The Sword of the Spirit

The warrior courageously stood his ground against uncounted foes. He stood ready for battle in full armor, his only weapon a sword. As the enemy advanced, he lifted his sword and cried out, “I command you in the name of Jesus to flee!” Then, as if filled with some external power, he brandished his sword and vanquished his enemies.

The romance of such a scene is engaging, even inspiring, but most would think it imaginary, impractical for daily modern life. Yet this is a situation we all face in some way. We can face it ready, as the hero in this tale, or unprepared as many in our time. We do not see the battle as it is depicted here, but it is there and real all the same. And the only weapon we have to use is the sword of the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

That sword we are to take up (handle, brandish, wield) is the word of God, literally, the Bible.

Matthew 4:3-4 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

This is one of the greatest examples of using the sword of the Spirit. Jesus was tempted by satan after fasting for 40 days. He was obviously incredibly hungry, so the temptation of bread had to be staggering. But Jesus answered with scripture (quoted from Deuteronomy 8:3). His response shows us that the best weapon against the enemy is the Bible, because the demonic realm is unquestionably in subjection to it. That is how we live, by using the sword of the Spirit. It also shows that the spiritual battle and profits are far greater than the physical. When we are tempted, whether in our minds or by people around us, we can answer with scripture because it cannot be refuted.

Hebrews 4:12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

It is interesting to note that when Ephesians says “the sword of the Spirit” it literally means “the sword which the Spirit wields.” We can only use the sword of the Spirit, effectively, if we use it through the Spirit’s power and influence. Like everything, if we try to do it on our own, we will not succeed. We have to be in the Spirit, walking by the Spirit, daily yielding to the Spirit, in order to use the weapon of the Spirit. We cannot do it on our own.

We also have to be daily in the Word in order to effectively use it. This goes along with being in the Spirit, but there are many who pray and live morally who do not read the Bible. We must have both. We can have the Spirit and be walking by it, but the Spirit cannot help us recall verses that we never read or studied. We can read the Bible daily, but if we are not living in the Spirit, practicing what we read, and yielding to the Spirit, it cannot help us recall the verses when we need them. We need both: to be in the Spirit and in the Word, reading and practicing what we read, praying and yielding to the instructions of the Word.

That is the only way we can stand our ground. We can have the best defense armor, but we can never advance or defeat without the Spirit and the Word. We will continue to stand in the same battles day after day. We can have no victory without them.

Do you have the power of the Spirit? Do you have the Word ready to do battle? What do you need to do to make that happen?