The Sword of the Spirit

The pieces of the armor of God that the apostle Paul lists in Ephesians 6 are almost all defensive in nature. They are designed to protect. Only one—the sword of the Spirit, the word of God—is intended as a weapon. Unfortunately, many believers never use it as one. They have the rest of their armor in place, but they keep their sword in its sheath.

They talk about it. They study it. They compare swords with others. But they never use it in spiritual battle. That pacifist approach plays right into the devil’s hands. He knows all too well the power and authority of the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word.

The author of Hebrews wrote, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Hebrews 4:12 NLT). God Himself said, “It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it” (Isaiah 55:11 NLT). The devil has no defense against the Word of God. That’s why he doesn’t want you to use this incredible weapon God has given you.

Remember how effectively Jesus used the sword of God’s Word to defend Himself when He faced spiritual attack in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1–11? Jesus was God. He didn’t have to stand around and deal with the devil. He could have gotten out of the situation very easily. Instead, He engaged the enemy and modeled for us the right way to fight temptation: with the Word of God.

When the devil tries to attack you with temptation, fear, or doubt, or when he brings up past sins you’ve already confessed and been forgiven of, remember the sword of the Spirit. Pull God’s Word out of its sheath and use it aggressively to defend yourself.

The more time you spend in God’s Word, the more formidable you’ll be in battle. You can hone your swordsmanship by studying God’s promises and committing them to memory. You might start with Hebrews 13:5: “For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you’” (NLT).

You can hone your skills further by studying your enemy’s battle tendencies throughout Scripture. Look at the way he approached Eve, the way he tried to devastate Job, and the way he tempted Jesus. The more you know about your enemy’s movements on the battlefield, the better you can prepare to defend against them.

Look at Paul’s words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth” (NLT). The person who can wield God’s Word with accuracy, understanding, authority, and humility is thoroughly equipped to do spiritual battle.

Reflection Question: How would you use God’s Word to protect yourself if the devil tried to attack you with doubt? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

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