Blade Of The Spirit Series

Pastor Allan Kircher

Shell Point Baptist Church

8 June 2014

Ephesians 6:17

THE BLADE OF THE SPIRIT

Intro: Today, we will consider the final piece of the “the whole armor of God.”

• Our enemy, “the devil,” does not want us to have anything that we have been given by God

• everything in His power/take away those blessings from us

• there/some things/devil can’t take away

• He will attempt to nullify/blessings/God he cannot steal!

Today, we will consider the final piece of that armor

• Blade Of The Spirit

• Told/Blade of the Spirit is “the Word of God.”

Let’s examine last piece armor and discover how “the Word of God” can empower us/enable us/overcome our enemy the devil.

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THE IDENTITY OF THE BLADE - two words used “sword” in/NT

• Rhomphaia - (hrom-fah´-yah)

• word speaks of a long, broad sword

• image that come to mind when we think of a sword

• Tend to picture a sword/being long, broad/double-edged. That is what this word refers to.

• used in hand to hand combat for slashing at ones enemy

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• Machaira - (makh’-ahee-rah)

• Refers/knife/short sword carried/Roman soldier

• six to eighteen inches

• hand to hand combat to stab the enemy

• typical strike would be in the abdominal area

• that day, abdominal wounds were nearly always fatal

• Sword/called “gladius” by the Romans.

Word Paul uses here in the second word

• He/thinking/short sword carried/every Roman foot soldier

• soldier’s principle weapon in hand to hand combat

• Always available and ready for use.

• kind of sword Peter used to cut off the ear of Malchus

• Servant of the high priest….

• Herod’s executioners used to martyr James, Acts 12:2.

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The sword Paul has in mind is not a physical sword.

• Paul identifies this “sword” as “the sword of the Spirit”

• Which is the word of God.

• “Sword” is a spiritual weapon used/believer in and out spiritual conflict with Satan.

• reminds us that the Bible is not a manmade book

• Bible is a spiritual book, came to us from Spirit of God.

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim. 3:16–17.

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I would remind you today/Bible in your hand is no ordinary book.

It:

• Is the Word of God.

• Is inspired by God.

• is infallible, and it is inerrant

• can be trusted

• Can be believed

• The very words of God.

In its pages we find:

• The truth of Who God is.

• The truth of who we are.

• The very mind of God.

• The identity of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

• The way to be saved

• The source of all faith.

• Help for every battle we face

• Hope for every road we travel

• Peace for the times of turmoil

• Joy to sustain us in times of sorrow.

• Wise answers for all the questions of life.

• Guidance and direction for all the paths we walk.

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The Bible is a book to be read, believed, loved, shared, enjoyed, and trusted.

• It is the Word of God!

• We must saturate our lives in its truths

• Soak in the glories it contains.

• No other book like it in the world

• Bible alone is a spiritual book

• Bible alone is the Word of God.

So, when Paul speaks about the “sword of the Spirit,” he is referring to God’s Word.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BLADE

Just/short sword was essential to the work of the Roman soldier, the Word of God is essential to the Christian soldier.

• Word our text we need to look at for a moment

• Word “word” in v. 17, Greek word “rhema.”

• Word literally means “an utterance.”

Other places/New Testament/four Greek words are translated “word” in our English Bibles.

• Two of those words are used most often

• One is the word “logos”/other /word “rhema”.

• Let’s examine those words for a moment.

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Logos/word refers to something said

• Refers/thought behind the words

• often used to speak about the entirety of the Word of God

• “Logos” totality of the Word of God.

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Rhema/word refers to “an utterance.”

• When used/Word of God/doesn’t speak whole Word/God

• Speaks/smaller sections/individual words.

• When Paul uses the word “word” in v. 17

• Speaking of “rhema” in the word he uses

• not referring/whole Bible/individual “words”, if you will.

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Let me illustrate this truth

• Jesus/wilderness/faced Satan’s temptations, Matt. 4:1-11

• Jesus responded/every attack/devil by quoting Scripture

In Matt. 4:4, Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word comes from the mouth of God