The Armor of God-The Sword of the Spirit

August 3, 2023

The Armor of God-The Sword of the Spirit

What is the Armor of God?

Whether you want to believe it or not, we are fighting a spiritual battle against spiritual forces of evil daily! Regardless if you are a believer or a non-believer it doesn’t exempt you from the warfare. The Apostle Paul exposes exactly what kind of enemy we are facing when he states, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,” Ephesians 6:12. We are fighting an opponent that we cannot see with the naked eye.

Our battle is against a very militant and highly organized demonic kingdom led by Satan himself. He is a very powerful adversary and in our own power we are no match for him. In the spiritual realm there are two kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of darkness. They are consistently at odds with each other but they both have the same goal in mind, to win your soul.

The Lord’s Kingdom promises us eternal life with Him in heaven and life on Earth in abundance, John 10:10. The kingdom of darkness promises us eternal damnation and in complete separation from God. The enemy will make you think that you don’t have to live your daily life fully surrendered to Christ. He wants you to think that it is okay to live for Jesus and live in sin. That is one of his ultimate schemes. His mission is to take as many people to hell with him as he can.

Our problem is that we don’t take the time to learn our adversary or understand his spiritual and physical attacks. Life is completely spiritual and the first step to understanding the spiritual realm is acknowledging that it exists in the first place. One of the greatest deceptions that the devil uses over and over again on Christians is making us think that he isn’t real. If you don’t know that you are fighting a real and potent enemy, you’ve already lost the battle.

That is why the Apostle Paul makes it clear on the importance of putting on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:13-17 lists all six pieces of armor when Paul states, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Even though Paul is describing physical armor he is referring to spiritual armor which is our spiritual weapons.

We can never forget that spiritual warfare is an everyday reality and we are fighting the schemes of the devil daily. Just like any warrior going into combat, they need special attire so that they can be fully protected from the fiery darts of the enemy. God is providing us with His Armor because He knows that it is the only way that we will be able to stand a chance against our adversary the devil.

Make no mistake about it, he is strong and powerful and within our own strength we are not resilient enough to overcome him. However, with the Lord’s Armor properly fitted without any cracks in it, Satan doesn’t stand a chance against us! The most important thing is to have a clear understanding of what every piece in the whole armor of God is and how to accurately put on and keep on each piece.

In this article I am going to go over the sixth piece of armor that Paul mentions in the book of Ephesians verse 6:17, the Sword of the Spirit.

The Sword of the Spirit

Roman soldiers in biblical times used their Roman sword to protect themselves both offensively and defensively. In order for them to know how to use it properly they had to go through extensive training just like a soldier in the military would have to do now. The Apostle Paul mentions these different pieces of the armor of God in the physical sense so that we can understand the spiritual aspects of how these weapons work.

It is the same principle for warriors in the army of Christ when we are fighting against the spiritual forces of evil. Paul mentions the sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6:17 when he states, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” We can see here once again that Paul is advising up to “take” up the sword of the Spirit which means to take a hold of with your hand.

Your sword is both a defensive and offensive weapon against the devil’s schemes. It is not just armor but it is literally your two-edged sword that has the ability to pierce and penetrate when need be. As a Christian you are going to face spiritual battles it is inevitable. That is why putting on the whole armor of God is critical as a believer of Jesus Christ.

Let’s take a closer look at the root words used in this passage of Scripture pertaining to the sword of the Spirit. The word “sword” used in this verse is the Greek word “machaira” which means: a weapon of war used for war. We can conclude that this dominant weapon, when used properly, has the great power to defeat Satan’s attacks.

Another word that I want to highlight is the word “Spirit” or the Holy Spirit which is the Greek word “pneuma” which in this text means the third person of the triune God, the Holy Spirit. God’s Word and the Holy Spirit go hand in hand. God’s Spirit is the One that brings the Word of the Lord to our remembrance (John 14:26) as well as guides us into all truth (John 16:13).

The problem is that a lot of Christians don’t spend enough time in God’s Word to allow it to penetrate their hearts. So, when the devil and his demonic kingdom come to wreak havoc in your life your sword is not sharpened enough to fight with. Your double-edged sword needs to be razor-sharp at all times ready for battle. You cannot afford to be carrying around a dull sword.

