Armor Of God
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:11)
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
The sword of the spirit is the written word of God. The spirit of God will always respond to faith in the word of God that is demonstrated through our speech.
All the pieces of the armor come from God, but this piece in particular is God himself, the Holy Spirit. This is the only offensive weapon in the Armor of God because Satan is allergic to scripture.
In Spiritual warfare, God wants you to have Bible study with the devil. Jesus spoke the Word of God directly to Satan. After each temptation, he said, “It is written,” and proceeded to speak the Word of God to Satan. This is how you fight back against the enemy. You must use the Word of God. You cannot be silent in battle because the word rhema means utterance. The last time I checked, you cannot make a silent utterance. There is power in the Word of God, and there is great power when we speak the Word of God, so don’t be afraid to speak out what God has declared in his word. That’s what Jesus did. Every time you say, “it is written,” you declare the Word of God. Satan cannot stand up to this.
Ephesians 6:17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
By reading the bible, our sword of the spirit helps us speak truth and life over every situation.
“Jesus modeled this so beautifully during His temptation in the wilderness. When the devil tried temptation after temptation against Him, Jesus used the sword of the Spirit (see Luke 4:1-13).”
“For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edge sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
How Do We Use the Sword of the Spirit?
1. We Must Read the ‘Sword’ in Context
One of the worst ways to use your sword is to read it out of context or read into it your own cultural biases (this is known as eisegesis).
To properly wield this weapon, we must learn all we can about it, including the context of certain passages.
2. We Must Learn as Much as We Can about the Sword
How do we do this? We study the Sword daily. We read our Bibles and study commentaries and hear sermons preached on the word, so we can gain an understanding of Scripture.
1 Peter 3:15 calls us to be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have. But if we don’t have a solid knowledge of Scripture, we may not be able to give a proper explanation.
3. We Must Ask God to Reveal Himself through the Sword
As mentioned before, we won’t always have all the answers. But, when we’ve accepted God as Savior of our lives, his Holy Spirit reveals his character and his plan for our lives through Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:10-15).
By spending time with God in his Word every day, we learn more about him, and grow closer in relationship with him.
All in all, we must put on any piece of the armor through prayer and through regularly engaging with Scripture, including the sword of the Spirit.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, equip me with the sword of the Spirit today. May I be ready to give a reason for the hope that I have within me. Whenever the devil launches doubts or twists Scripture, help remind me about what your Word really, truly says. As I study your Word today, help me to bear in mind the original context of the passage, so as not to distort the meaning through my own cultural biases. Reveal to me the meaning of your Word and how it applies to my life today. Whether I fight an offensive or defensive battle today, don’t let me leave without the sword of the Spirit, which is your Word. Amen.
Scripture Reference
Luke 4:1-13 Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.” The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully. They will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
Matthew 4:3-4 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.