Sword of the Spirit (Part VII)...

May 19, 2009

Danielle Joyner Kelley

“…SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD”

This is the sixth piece of armor you will have with you. You are to “take” the “sword of the spirit, which is the word of God”. “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17.

This is your weapon. Think back to the Roman solider. The sword to which the Apostle Paul is referring here is the short one used in hand-to-hand combat that could be pulled out at an instant. This is the weapon that allows you to strike quickly when you have found yourself in a sudden battle that you did not see coming.

In this scripture, Paul tells us that the sword is the “word of God”. The other pieces of armor are to protect you, but this one allows you to attack and fight back.

Remember this is a weapon. When you find a child playing with a knife, what do you do? You take it away. Ask yourself why you do that. You do it because they do not know how to use them properly and they could harm themselves.

Now remember that you are God’s child. He wants you to know how to use your sword. You can harm yourself with this weapon if you do not learn how to use it properly, even before you get to use it on your enemy. “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.” 2 Timothy 2:4-5.

Knowing that, what does God do? He sends you a trainer. When Jesus died, the Holy Spirit came to live in all of us as Christians. God makes sure you have a personal weapons trainer with you at all times so you will not get hurt, and you will know how to use your weapon accurately and effectively. “We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.” 1 John 4:13.

Even when you are fully trained, your trainer remains in you always and places the instruction manual for your weapon permanently in your mind and heart. You are never alone with your weapon just in case you forget how to use it. “If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him or knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” John 14:15-17.

Remember you can never separate your sword from the Holy Spirit. Otherwise you will forget how to use your weapon or you will use it in an improper manner. Either way you are harming your own self in battle. “For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:21.

Your armor is nowhere near complete without the power of the Holy Spirit. He is your trainer, and will keep you on course. His importance is paramount in your chances of succeeding in battle.

You have to know God’s word. When you are being trained how are you going to understand the language your trainer speaks if you do not? “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8.

You are to read it, know it, meditate on it, understand it, and hide it in your heart. “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11.

There is so much power in the word. This weapon has complete power and control even if the solider is not holding it. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.

His word is truth. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10-11.

His word affects every aspect of life in every possible way. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

How does your trainer train you to use your weapon?

1) He teaches and reminds. Jesus told His disciples, “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:25-26. After Jesus’ death and resurrection the Holy Spirit came to live in all of us. “Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16.

Frequently when talking to His disciples or giving sermons, Jesus would use parables. “With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.” Mark 4:33-34. A parable has been described as an earthly story with a spiritual truth. In our mind it would be more like an analogy. You describe one situation to shed light on another. For example, Jesus would talk about a mustard seed in a discussion about faith.

Jesus’ disciples wondered why He used parables. “The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.” Matthew 13:10-13.

He told them that He spoke in parables because even though people could see they really could not see, and even though they hear they do not “hear or understand”. Concentrate on that for a moment. When referring to the ears He stated that they could not only hear, but they could not understand.

Without the Holy Spirit, neither will you. That is why Jesus spoke in parables. It requires insight and truth to be revealed to understand what He was saying. The Holy Spirit was sent to you to provide that insight and truth.

Memorizing and quoting the Bible is not enough. You have to understand it. Remember that Satan used scripture to tempt Jesus in the desert. “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”. Luke 4:9-12.

The Devil quoted an accurate scripture from the Bible. However, Jesus did not jump from the temple. Instead, Jesus quoted the right scripture for the occasion. If you are not relying on the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth of God’s word to you, then you are likely to misapply His word.
Your enemy wants you to believe God’s word is contradictory and confusing. He works endlessly to convince us of that. It simply is not true. People often say, “Well one book of the Bible says to do this and another book says to do another, and the verses contradict each other.” Wrong. When you read the entire Bible, and ask the Spirit to give you discernment so you can see the truth, it all makes perfect sense. God’s word is perfect and everlasting. “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8.

2) He convicts. “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment; in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stand condemned.” John 16:7-11.

Not only does the Holy Spirit reveal the truth of God’s word to you and provide you with understanding, He will expect you to walk in it. God’s word is a mirror of the truth. It is also a mirror of who you really are and how you are living. You cannot separate the pieces of armor. The Sword of the Spirit is with you but your Breastplate of Righteousness, Shield of Faith, and Shoes of Peace are also on. When you feel that nagging inside of you telling you that you are doing something wrong, that is the Spirit. Stop and talk to Him and ask Him what you should do. Be willing to make changes to obey God’s word. You are not just reading it to read it. Once you read it, you need to live by it. That is the point. “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22.

3) He guides. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you.” John 16:13-15.