Another word that I want to highlight out of this verse of Scripture is the word “word.” This is the Greek word “rhēma” which means a spoken word by God. God can speak to us in many different ways: a sermon that your Pastor is giving, a word given to you through another person, but God primarily speaks through His Word. Regardless of the rhema word that God is giving you at that time, God gives it to you for a specific situation.

We can never forget that the Word of the Lord is living and so we need to speak His Word into our situation. We need to speak God’s Word against the schemes of the devil. One thing that we need to understand is that the Scripture’s authority has never been questioned not even by the devil. That is because it holds absolute power.

Jesus Christ used the Lord’s Word as His only spiritual weapon against Satan’s attacks. Matthew 4:4 states, “But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Here we can see definitively that the Lord is combatting the tactics of the devil with the Word of God. If Jesus used the written Word of God against the enemy how much more do we need to?

One thing that we have to keep in mind is that Satan is very knowledgeable when it comes to the Holy Scriptures. What he will do is pervert and twist them to fit his narrative. For example Matthew 4:6 states, “and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

“He shall give His angels charge over you, and in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” The devil is attempting to use verses of Scripture against the Lord. That is why it is vital for us to study the Bible for ourselves so that we can have stored up arsenal at our disposal when we need to combat the enemy’s attacks the same way that Jesus did.

Let’s take a look at some verses of Scripture pertaining to the Sword of the Spirit:

Hebrews 4:12

“For 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 writer of Hebrews is plain when describing the potency of the Word of God. It is being defined as powerful, living, and sharp. It has the ability to determine the intentions of your heart. Having your sword as sharp as possible also means that you are allowing God’s truth to transform your mind. When you allow the Scriptures to lead your daily life, it strips the devil from using thoughts to infiltrate your heart.

Ephesians 5:18

“And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit plays such a powerful role when it comes to the sword of the Spirit; so much so that the Apostle Paul is advising us to be “filled” with the Spirit. The Lord’s Spirit is the One that is going to lead us and guide us into absolute truth which is the Word of God, John 16:13. He will bring to your remembrance the Holy Scriptures when you need them. The problem is that a lot of Christians don’t marinate on the Bible enough to allow it to saturate their heart. The Holy Spirit has no Scriptures to pull from to help you fight with. That is like having a gun with no bullets.

In order for your sword to be effective you have to know and understand the spoken Word of God. That is how the devil gets an upper-hand on us because he knows that most Christians are not going to know their Word enough to be effective carriers of their sword against a spiritual attack. I cannot stress to you enough the importance of reading your Bible, studying it, and applying it to your daily life.

Revelation 1:16

“He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength.”

This verse of Scripture is a description that John was shown on the island of Patmos of the Lord Jesus Christ. He saw a double-edge sword coming out of His mouth. This is another depiction of how the Word of God is used as a weapon. We can never forget the power of our words they can literally bring forth life or death. When you speak out the most potent language known to man (the Lord’s Word) you can expect results.

Conclusion

The fact of the matter is that we are going to face spiritual warfare and we need to know how to utilize our weaponry. Jesus used scripture to come against the devil every single time that He faced him. He always began His response with “it is written!” The choice of words that Jesus used is very foretelling. It allows us to have an insight of just how powerful the Word of God truly is!

In order for us to become effective with our sword we have to be willing to take the time to read and understand the Bible. The Holy Spirit will then bring the Lord’s Word to your remembrance when you need them. The more of God’s Word that we consume; the more arsenals that we will have reserved in our minds and hearts ready to use when we need them.

This makes it extremely challenging for the enemy to defeat and conquer us! Not only will your sword protect you from the lies, trickery, and deception that the devil attempts to entangle you with; but it will also help you attack back. The significant thing that you must remember is to keep your sword sharpened at all times, in and out of season!

Also, don’t forget to check out my other blogs:

The Armor of God-The Helmet of Salvation

The Armor of God-The Shield of Faith

The Armor of God-The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace

The Armor of God-The Belt of Truth

The Armor of God-The Breastplate of Righteousness

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Fight Back

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Feed Your Spirit

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Renouncing

Breaking Spiritual Strongholds-Confess and Repent

Recognizing Spiritual Strongholds

What are Spiritual Strongholds?