S6P6 – God’s armor: the sword of the Spirit
Ephesians 6:10-17
In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [draw your strength from Him and be empowered through your union with Him] and in the power of His [boundless] might. Put on the full armor of God [for His precepts are like the splendid armor of a heavily-armed soldier], so that you may be able to [successfully] stand up against all the schemes and the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this [present] darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) places. Therefore, put on the complete armor of God, so that you will be able to [successfully] resist and stand your ground in the evil day [of danger], and having done everything [that the crisis demands], to stand firm [in your place, fully prepared, immovable, victorious]. So stand firm and hold your ground, having tightened the wide band of truth (personal integrity, moral courage) around your waist and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (an upright heart), and having strapped on your feet the gospel of peace in preparation [to face the enemy with firm-footed stability and the readiness produced by the good news]. Above all, lift up the [protective] shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
While I’ve heard it taught that the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive piece of our armor, it does not stand alone. As the word of God, it goes hand in hand with the belt of truth. However, this is specifically the rhema word of God, His spoken word. These are God’s spoken declarations, promises, commands, direction and prophecy. This is not a reference to the entire body of scripture but to the words that God himself has spoken. The belt relates to God’s truths; the sword relates to His words.
If you have a red letter bible, it is easy to find your spiritual sword. As Jesus is in the Father and the Father in Jesus, as He is a member of the Godhead, His words on earth were God’s words. And just as Jesus used His words to defeat His enemies, we can do the same. When Spirit-filled believers in Jesus Christ speak God’s very words, those words carry His power and authority. It is more than holy inspiration; it is God speaking through us. And His words are mighty enough to defeat the enemy each time without fail.
Our gracious Father has given us an infallible weapon of warfare, and our access to this weapon is without limit. It begs the question of why we ever dare to enter battle in our own power and with our own words. We should regularly unsheathe our swords and allow God to speak through us the fatal blows that will shut down our enemy before he can even blink. And yes, these words are fatal to the enemy as Christ himself said, “it is finished.” It is finished, and the devil is finished. Our battles already are won, and we should fight accordingly. Father, bring Your words to our minds continually so that our victories over the enemy can be swift and often.