Ephesians 6:17
The Sword of the Spirit
In John White's book "The Fight" he mentions some college
students who came to Christ. He mentioned how that their initial
conversion seemed real enough, but that as he observed them
immediately after their coming to Christ, he said, "They seemed
like an unlikely bunch." They just didn't seem with it spiritually.
Their actions and language didn't seem to fit with those of
other Christians. What he was getting at was that these young
men seemed to be more in the world in their actions
and language, than in Christ. But they were in the
Word, studying God's Word on a daily basis. Then lo and
behold when he had opportunity to observe this same group
a year later, they were transformed. He knew by observing
their actions and language that they were indeed Christians.
What happened? They simple answer. Their conversion had been
genuine enough. When God the Father draws us to Jesus (John
6:44), he draws many of us just as we are. You're familiar
with the song, "Come as you are." But these young men studied
the Word of God, delved into it, on a daily basis. And with
Jesus in them, his Word had a transforming effect. The key
for them was studying the Word of God on a daily basis. When
we're alone with God in His Word on a daily consistent pattern,
change is going to happen. We grow in grace and knowledge.
How many times have you studied the Word of God this week?
If you haven't been effectively studying the Word of God on
a daily basis, you're like a soldier without a sword—without
his or her weapon. Without personal daily Bible study it's
like going into battle in 'Nam or Desert Storm without your
ammo clip. You have an empty gun. Someone who seeks God is
going to be in the Word daily.
Ephesians 6:17, "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword
of the Spirit, which is the word of God." The sixth article
mentioned in Ephesians 6 is the sword of the Spirit, which
is defined right there as the word of God. The word
used for word here in Greek is Rema which means
a small portion of Scripture. This denotes that a Scripture
will come into your mind at a specific time to help you fight
a specific battle. Jesus Christ's prime example of this use
of the sword of the Spirit is found in Matthew 4:1-11. Each
time (as we saw earlier) that Satan tempted Jesus, Jesus countered
Satan with a specific Scripture. But without being in the
Word on a consistent daily basis, over a period of time, your
mind and the Spirit of Jesus won't be able to call up the
right or appropriate Scripture needed to fight a temptation
or guide us in a questionable situation. It's that simple.
There are three ways the sword can be used:
- To bring about personal growth,
- To guide us,
- To guard us.
Point 1. The Word of God causes growth in us when we study
it to commune with God. We as Christians are in a spiritual
battle with Satan and his world. Satan won't stop attacking
us because we don't have our sword in our hands. 2 Timothy
2: 15, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved,
a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly
handles the word of truth."
Paul has this to say about people who don't effectively gird
on their sword. Hebrews 5:11-14, "We have much to say about
this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn.
In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you
need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word
all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who
lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with
the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the
mature, who by constant use [i.e. constant daily Bible
study—communing with God in His Word] have trained themselves
to distinguish good from evil." You don't learn about
God just by having a Bible in the house. You must open
it, study it, and learn it. When you study,
it helps if you kneel down at first and pray, "God I want
to encounter you."
Point 2. God's Word guides us. David in one of his psalms
says it's a lamp to our feet, lighting up the path we're walking
on in life. David prayed, "Let no iniquity rule over me."
God's Word provides moral guidelines. It is for any person
in any society. The truths in God's Word are for any age.
Scripture reveals God himself. Scripture will do more than
tell you a certain thing or contemplated action is right
or wrong, Scripture liberates us. Hebrews 4:12,
"For the word of God is living 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." God's Word helps us look right into our own
minds, hearts, soul, where our attitudes are formed. Then
through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of God, Jesus in
us (John 14), the active Word of God, the Logos, changes
us, our thoughts, our attitudes and then downstream from that,
our actions!!! In my personal life, right this morning,
I had just woken up, and started to daydream about this girl.
Immediately a specific Scripture flashed into my mind. Matthew
5:27-28, "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit
adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman
lustfully [and that includes mentally, daydreaming] has already
committed adultery with her in his heart." Now this Scripture
fit, because I am married. When this Scripture flashed into
my mind, I threw the daydream out of my mind and got up to
make some coffee. The sword had protected me once again, and
character was built up and not destroyed. But had I not been
familiar with the words of Jesus in Matthew 5, what would
I have done? The Word of God in us stops sin in its' tracks,
before it has time to fester and grow! [The Jews and some
old covenant Christian groups celebrate the Passover and Days
of Unleavened Bread. These Days of Unleavened Bread are observed
for one week, where they have to get rid of all leavened products
and keep them out of their homes and not eat them for one
week, starting at the Passover. One of the symbolic meanings
for leaven in Scripture is that it represents sin. The Jews
know this, as well as the old covenant Christian fellowships.
