Sword of the Spirit- Part 1: Our Weapon

This is our second to last post in our study of the armor of God. We have been studying each piece of the armor so that we can be intentional about guarding and strengthening our faith. Trials have a way of exhausting us mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We need to be prepared beforehand if we want to come out of them with more. If we can learn to put our armor on before trials, we will come out of them with a stronger faith.

      We’ve studied the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, footwear of readiness, shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation. In Ephesians 6:17 (NIV), Paul gives us the last piece of armor. He says, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” This verse reveals two important facts about the last piece. First, it tells us that the last piece of armor is a weapon. Second, it informs us that we have an ally in battle. In this post we will go over the first point.

      The sword is the only weapon Paul mentions in the armor of God. In the hands of a skilled warrior, the sword can be used defensively and offensively. We can use the sword to both protect ourselves and to attack the enemy. Our sword is God’s Word. I believe that applies to the Bible and to words God speaks to us. I am cautious about saying the last part, however, because there are times we think we hear something from God that isn’t from Him at all. There are also times that other people claim to have heard a message from God that wasn’t from Him. Unfortunately, some people intentionally make things up in order to manipulate or deceive others. We need to test the words we or others say they have heard from God by putting them up against what is in the Bible (just like the Berean Jews mentioned in Acts 17:11 did). God will not contradict Himself. If the word doesn’t line up with what is in the Bible or Who God says He is, then I would question whether God actually spoke that word. 

      It is sad that many Christians don’t read the Bible. It is such an essential part of our walk, yet is severely undervalued. Many Christians do not understand the power it has. The fact that Paul designated this as our weapon doesn’t surprise me. I have experienced just how important it is to know the Word during my toughest battles. It has saved me during trials. When I begin focusing on the pain, it points me back to the hope I have. When I begin to question God’s love or character, it reminds me of what is true. When lies begin to flood my mind, His truth anchors me.

      How do we take up our sword? In Psalm 119:11 the psalmist declares, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” When we are in a battle, we get tempted to turn away from God and disobey His Word. Because we are attacked in every way during trials, it can be difficult to cling to God. In fact, we can become angry at Him or others, become desperate, or feel empty. This can all cause us to take matters into our own hands and self-soothe. Think of the Israelites in the desert after being led out of Egypt. God was with them, but their circumstances and the battle to remain faithful proved to be too much for them. Their faith wavered, they tried creating their own god (Exodus 32), and even planned to rebel against the Lord (Numbers 14).

‭‭      The Israelites knew God’s Word and were constantly being reminded of it, yet simply knowing His Word isn’t enough. They still sinned in the desert. While knowing the Word is very important, in order to hide it in our heart, we need to take it a step further. James tells us how to do this. In James 1:22 he wrote, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Listening to (or reading) the Word isn’t enough. It can lead to memorization, but not the practice of obedience. Obedience only comes when we act on what we hear. We need to act on what we know in order to maintain our faith and remain faithful. You treasure what you devote yourself to. You commit to it. 

      It is the combination of knowing and doing that allows us to wield our sword. Knowing allows us to defend ourselves in battle against the enemy. He often attacks the mind and our faith. When we know the Word, we can strengthen ourselves with its truth. We are able to know what is real and know God more intimately. Merely defending ourselves, however, gets exhausting. Imagine, you are running low on strength and energy, but the enemy is relentless. He keeps throwing attacks your way. Being able to put up a strong defense is important, but it doesn’t end the battle more quickly. Your energy is depleting, but the enemy can see that so he keeps attacking. That is why we need to learn to attack as well. 

      Living obediently is how we can attack the enemy. Whenever we align ourselves with God and His plan, it ruins the enemy’s plan. The story of Job taught us something important about the way Satan thinks. He believes that everyone is willing to turn from God for a price. The devil is confident of this and is looking for every way to make it happen. We saw it in the temptation of Jesus as well (Matthew 4:1-11). However, just like Jesus, when we stand our ground and push forward, it pushes back the enemy so that he does not gain new territory. If we aren’t pushing forward, it makes it easier for the enemy to push us back as he attacks. That doesn’t just pose a threat to us, but to others as well.

      Think of all that happens when one Christian turns away from God. Other people begin to be discouraged in their faith. Some even walk away also. Those who considered following God may have their reason for not doing so reaffirmed. It threatens the victories that were won for the Kingdom. It doesn’t mean God won’t be victorious in the end, but God desires for people to be saved and it takes out some of those people. This is why it is so important to guard our faith and testimony.

      We need to carry our weapon into battle with us if we want to come out victoriously. God has given us what we need in order to maintain our faith in Him. As we delve deeper into His Word and do what it says, we will develop a faith that endures trials. It will be more difficult for the enemy to turn us away from the Lord. It is easier to make someone question what they have merely read or heard than it is to make them question what they have lived through. Many Christians have been able to maintain their faith during their worst trials because they clung to the Truth they had already experienced. It wasn’t something they allowed themselves to forget or let go of. We can do the same. It is difficult, but the beautiful part in all this is that we aren’t alone. God gave us the Holy Spirit as our ally in battle. In the next post, we will talk more about this.