Ephesians 6:17
“And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
The sword is the only offensive weapon in the list of spiritual armor. Prayer might be the exception. The Word of God is so important. By it we know God’s great love for us, His plan of salvation, by it He guides us and so on.
Hebrews 4:12 tells us the Word is living and active. Jesus explains this in the parable of the sower. If our heart is right the implanted Word bears much fruit. What does that mean? It could be spiritual maturity, it includes more wisdom and understanding, it means getting closer to God, it means more joy, it means sharing our faith and causing others to get close to God.
Let’s bring this back into context and see how this relates to spiritual armor and battle. The ephesian passage speaks of the goal of standing firm. Our job isn’t advancement, but to stand. This means not falling back or losing our balance. We are to maintain our faith and peace.
How does the Word fit? The devil attacks with his flaming arrows. The shield of faith minimizes the damage. His arrows are doubts, temptations and fears. We use God’s Word to speak to whatever the attack was. Jesus did this with Satan when He was tempted in the wilderness. One temptation was to prove God’s greatness by diving off a building. The temptation was to feel jealous for God. Jesus’ response was to address that with scripture. ‘Jesus replied, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”’
To use the Word as a sword, one must know it. Jesus answered the three temptations with scripture. We are to go to church and hear sermons on it, we are to read it and listen to radio messages on it. We will never be as adept and knowledgable as Jesus. We are to do what we can in learning it.
John 14:26 shares a cool promise, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things and will bring to your remembrance all things that I have said to you”. The Holy Spirit helps us remember scripture when needed. It’s like He’s whispering answers when we are taking a test.
Here’s an example of how it works. Adam and Eve were tempted in the Garden. They saw that the food was good and could make them wise. A deeper temptation was to doubt that God had their best in mind. We are to recall a passage that tears down that temptation. Many would do. Simply knowing that God loves us. We might not understand the devil’s claims, but we do know that God loves us. We all want all we can get for ourselves. The doubt enters that an opportunity will pass us by. If it’s contrary to God’s will, we have to let it slide.
Reciting a scripture is a good idea. Romans 10:17 says, “Consequently, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Our faith grows and the doubt diminishes. It’s like slashing a sword.
We learn about God through His Word. We see that He is faithful, He doesn’t condemn, He gives us rest, He gives us peace. We learn about His will for us. If something makes us anxious, it’s usually not from Him. He gives us confidence that He there, His presence abides with us and so on. It gives us hope and wisdom.
Lord, thank You for Your Word. It builds our faith and gives us hope. Thank You.