The Armor Of God: The Sword Of The Spirit

Alba 8-13-2023

THE ARMOR OF GOD: THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

Ephesians 6:17

When our son, Kevin, was just a little boy, we had some videos and he loved watching the Disney animated movie, Robin Hood. He also liked the movie Ivanhoe, which was another swashbuckling film. As a result Kevin liked swords, and we bought several plastic swords for him.

I even made one that he still has today. It was made out of pressed wood (Here it is). It wouldn't cut much, but it would hurt if it hit you. In spite of that I don't think that he hit anyone with this sword.

The only swords in today’s military are ceremonial; they function as a symbol of command. It is common to see a saber on the wall of a commander’s office. Today’s military bayonet is a multi-purpose knife affixed to the muzzle of one’s rifle, a last-resort weapon in close quarter combat.

That best describes the sword that a Roman soldier would carry. The Roman Legion’s offensive weapon of choice for foot soldiers was a short, double-edged, straight sword for close combat, no more than 12 to 20 inches long.

Soldiers would lead with their shields and thrust with their swords. It was also the preferred weapon of gladiators. Using it effectively was a matter of life or death.

Ephesians 6:17 says that in addition to the shield of faith, we are also to take “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” In our battle with the devil, we see a need to be armed.

If we were to have every piece of armor we have talked about up to this point, we would be capable of withstanding the devil's attacks in our life. But God gives us more! He wants us to be able to send the devil running, not simply be able to withstand his attacks!

The Bible is our sword. It is a book unlike any other. What we have written in the pages of this Book are the very words of God. That is the reason it has power and is a weapon against evil. God literally wrote the whole thing. II Timothy 3:16 tells us that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” The NIV says it is, “God-breathed”.

Or as Jeff Strite says, actually you could say, God ghost wrote the thing. Do you know what ghost writing is? That’s when a celebrity pays a good writer to write a book in their name. The book is named for the celebrity, but the book was actually written by the ghost writer.

Jesus had said to His apostles in John 16:13 “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.”

And Peter 1:21 tells us that, “prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

Did you get that? The Holy Ghost (Spirit) was the “ghost writer” of the Scriptures. Isaiah may have had his name on his book, but it was the Spirit that carried him along.

Matthew may have written the Gospel, but it was the Spirit that ghost-wrote his book. Paul may have written letters to the churches, but it was the Spirit that dictated the words.

The sword of the Spirit, the Bible, has the power to transform us and remake us even better than before. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that “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.”

The sword of the Spirit will cut straight to the core of the matter and expose the truth. Like a sword that cuts and thrusts, the Bible is able to penetrate to the depths of our souls.

So the Bible is not a mere letter-opener. It is a soul opener. The Bible is intended to change our lives. It is unlike any other book, and our eternal destiny depends on it.

We need that sword because our enemy is real and powerful, and we need to be able to fight back when he attacks. However, we are not fully armed if we lack a basic knowledge of the Bible. A believer who is biblically illiterate is virtually unarmed.

Hebrews 5:12-13 says, “12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.” I hope that does not describe you!