GEARING UP FOR WAR - The Sword of God
October 16, 2022
Ephesians 6:10-17
Introduction:
My Aunt Mae was a special adult…she was born with some unique challenges in life that kept her very child-like…the oldest of 4 sisters, my mom Mary Ann was second oldest…
Aunt Mae was one of my best friends growing up…she took me to see every Walt Disney movie made before and during my childhood. Mom would take us down to The Strand or The Kentucky downtown and we would witness…Mary Poppins, Old Yeller, The Song of the South, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, with child-like wonder.
But my favorite Disney movie by a mile was “The Sword in the Stone.” Aunt Mae and I must have gone to see it 5 times…
Here’s how it was promoted by the studio…
Humor, spectacle and magic rule in Walt Disney’s legendary classic tale The Sword in the Stone!
SHOW PIC (The Sword in the Stone)
Embark on an adventure-filled quest for an unlikely hero! According to legend, only someone with honor, decency and inner strength can claim the throne of England - by pulling out the enchanted sword that lies locked in a massive stone. Many brave knights have tried, so it seems impossible that a young apprentice known as Wart could succeed. But with the guidance of the wizard Merlin, help from some hilarious friends and true strength of character, Wart just might become England’s greatest king.
Wart became King Arthur…The Legendary king of England who withdrew “Excalibur” from the sacred stone.
SHOW PIC (Excalibur sword)
This weapon brought extraordinary power to the one who wielded it.
I always wondered if Sir Thomas Mallory who first wrote about this sacred sword in 1469, thought about the “Sword of God” when he put quill to paper.
The Roman Soldiers’ sword was called “The Gladius.”
SHOW PIC (Gladius sword)
It was a medium short length sword, and it was sharp on both sides. It was designed for close combat to slice and cut. The Gladius worked in union with the soldier’s shield…The shield protected…the sword was an offensive weapon.
It’s no wonder that the Apostle Paul links the sword with the Spirit of God…and God’s Word.
He boldly says, “Take the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.” (v. 17)
The writer to the Hebrews gives us a very clear understanding of this weapon’s purpose in Spiritual warfare…
HEBREWS 4:12-13
I. WHEN THIS SWORD IS UNSHEATHED IT CUTS DEEPLY
“The Word of God is alive and active.”
Satan’s not very afraid of a Bible left unopened on our coffee table, or only unsheathed on Sunday mornings.
A sword left in its sheath in the midst of battle does no good at all.
And once again I’d remind you that we are talking about spiritual warfare…not a physical or earthly flesh and blood battle. “This struggle isn’t against (flesh & blood) people…it’s against the authorities, the rulers, against the powers of this dark world…It’s a war against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (v. 12)
That’s exactly why it’s important for us to know where the power of this sword comes from…it’s not a sword of iron or steel…It’s the sword of the spirit…It’s the Word of God…it doesn’t cut open the flesh…it cuts open the heart.
[As I was writing this sermon I looked in front of me on my desk and this is what I saw…
SHOW PIC OF GRENADE
It’s a hand grenade…I got it at Fort Knox’s PX when we took Tyler to Basic…It says, “Complaint Dept…take a number.” It has the No. 1 attached to the pin. And this thought dawned on me…“What good is a grenade if you don’t pull the pin before you throw it at the enemy?” It becomes a metal rock…the power is on the inside. If you want a “dynamite” explosion to kill the enemy you’d better prepare…pull the pin and throw it. The power is on the inside of the weapon…not the soldier who throws it…although he’s trained to throw it correctly.]
It’s exactly why the Apostle Paul says in Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes…For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed - a righteousness that is by faith from first to last.”
The word Paul uses for “Power” here is dunamis.” We get the word “dynamite” from this Greek Word.
“All of scripture is God breathed.” Paul tells Timothy (2 Tim. 3:16), and it’s useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
But never ever forget…All God breathed scripture points to Jesus…He is the scarlet thread that connects the Word of God…The Holy Spirit has been left here on earth by Jesus to point people to Him. The pin is to be pulled by faith…the Holy Spirit lights the fuse…and the Gospel can explode with good news in people’s heart…
The sword is to be wielded by Christians in the world, not to hurt or kill another person, but to cut Satan down…and open someone’s heart to the message of Christ…But far too may study the sword and never remove it from the sheath…they learn all about it…but never take it out into the battlefield.
Soldiers who never ever graduate from basic training and do what soldiers are trained to do…are not soldiers. Basic training lasts 9 weeks, not 30 years.
Something horrible happens when we never use the word of God in the power of the Holy Spirit…James gives us a clear picture OF what happens to people who do this:
JAMES 1:22-27
Scripture that never moves us to live like Jesus becomes information. It fills our heads, but not our hearts. It doesn’t make us look inward…it makes us feel “religious.” It affects our tongues as we spout knowledge…
It makes us religious…and it’s worthless because it never moves us to love people who need us…our hearts become polluted with judgement…not filled with “dynamite” power. We end up throwing metal rocks instead of devastating the Evil One’s kingdom. We end up with a shiny sword in its scabbard, not a weapon that “penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; judging the thoughts and attitude of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
So what happens when we fight the Evil One with this Sword of God?
II. PEOPLE ARE BROUGHT TO LIFE INSTEAD OF KILLED ON THE BATTLEFIELD
Jesus is truly an enigma! He says “You have to die to live…You must give to get…You must be a servant to be great.”
His message is the exact opposite of the god of this world…who says, “Live for yourself today…Don’t worry about tomorrow…Get all you can and hold on to it…Make yourself powerful…Demand that people serve you!”
Listen to our battlefield commander:
MARK 8:34-9:1
The key to this challenge is about what we give up our lives for…Do we want the whole world…or will we lose our lives for Jesus and the gospel so He can save it?
Satan schemes and presents the desires of this world in a continuous attack on our souls…And Jesus says, “Come to me, all of you that are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28)
Jesus says “Choose me, and I will give you life to the fullest.” Satan says, “Seek to establish your own kingdom and you will win.”
Jesus says, “Seek first my kingdom and my righteousness and I’ll take care of all the rest.”
Jesus’ message is clear…“Follow me and confess your allegiance to me in this world and I will stand in righteousness for you when I return…”
He even tells the 12 and others… “You’re going to see my Kingdom…you’ll be alive when the Holy Spirit comes in power.”
Jesus is the Gospel…the message that sin is defeated…death is conquered…eternal life is His gift…and that life doesn’t begin when He returns…it begins the moment we are born again and filled with His Spirit…the power of God’s Word, along with the influence of the Holy Spirit, explodes with this truth!
This power is found in Acts Chapter 2 as Peter has shared the Word of God in the heart cutting power of God’s Spirit.
ACTS 2:36-39
This power is found in Acts 9 after Saul of Tarsus has encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus and is struck blind…a man named Ananias is sent by God to share the message.
ACTS 9:13-19
But I can personally tell you this power of life from death was found in a little apartment by Champs Roller Rink as Brewster shared the message of the gospel with a rebellious pothead in an old Army Jacket who had been invited there by a girl named Becky…Brewster and Becky pulled the pin…unsheathed the sword of God…but the explosion in my soul…and the deep cutting of my spiritual heart came from a much higher power.
Peter, Ananias, Brewster, Becky, simply were on a battlefield of death with their message of life…and that message has one clear beautiful name…JESUS.
