” We see so many references to the Bible as a sword:
“So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
“In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength” (Revelation 1:16).
“To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword” (Revelation 2:12).
God’s Word is perfect, holy, and comes from His mouth. He breathed every word of Scripture (1 Timothy 3:16-17). It is living and active. The Bible is powerful and effective for every generation. This sword has not ever become dull, it never loses its edge to divide falsehoods from truth. We can fully depend on the Sword of the Spirit.
The Spirit and the Word
Why is Spirit attached to the Word? Remember what genuine worship of God is described as in John 4:24. It says that a true worshipper will worship in spirit and in truth. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God go hand in hand. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot fully understand the Word. Without the Word of God, we do not have the message of the gospel that leads to the acceptance of the Spirit.
One of my all-time favorite verses is found in Luke 24:45 which says, “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.” Jesus opened the minds of the disciples to understanding what His Word meant and how He fulfilled it. Jesus sent His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) after His ascension, and He said it would be better for Him to go so that He could send the Spirit. This is because we all get to have the constant presence of the Spirit of God in our everyday lives. We do not have to go find Jesus on earth to ask Him what something in the Bible means, we get to ask His Spirit within us to reveal it and open our minds to understand it.
Wycliffe Bible Translators are working hard to get the Bible translated into every language. They share, “1 in 5 people are still waiting for the Bible in their language. There are 7,388 languages spoken in the world. 724 language have the entire Bible.” They celebrate that a new program is being started in new languages every day as of this year.
Although the Scriptures are not in every language yet, the gospel and the message are traveling throughout the globe. However, I bring up these statistics to remind us that if we are in the 4 out of 5 people who have access to the Bible among the 7,388 languages, we should be grateful. It can be easy to get ready and leave the house for the day without our sword. We let it sit there and collect dust rather than getting in the battle.
However, if we want to fight back and see spiritual results of victory in our lives, Christ tells us to take up the Sword of the Spirit/the Bible and fight back against the enemy. Scripture extinguishes the attacks from Satan. The Bible keeps us grounded and helps us move forward in triumph.
Jesus Models the Sword of the Spirit
Jesus knew Scripture. Yes, He was God. However, He modeled the value in hiding God’s Word in our hearts. We should make it a goal and lifestyle to read, trust, and memorize Scripture verses.
We see Jesus use the Bible against Satan during a spiritual battle of temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). We see Jesus quoting the Old Testament with references like Hosea 6:6, Isaiah 61:1, and Psalm 82:5-6. Jesus was called Rabbi, a title that indicated a lot of Scripture memory and training. He knew the Torah. He knew the Word. Indeed, He was the Word (John 1:1-2). Jesus used the Word to reveal that He was the Messiah. Ultimately, Jesus is the Sword that we take hold of. His Word and His message of eternal life divides and clarifies the truth.
When we need to know who Jesus is, we go to the Bible to learn. When we need clarity in our decision making, we read the Word. When we take time to focus on our relationships with God each day, we read the Bible. The Sword is such a gift to us and we can go out in our day to day feeling confident and comforted knowing the Spirit of the Lord and His Word are always applicable.
Am I a Spiritual Warrior with the Sword of the Spirit?
What ways do you need to remember to read and memorize the Bible?
The Sword of the Spirit is one of the only offensive weapons in the spiritual battle. How does knowing this make you want to take knowing the Word more seriously?
How is the church taking up the sword of the Spirit? In what ways can we pray for the body of Christ to stand on the Word of God and use it against the attacks of the enemy?
Related articles
The Shield of Faith
The Helmet of Salvation
The Shoes of Peace
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