The Sword Of The Spirit

-October 24, 2022-

Good morning, happy Monday,

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

(Ephesians 6:17).

God equips us to fight the good fight of faith by putting on the whole armor of God. Of all the pieces of the armor, the sword of the Spirit is our only offensive weapon. All the others are defensive: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation.

We are soldiers of the cross and must take our duties seriously. We can’t become complacent, lax, or negligent. Our spiritual warfare is real, our enemy the devil is powerful, and both exist in the spiritual, unseen world. We must be proficient in the Scriptures is order to be resistant to the attacks of the evil one.

The sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Paul was very knowledgeable of Roman soldiers in his day. The sword that they carried was relatively short and was used for hand to hand, man to man fighting. It was sharp and effective. It was just 18 inches long. They had longer ones, 6 to 8 feet which could be used, but in so doing the soldiers would have to utilize both hands which would preclude them from holding their shield at the same time, making them vulnerable to arrows, and spears. It was not only short but also very light and easy to use with one hand, freeing up the other for their shield.

The writer of Hebrews wrote, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). Thus, the sword of the Spirit is also an instrument that the Holy Spirit uses in our lives to expose us, convict us, challenge us, encourage us, and comfort us.

The more we read, study, and meditate on the Word of God, the more proficient we become in using it. The key is to obey and apply the Word to our lives daily. It is more important to practice it than to just have head knowledge of it. When we quote it to others, the Holy Spirit uses it in a powerful way; and when we read to others, the Spirit speaks through it also. Paul uses the word “take,” which is means to have it at the ready at all times. We never know when a situation will arise to use it. The Roman soldier had it attached to his belt and it could be drawn quickly. It is great to have verses memorized, but if we don’t have particular verse memorized, we should at least know where it is found. Sometimes we have to tell a person that we will get to them with answer.

Thank God that He has given us the Bible. His truth comes in many versions, sizes, and shapes. In most cases, it is small enough to carry with us. We can even have it on our smart phones, computers, and tablets. May the Lord help us to be skillful in the Word and use it wisely.

Have a blessed day wielding the sword of the Spirit. Stay safe and healthy.

In rightly dividing the word of truth,

Dean