Leaven is all around us. It's in the air as tiny microscopic
spores. The evil broadcast of Satan is all around us also,
putting sinful thoughts into the unsuspecting simple-minded
souls. The Days of Unleavened Bread, a part of God's old covenant
law, was not done away for Christians, as many believe. They
were transformed and made active and new. The spiritual intent
of the Days, the reality of them, is lived in us whenever
we cast out sinful thought and/or actions. The Holy Days the
ancient Hebrews observed, the Holy Days observed by the Jews
to this day, Paul said were a shadow for what the Lord does
in us. If you are living in the Word, and it is active in
you, you are casting out the leaven of Satan, the spores of
his evil thoughts which fill the air. He is the prince of
the power of the air, Paul said. We today can understand better
than those before us how he charges the airwaves with his
evil broadcasts. We have modern radio and television. And
I don't just mean he uses these, although he does. He broadcasts
his attitudes and even sinful thoughts into the minds of unsuspecting
mankind. So in a very real sense, these Days of Unleavened
Bread are observed by Christians, as they live in the Word
of God, casting out the leaven of Satan and his societies
of man.] And it is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God,
which and who is actively in us performing this work. Jesus
wants us to be intimately acquainted with the process in this
battle, and thus we're responsible for putting the knowledge
of God's Word within our minds. Then he, the Logos, Jesus
Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, will paint
or illuminate a specific Scripture when it is needed.
He will not always do this if we have not effectively placed
enough Scriptural emmo in our minds. In modern warfare, with
the use of laser targeting devices, we have the term to
paint a target. This means that "recon" soldiers use invisible
lasers to paint or point out an enemy target. Then other forces
"home in" on this target and destroy it. In a much similar
way, Jesus can paint a spiritual target with a specific
Scripture, and then when we see it illuminated, we can destroy
it. He did just that this morning. Jesus, the living Logos
painted up a target in my mind with Matthew 5:27-28. Then
I destroyed the target! And that gets us into the third point.
Even David pointed out the light bearing qualities
of the Word of God. Psalm 119: 105, "Your word is a lamp to
my feet and a light for my path."
Point 3. God's Word will guard you. Psalm 119:9-11,33-37,
43-48, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according
to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me
stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you…Teach me, O Lord, to
follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give
me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with
all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for
there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and
not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless
things; preserve my life according to your word…Do not
snatch the word of truth from my mouth, for I have put my
hope in your laws. I will always obey your law, for ever and
ever. I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out
your precepts. I will speak of your statutes before kings
and will not be put to shame, for I delight in your commands
because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands,
which I love, and I meditate on your decrees." Wow! Read the
whole psalm. Then you will come to realize why God promised
that he would place king David as resurrected immortal king
over the twelve tribes of Israel upon the return of Jesus
to set up the kingdom of God on earth! Even the twelve apostles,
promised to rule each over one tribe apiece, will have David
as their immediate king over them. Is it any wonder? A whole
book of the Bible is devoted to the precepts of God. Let's
take a short look at it. Proverbs 6:20-29, 32-35. "My son,
keep your father's commands and do not forsake your mother's
teaching. Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around
your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep,
they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak
to you. For these commands are a lamp, this teaching is a
light, and the corrections of discipline are the way to life,
keeping your from the immoral woman, from the smooth tongue
of the wayward wife. Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute
reduces you to a loaf of bread, and the adulteress preys upon
your very life. Can a man scoop fire into his lap without
his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without
his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another
man's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished…But
a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so
destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his
shame will never be wiped away; for jealousy arouses a husband's
fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He
will not accept the bribe, however great it is."
The Word of God is another big part of revival. Hebrews 11:3,
"By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God's
command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was
visible." God is invisible, but he's there. He's a consuming
fire. Satan our enemy and his host of demons are there also.
They are also invisible. We are at war with a powerful invisible
enemy. Our ammunition is the Word of God. The sword of the
Spirit is the Word of God. Jesus is the active living Word
of God, the Logos (read John 1:1-11). Jesus gave us an example
of how the sword of the Spirit is to be used in Matthew 4:1-11.
No matter what weapon analogy you chose to use, let's pick
up our weapons, our ammo clips, and let's fight!
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