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Ephesians 6:14-18 (NIV)14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
We have been working our way through Paul’s list of the armor of God. We are now on to part six, verse 17b and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Sword
The Roman sword, or gladius, as is the Latin word, has altered and changed over the centuries.
When Paul was imprisoned in Rome, which was when he was writing these letters, the style of the gladius was quite short. Ranging in length between 18-24 inches.
This was due to the mountainous terrain and the need to be able to wield the sword in close proximity of the enemy with greater precision. The leverage then allowed for deadly cuts and slashes.
The Roman soldiers were also known for their skill and discipline in fighting and using their weapons. This short gladius even became known as “the sword that concurred the world.” (source)
Spirit, which is the word of God
John 1:1 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The concept of the Holy Spirit can be confusing for some. Unfortunately not all churches give the Holy Spirit the focus He (yes, He, not it) deserves. The book Forgotten God by Francis Chan is a great read on this topic.
Jesus spoke extensively about the Holy Spirit and His importance.
He described to his disciples, John 16:7-11 (NIV) But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
Jesus continued in verses 13-14 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the 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 glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you.
Jesus explains in John 6:63 (NIV) The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.
We are given the gift and the privilege of being able to read the word of God and understand it’s meaning when we have received the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 2: 12-14 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.
We, as Christians, understand that the bible is so much more an just a book.
Why did Paul put the sword with the word of God?
The sword is truly the only offensive piece of armor in Paul’s list.
The other items are forms of active defense against enemies. Truth, righteousness, peace, and salvation allow us to defend ourselves from Satan’s attack.
But the sword or the Word of God is different. It is our way to attack evil.
We see that Jesus used scripture three times to rebuke Satan in the desert. You can read this in Matthew 4:4, 7, and 10 where Jesus replies to Satan in each instance with “it is written…” and then quotes scripture.
Reading and speaking scripture gives us the ultimate authority over Satan.
[ctt template=”7″ link=”37UJx” via=”yes” ]Reading and speaking scripture gives us the ultimate authority over Satan. There is no other way to concur evil without our sword – the Spirit- the Word of God. [/ctt]
Let’s go back to the nickname of the gladius, “The sword that concurred the world.” Isn’t that fitting in this context, too? There is no other way to concur evil without our sword – the Spirit- the Word of God.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive 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.
And we need to be just as disciplined as the Roman soldiers preparing for battle. We need to become skilled and familiar with scripture. As the sword became an extension of a soldier’s arm, the word of God needs to be an extension of our life.
I pray that you found this post informative and convicting to familiarize yourself with the word of God so you can actively fight against Satan’s schemes.
The Armor of God
- Part One: The Belt of Truth
- Part Two: The Breastplate of Righteousness
- Part Three: The Boots of Peace
- Part Four: The Shield of Faith
- Part Five: The Helmet of Salvation
- Part Six: The Sword of the Spirit
- Part Seven: Pray in the Spirit
God bless!
Melissa
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The Word of God is such a powerful weapon because it disarms lies and helps us to overcome sin. Prayer is another offensive weapon against the enemy.
It is such a powerful weapon! And you’re right, prayer is another offensive weapon – that’s the next verse of the passage that I’ll dive into in the next post! Thank you for stopping by Susan. God bless!
Love this! Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish Satan’s lies but equipping yourself with the Word it is a lot easier to distinguish who’s talking AND using the scripture to make the devil realize he has no place in our hearts.
It can be hard to distinguish Satan’s lies but, you’re right, that’s why it’s so important to familiarize yourself with scripture. That way you can know if what you are hearing goes against God’s view and love for you. And I thoroughly enjoy the thought of making Satan high-tail it! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
What a great explanation here, Melissa! The Holy Spirit was one of the Trinity not talked about in the churches I grew up in. What a power to have and to know is within us!
Many of the past churches I have attended don’t do the Holy Spirit justice either. I really found the book I referenced in the article, Forgotten God, to be a great read and resource! Thank you for stopping by Julie. God bless!
I was so eager for this one! All the defensive pieces then.. WHAM… the sword! My favorite part of the armor…it’s God breathed! How we fight against the evil schemes of the devil! We have all the answers against his attacks!! <3
It is our most offensive piece of armor and yet I think reading and memorizing God’s word can take a backseat. It is so important for us to remember and immerse ourselves in! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
I love the imagery of the Sword of the Spirit! So powerful! Thank you for breaking this verse down and giving so much food for thought.
I love that the sword of the spirit is offensive and defensive. You can use it to attack, or to block. There is nothing it can’t do. And the more familiar you get with it, the better you become at wielding it.
So true Heather! I love that the more familiar we are with scripture the more clarity and wisdom we receive. What once may have been a confusing passage may now speak life. It is when we are in a place to receive it, that it will come alive for us. And then it becomes powerful for us! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless Heather!
Thank you Melissa. Knowing each of these is a powerful way to fight against the evil schemes of the devil. Satan looks for even the tiniest crack in our souls and he gets in to cause is all kinds of grief. Commiting these lessons, studying them and memorizing will help us fight ol’ horn head. Bless you and again, thank you so much. I love following your lessons.
Thank you so much for your kind words Sherry! Yes, we need to be committed, diligent, and knowledgeable in all the ways God has laid out for us to fight against evil. Thank you so much for stopping by and following the blog. God bless!
Another great read! Thanks Melissa!
Thank you for stopping by Janice! God bless!