Series: The Armor Of God [#6]
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
Ephesians 6:17
Introduction:
Over the last several weeks, the subject of Spiritual Warfare has been a focus. We know that we are not supposed to take the fight to the Devil. We know that we are to put on the full armor of God and stand firm. My question to you is, “Are you putting on the full armor of God and standing firm”?
Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.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, 15and 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.
We are told that after we have put on the full armor of God that we are to stand firm. Then, the armor is explained 1 piece at a time. We have looked at the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the readiness of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. Tonight, we are going to study the 1 offensive weapon that we have- The sword of the Spirit.
1. The sword of the Spirit.
The sword is the most popular piece of armor. Many famous warriors named their swords- Warriors like King Arthur who named his sword Excalibur. I bring this up because famous warriors did not name their other pieces of armor. A soldier without a sword was just a heavily armored target.
The Roman gladius has become known as the sword that conquered the world. This was a very sharp and deadly sword. It was also a double-edged sword with a tapered point that could go through heavy metal armor. The sword was used for close combat.
Spiritually speaking, the sword of the Spirit is God’s Word. Jesus is the Word in the flesh. All Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is infallible, perfect.
2. The purpose of the sword of the Spirit.
The purpose of the sword was to cut through the enemy’s defenses. This sword cuts all the way to the bone and marrow. The sword of the Spirit will cut straight to the core of the matter and expose the truth. 1 edge of this sword represents the Law and the other edge represents the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The sword of the Spirit gives us victory.
3. The proper use of the sword of the Spirit.
We are to take up the sword of the Spirit. We have God’s Word and we should read it, study it, meditate on it, and live by it. “God’s Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” God’s Word is truth. It shows us who God is.
Conclusion:
Stand firm with the full armor of God, and watch what God is going to do.
