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THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT By
Pastor W. Reynold Storr Ephesians: 6:17: And take the helmet of salvation,
and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: The first five weapons are defensive. The sword of the spirit is offensive. God will never commit a Christian to battle without giving him a weapon of self-defense. The Christian needs to defend himself actively, not simply to bear the blows of the enemy. At times he need to ward off those blows and keep the enemy at a distance, but he sometimes need a weapon of offense to strike back. The Christian soldier must carry a sword in his hand, and that is exactly what God gives him. Earlier in this study we learned that the word of God is a weapon of defense- the belt of truth. It is also our weapon of offense for attack. By understanding the Roman sword, a Christian can understand the spiritual sword he is to use in spiritual warfare. The Roman sword was anything from a six-inch dagger to an eighteen-inch sword. It was placed in a sheath and carried on his side and was used in hand-to-hand combat. No doubt the double-edged Roman sword appeared to Paul to be a fierce and formidable weapon. But how much sharper is the word of God than weapons of men and demons. The Sword Of The Spirit The weapons God has provided for the Christians is the sword of the spirit. Paul told the Corinthians that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual. We are fighting “against spiritual wickedness” we have a spiritual sword to use. The sword here is not the Spirit himself, but it is what he gives. Our sword is spiritual because the Holy Spirit gives it to us. It is the word spoken by the Holy Spirit as he brings alive the words from the printed page.
1 Corinthians: 2:14: But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. No unbeliever has the ability to understand the
things of God. A believer can understand what the Bible means and says
because the Holy Spirit who dwells in us makes the word of God come alive.
All Christians have available “ \the sword of the Spirit” and need
to know how to use it. Learning how to use it is dependent on how
diligently we get involved in studying the word of God. Make studying
the word a Priority. When the Christian warrior is thoroughly acquainted with the word and has acquired skill and ability in its use, he can ward off every attack of the enemy. If the Christian is to be skilled in anything, it is to be in using God’s word. 2nd Timothy: 2:15: study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Using the sword of the spirit is more than tossing Bible verses at opponents, which we often do. We are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against spiritual powers which means the word of God must be used to pierce “ even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrows” in order to be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4: 12 Understanding The Word: Logos And Rhema Logos John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the
Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. These two scripture verses is a reference to the Lord
Jesus Christ, God’s last word to man. Logos is also used to
describe the revelation of God, which we have in the Bible. Every word in
all sixty-six books, in its totality is the logos of God. Logos
refers to the Bible as a whole. Rhema
Rhema refers to a specific statement or utterance; the sword of the spirit is not the logos (the word as a whole), but the rhema (the individual text or saying of the word) that is applicable to each particular situation. The text does not read, “take the sword of the spirit which is the logos of God, “ but take the sword of the spirit, which is the rhema of God. In fact” There is a rhema for every circumstance. Specific sayings that we take from the Bible become the sword of the spirit. Literally, rhema is the saying or sayings, of God contained in the armory-which is the Bible and we apply them to different situations. As we study the word of God, the Holy Spirit opens up a particular saying –which then becomes the rhema. This is not to say that the Bible is not the word of God until a rhema is identified. The Bible is always the word of God, whether we read it or not, that will never change. From the word of God come the sayings that become the sword for us to use. Romans: 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Just reading the Bible, will not produce faith, but as you read the Bible, the Holy Spirit brings alive a saying which strengthens faith. As application is made to a need, faith grows. Just having a Bible is not enough for the battle. We must know the word. We are not fit to fight until we know where the swords are. When a believer uses the sword of the spirit, the enemy is defeated and the battle is won. A material sword pierces the body; the spiritual sword pierces the heart. The material sword becomes dull by use; the spiritual sword becomes sharper as it is used. The physical sword wounds to hurt; the spiritual sword pierces to heal. The physical sword demands the hand of the one who uses it; the spiritual sword, which is the word of God, does not need anything, but carries its own power. There are five things a believer must learn to do with the sword of the spirit if he is going to be used in the work of God. Hear, Read, Study, Memorize, and Meditate. By beginning with the little finger and ending with the thumb, one can use a hand to keep the five things in mind. The key is meditation-which means talking to yourself, muse, consider. Unless there is a commitment to the word of God, one will never get a grip on the word, neither will he be able to see things from God’s point of view. The sword of the spirit is essential for the victory in this spiritual warfare.
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