Once you are convicted about your action or thoughts by the Spirit, if you stay walking in faith and actually do what the Spirit is asking you to, He will guide you. Then you are walking in step with the Spirit. “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25.

You cannot separate prayer from the Spirit. Ask God to reveal His Spirit to you and fill you with Him. You may have been baptized with the Spirit when you accepted Christ because He came to live in you, but being filled is different. Being filled with the Spirit is a daily prayer. And there is no addiction on Earth that could anywhere compare to being filled with the Holy Spirit. “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18.

Baptism by the Holy Spirit is something God did for you when He sent Jesus to die for us. When you accept Christ, the Holy Spirit lives in you. No matter who you are or what you have done, you are one with Christ when you accept Him. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” 1 Corinthians 12:13. You did not do anything to earn this or to have this, it was through God’s grace and love for you. You are sealed and delivered. “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory.” Ephesians 1:13-14.

Being filled with the Holy Spirit is a daily action of yielding to His control. You do not get more of the Spirit than you already have. You have all of Him. When you choose to yield to Him daily though, He gets more of you. Here you have to recognize your need for Him to guide you daily. You discuss your sins with Him and repent, and ask Him to guide you daily. You choose to give up your own desires, and yield to His control. And finally when you pray to be filled, you need to believe and trust God will do it.

When you ask God to take control of your life and every thing you do, and you try to stop taking things back from Him, this is how He does it: through the Spirit. Here, you are working to live in God’s truth and walk in His word. When you feel guilty about a sin and you are beating yourself up you frequently have a conversation with yourself. You start to build a defense in your own mind regarding something you did. Meanwhile, your enemy is telling you how awful you are and how horrible you are, so you start to have a conversation with him. He is telling you the bad and you are defending yourself. Stop right there. That is not God. The Holy Spirit wants to guide you in love and compassion. Ask Him to show you what you did wrong so you will not do it again. “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” John 6:63.

Some Christians show evidence outwardly of the Spirit in them when they are filled with the Spirit. Some feel terrific inside, some cry, some look completely normal, and some speak in tongues. Not everyone will show evidence of being filled. Just because you are not showing it outwardly does not mean that you are not being filled. Do not let your enemy convince you that because you are not yelling, screaming, or crying that you are not filled with the Spirit. Remember the Spirit is working through you. There is no feeling as there is when you are filled. Whatever form it takes there is no feeling quite like it in the world. You have an overwhelming confidence that you are doing what God wants you to do, and you have no doubt. None.

A man made weapon will lose its sharpness. However, this weapon never will. This is a spiritual weapon with a victory guarantee. His truth sets you free. “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32. Imagine what life would be like if you did not have to look back and question a decision you made, or worry about the future? When you are being guided by the Spirit you will not have to because God’s will is being done in your life.

4) He testifies. “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also much testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.” John 15:26-27.

The world is harsh, and your enemy knows it. He will use it against you time and again to make you doubt, worry, and give up. But the Holy Spirit is in you to testify, and you are to do the same. You are to comfort others with the good news of the Gospel, and with your own testimony of Christ. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:14-15.

When you engage in presenting testimony and witnessing to others you are using your weapon in the most effective way. “May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,” Psalm 149:6. You are praising Him and telling others. You cannot separate the sword from praise. You are using it for God. He is who you are fighting for remember? “He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15.

The Spirit reveals God’s truth to you, and helps you reveal it to others. “At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19-20. Every day you need to talk to Him and ask Him to guide you in every way, including your testimony and witness to others. “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” Ephesians 6:19-20.

When you do witness to others and provide testimony, remember it is the Spirit working through you. The Spirit is in control. “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.” 1 Corinthians 2:1-5. You need to make sure it is the Spirit and not you. If it is your own interpretation and you have no confirmation of the Spirit that you are speaking the truth, then you can mislead and use your weapon inappropriately. Confirmation by the Spirit is an absolute, 100% confidence that you are right. Ask God for that confirmation before you speak. You will be amazed at the signs you get to confirm His truth.

Remember what an honor it is to have God worth through you to help others. “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,” Isaiah 61:1. You are His hands and feet here on Earth, and you can change lives through His word and Spirit. “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17.

He is working through you to provide hope and light in a dark and evil world. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4; “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” Psalm 119:130.

There is no limit to the power of His Spirit. And you are assured victory. After Jesus quoted scripture back to the Devil, who had been attempting to tempt Him, we are told, “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” Luke 4:13.
If you put on your armor and are equipped with God’s Spirit and Word, you will succeed in fighting your enemy’s attacks as well. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7.

“Your hands made me and formed me; give me understanding to learn your commands.” Psalm 119:73.