The Sword of the Spirit

Sword of the Spirit

What is being talked about here is a revelation God has given of himself, or what he is called the Holy Scriptures. This is called by Paul the Sword of the Spirit, because it comes from the Holy Spirit, and it receives its fulfillment in the soul through the operation of the Holy Spirit.

The Word

The ability to quote scripture at the proper occasions, and especially in times of temptation and trial, has a wonderful tendency to cut into pieces the snares of the devil.

The Word of God here means the rhema Word and refers to the preached Word or an utterance of God spoken by the Holy Spirit into the heart. Believers need this Word from the Spirit to combat the enemy’s assault, much as Christ did three times when tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Christ's use of the Word, “It is Written…” during His temptation is our pattern as to how we are to wield it against Satan.

Offensive Weapon

This is the only offensive weapon mentioned and it refers to the short swords used in close combat by the Romans. The sharp, short swords were one of Rome’s great military innovations. The Roman army was called the “short swords” because of its use in winning battles. The double edges made it ideal for “cut and thrust” strategy.

The swords were used both to protect, to fight off and to slay the enemy. The sign of the Christian soldier is his use of the Word of God. By living in the Scriptures, he protects himself from the onslaught of the enemy; and he fights and wins battle after battle, day after day. Remember: Jesus Christ Himself overcame the onslaught of the devil by using Scripture. The written Word is the one weapon that assures victory for the Christian soldier, for the Word of God is living and active.

There are many Scriptures to seal in our hearts listed on this web site, especially at these links:
It is Written....
Scriptures on Prayer

The Spirit Gives the Word

The Spirit makes the Word of God effective as we speak it and receive it. The Spirit gives the Word its penetrating power and sharp edge. Jesus’ use of God’s Word in His temptation prompts our use of it against Satan. With the Holy Spirit within, believers have the constant reminder of God’s Word to use against Satan’s temptations. When the enemy, the tempter, tries to tempt us to do evil, we have the power to send him away with the Word of God. The Spirit will bring the words to mind.

Lessons to Learn

It is only through the Word of God that Satan and his demons can be met so there are several things we must learn:

1. That we should study the Bible so that we may understand what the truth is.
2. We should have texts of Scripture at our command, as the Savior did, to meet the various forms of temptation.
3. We should not depend on our own reason, or rely on our own wisdom. Satan is smart and can reason very well, but he cannot resist a direct and positive command of the Almighty.
4. We may see the importance of training up the young in the accurate study of the Bible. There is nothing which will furnish a better security to them in future life, when temptation comes upon them, than to have a pertinent text of Scripture at their command.

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