The Power of HISword
Ephesians 6:13-17 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Intro: Several Bible scholars and teachers have pointed out that all of the armor listed up to this point in Ephesians 6 has been defensive in nature. However, when you get to the sword of the Spirit, you find a weapon that is both defensive and offensive. A sword is used not only to defend but to attack.
-Roman soldiers sometimes used a long sword (4-ft. long) called a gladius, but it was so awkward and heavy that it was not effective in close combat. So they also had a short sword called a makaira that was 20-24 inches long. This is the one Paul refers to in v.17. It was much easier to handle and when one was trained properly with it, it was deadly to an enemy in close combat.
-So, what did that mean to the Christ followers to whom Paul was writing? Take the short, deadly, double-edged sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Were they supposed to go on the warpath and storm the gates of hell? Was Paul telling them to go looking for some demons to fight? Were they supposed to engage in a physical fight, as Constantine and the later crusaders did?
-We will attempt to bring some clarity to all this as we look at some thoughts about the sword of the Spirit.
-In a few words, here is the main truth of the message today:
Prop: As the word of God changes us, we can in turn use it to change the world around us.
TS: Let’s break down a few thoughts about swords and words.
I. What is the Sword of the Spirit?
-English author Edward Bulwer-Lytton said that the pen is mightier than the sword. Well, the Apostle Paul’s writings attest to that, but he actually combined the image of a sword with the power of words to show how great God’s words are. Paul wrote in v.17 that the sword of the Spirit is the word of God. Immediately, most of us think of our Bibles. In fact, we refer to our Bibles as swords. Have you ever had a sword drill? It’s an old Sunday School favorite game where you see who can turn to a particular verse in the Bible the fastest.
-Well, I must tell you that the sword of the Spirit isn’t your Bible. Your Bible can’t do anything for you. Your Bible is only the scabbard. The sword is what is inside. Phillip Brooks wrote: “The Bible is like a telescope. If a man looks through his telescope he sees worlds beyond; but if he looks at his telescope, he does not see anything but that. The Bible is a thing to be looked through to see that which is beyond; but most people only look at it and so they see only the dead letter.”
-But the sword of the Spirit gets even more specific than that. Paul uses the Greek term rhema translated as word. Rhema is the spoken word, a specific revelation of God. Paul is not writing here about the Bible in general, but about specific statements and principles that are contained in the Scriptures. When we consider that the sword was used in close hand-to-hand combat, and that it refers to a specific spoken revelation of God, we get a better sense of where Paul is going with this. The sword of the Spirit involves applying specific Biblical principles to specific circumstances in my life. Using the right word from God at the right time as the Holy Spirit inspires us to do so is what it means to take up the sword of the Spirit.
-We don’t use the Bible like a broadsword, swinging at anything and everything. Instead, we are to use it with surgical-like precision, finding specific portions of Scripture that apply to the skirmish we are in.
-This is what Jesus did when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Let’s look at it in Matthew 4 as we dig deeper into how we use our sword.
II. How do we use the Sword of the Spirit?
-In Matthew 4, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, where He was tempted by Satan. After He had fasted and prayed for 40 days, Satan came to Him with his lies and lures. Satan attacks. “Turn this stone into bread.” Jesus did not need to follow the devil’s word and satisfy His hunger. So He counters with the sword of the Spirit. “It is written, ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word (rhema) that comes from the mouth of God.’”
-Satan attacks again and attempts to use the sword of the Spirit. “If you are the Son of God, 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 your hands, so that you won’t strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus defends with the sword of the Spirit.
“It is written: do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
-Satan attacks a third time. “I will give you all the kingdoms and splendor of this world if you worship me.” Jesus defends with the sword of the Spirit. “It is written, Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”
-Jesus defended himself against 3 attacks from the devil. The devil even tried to use God’s word against Jesus, but anyone who receives God’s word, and studies it filling their mind and heart with it can overcome the traps of the devil.
-So how should we use the sword of the Spirit? Read it, contemplate it (meditate, ruminate), practice with it, unsheathe it, advance with it, speak it, pray it, declare it. And remember where you got it! It is the sword of the Spirit.
-It’s not enough to just have God’s Word. Anyone can access God’s words and read and even study them. But those who are followers of Christ have a resource that others don’t have – God’s Holy Spirit. The word of God is called the sword of the Spirit not just because the Holy Spirit has provided it, but also because he makes it come alive to us and equips us to use it in the right way at the right time.
