“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:10-18a ESV

Today’s post is part six in a series about the Armor of God. Click here to read last week’s post.

Sword of the Spirit

I have lightsabers in my classroom, and something about holding one makes me feel powerful (especially when I turn on the sound effects and start quoting lines from Star Wars. “Luke. . . “).

The Roman sword, or gladius, was a short sword modified over time to be sharper and more destructive than the weapons of their enemies. Soldiers were trained to use the sword in multiple ways for whatever circumstances they encountered.

Just as God provides truth through Scripture for any circumstance we encounter.

“. . . and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. . . ”

Ephesians 6:17 ESV

Let’s dissect this verse:

“Sword of the SPIRIT”

God wants to give us the Holy Spirit:

• “If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13 ESV
• “And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:27 ESV

The Spirit gives us strength (Romans 8:26 ESV), hope (Romans 15:13 ESV), and freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17 ESV).

“The Word of God”

The Bible isn’t just a book:

• Hebrews 4:12 NIV – “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 ESV – “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

God’s Word is ALIVE and ACTIVE, not simply stories of what God used to, but of what He still does.

So if God’s Word is our sword, then we need to grasp it, keep hold of it with a firm grip, and not let it be knocked from our hands.

And what’s super cool is that a sword is an offensive weapon, not only a defensive weapon. So if God’s Word is our sword, then we can use it to attack and refute thoughts of doubt and deceit.

In fact, Jesus used scripture to refute the temptations of the devil (Luke 4:1-13 ESV)

• The devil threw a temptation at Him, but Jesus knocked it away with scripture (vs. 3-4).

• The devil tried again, but Jesus knocked it away with scripture (vs. 5-8).

• The devil tried a third time, but Jesus knocked it away with scripture (vs. 9-12).

Three strikes, you’re out.

How do we do this, use the Word of God to refute the devil?

We need to know what the Word of God says.

We can’t have it ready to use if we don’t know what it actually says.

And we can’t have it ready to use if we don’t know the truth in what it says.

How will you prepare yourself to use your Sword of the Spirit? Be specific!

“. . . and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. . . ” Ephesians 6:17 ESV

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