-God is always speaking to us through His Holy Spirit, and we need to develop a habit of listening and responding. Jesus told His followers about the Holy Spirit’s work in speaking and reminding them of the rhema word. John 14:26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
-In order to use spiritual weapons we must be people of the Spirit who rely on God to give us the right word at the right time for the right situation. God the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth, convince us of righteousness, make us alive in Christ when we call of God in repentance, help us overcome our doubts and small faith, and bring the appropriate word from God to our minds just when we need it. Sometimes that word will be for us personally, but often He will give us a word for someone else.
-Let’s talk about that for a few minutes in this final point.
III. Who do we target with the Sword of the Spirit?
-Since we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, as v.12 says, we mean no harm to any other human being. However, that does not mean that we cannot use the sword of the Spirit on their behalf. We are not fighting against other people, we are fighting for them!
-As the Holy Spirit brings the rhema word to our minds in any given situation, we can speak that word out boldly. If that word is for us, we will be encouraged and strengthened by it as we allow it to do what God intended by speaking it. If it is for another believer, we can speak it to them in love and grace. Remember, we are not assaulting them with our sword, we are fighting on their side. As you use the sword of the Spirit, always remember the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.
-The same approach should be taken when we speak God’s word on behalf of someone who does not yet know Him. If someone does not believe the Bible and has no use for God, they are not our enemy. We are not trying to stab them with the sword of the Spirit. We do, however, want God’s truth to penetrate their hearts, bringing life and hope and peace. At the same time, the enemy is trying to confuse and harden them so they will not receive the light of God’s word. Remember, the sword of the Spirit is a short sword, meant to be used up close and personal. When a soldier of Christ has the other armor in place, he or she should take the sword of the Spirit and use it on behalf of those who have not yet received the good news about Jesus.
-So the timely word of God serves to remind us the truth about God and about ourselves. It serves to reveal God and His gracious nature to those who need to respond to Him. And it serves to put the enemy on the run. James 4:7 says, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
-God’s words ring strong and powerful against our unseen enemy, and against all who align themselves with him. We don’t have to target flesh and blood people. God’s words are powerful in and of themselves to accomplish His purposes. We must faithfully speak what He puts on our heart for each occasion. We must also keep the word in us so the Spirit has something to work with.
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly….
Conclusion: Paul urges his readers to proclaim specific portions of God’s word that will help others deal with the particular situations they are facing in their lives. When we proclaim God’s word to your family and help them apply it to situations they are facing, or you share it with a friend who is facing something difficult, or when you talk to someone here at our church and help them see how the Bible applies to their lives, you’re penetrating Satan’s dominion and using the sword of the Spirit to make a difference.
-I came across this illustration that helps us bring these thoughts together and shows the importance of the sword of the Spirit:
As I looked out into the garden one day, I saw three things.
First, I saw a butterfly. The butterfly was beautiful, and it would alight on a flower and then it would flutter to another flower and then to another, and only for a second or two it would sit and it would move on. It would touch as many lovely blossoms as it could, but derived absolutely no benefit from it.
Then I watched a little longer out my window and there came a botanist. And the botanist had a big notebook under his arm and a great big magnifying glass. The botanist would lean over a certain flower and he would look for a long time and then he would write notes in his notebook. He was there for hours writing notes, closed them, stuck them under his arm, tucked his magnifying glass in his pocket and walked away.
The third thing I noticed was a bee, just a little bee. But the bee would light on a flower and it would sink down deep into the flower and it would extract all the nectar and pollen that it could carry. It went in empty every time and came out full. (H.P. Barker)
So it is with people who approach God’s words. There are those who just flutter from lovely sermon to lovely sermon, from class to class or book to book, fluttering here, fluttering there, bringing nothing and gaining nothing but a nice feeling. Then there are spiritual botanists who take copious notes and study the Greek and Hebrew grammar but they don’t have the capacity to draw anything out of the flowers - it is purely an academic exercise. Then there are the spiritual bees who draw out of every precious flower all that is there to make the honey that equips them to stand firm against the devil and his schemes. Which one are you? [adapted from Pat Damiani, sermoncentral.com]
-Are you sinking down deep into God’s word and coming out full? If it seems like you are lacking substance in your relationship with God, maybe you need to fill up on His word more. And then, as the need arises, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind something that you’ve read, memorized, or studied, and you can speak it into your life, or into the lives of others. When they are God’s timely words, they make all the difference in this world!
-What do you need today? God has a timely word for you! Maybe you’ve already heard it and received it today. Maybe you need to go home and get into His word so His word can get into you. Ask God what your next action step should be. Ask Him to change you and make you the person He has chosen you to be. If you would like to talk to someone or be prayed for, please let me or one of your other friends here know. God cares about you and has something to say to you today.
