In our lives as Christians, we face spiritual battles. The attacks of the enemy are meant to frustrate, discourage, and destroy us and those we love.
The good news is our Heavenly Father has provided us with the tools we must use during these spiritual battles. These tools are called the full armor of God.
Like the Roman soldiers who inspired this armor, we need every piece in place so that as soldiers in God’s army we can be victorious.
The whole armor of God has 7 pieces and each piece of armor has a purpose.
The pieces are the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth, the shield of faith, the Gospel of peace, and the sword of the Spirit and prayer.
We will focus on the Sword of the Spirit.. What is the Sword of the Spirt and how can we use it in our daily lives?
Let’s find out more about this important piece of armor.
What is the Sword of the Spirit in the Bible
In the New Testament, specifically in Ephesians 6:12-18, Apostle Paul mentions that as Christians we should put on the whole armor of God.
This armor is an illustration of a protective covering we must wear as Christians so that we are safe from spiritual forces.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:12 ESV
The Sword of the Spirit is a defensive weapon and the only offensive weapon in the armor. It’s the word of the Lord.
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:12 NIV
The Sword of the Spirit is the truth of God which sets us free from the lies and schemes of the enemy.
These are the scriptures God has given us through the Holy Bible.
We can use this weapon to effectively live a victorious Christian life.
Examples of Using the Sword of the Spirit
The Bible encourages us to continuously be aware of the spiritual war that’s taking place in our lives.
We can only win when we fight with spiritual weapons of warfare such as the Sword of the Spirit.
“For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” 2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV
The Sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon to proactively protect us from the devil’s schemes. God’s word reveals who this father of lies is and we can protect ourselves from him.
We can also use the word as a defensive weapon during spiritual battles and to declare great power over the enemy.
This is something that the Son of God, Jesus Christ did and we can certainly learn from his great example.
What are some Key examples of using the Sword of the Spirit?
Read the Word of God
Having your own Holy Bible is the first step to using this spiritual sword.
The next step would be to read it with others at church, in small groups, and by yourself so that you can experience its divine power.
It’s a life-transforming book that comes alive for us every time we read it.
If you don’t know where to start, a Bible reading plan could be a great choice.
You can start reading a verse, a few verses, or a chapter a day and gain momentum in being a consistent Bible reader.
Study the Holy Bible
Beyond reading, we also need to study the Word in detail so we can gain knowledge of God and his character and become wise.
You can do this at your church in person or online in Bible study groups in your area.
Buying a study Bible is another way to grow deeper in understanding the word.
Studying the Bible is using the Sword of the Spirit as an offensive weapon to protect you from the lies of the enemy.
It exposes him for who he is so that you know that he is the father of lies and you can conquer him by the power of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1 NIV
The more we study God’s word the more we set our hearts on things that are spiritual and grow closer to the Lord.
Use the Sword of the Spirit to Guard Your Thoughts
When we meditate on God’s word, we start to guard our minds against sin and temptations.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8
This is a way that the word protects our minds as we use it as the only offensive weapon in the whole armor of God.
Believe and act on what you read
The Bible encourages us to read, and study the Bible but also believe what it says.
This word is filled with powerful promises of the Lord that will strengthen, empower, and comfort us.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James 1:22 NIV
When we believe then we must also act on the word of the Lord’s teachings and principles.
Memorize the Word
Memorizing Bible verses is so important because we can use them as a defensive weapon when the enemy attacks us.
If you’re new to this principle start with memorizing short Bible verses and grow from them.
When Jesus was tempted in Matthew 4:1-11, he used the word he had memorized which is the truth of God to resist the devil’s schemes and overcome temptation.
We are encouraged to do the same as well.
Pray the word of God
One of the ways to pray effectively is to pray the word of God.
God honors his word and will be faithful to honor what you declare through it.
The Sword of the Spirit Which is the Word of God
Apostle Paul wrote the Book of Ephesians as he was a prisoner of the Gospel in a jail.
The Roman soldiers who were around him wore physical armor which Paul used as inspiration to write about the spiritual armor of the Lord.
The Roman soldier at that time used a short sword to protect himself in close combat. It was an iron double-edged sword called a machaira or gladius.
Unlike a long sword which can cut and slash and cause wounds, this short sword was for stabbing and penetrating the body and hitting a vital organ thereby killing the enemy.
The Roman sword was an offensive weapon against enemies and a very dangerous tool when sharpened.
We see this illustration of a double-edged sword representing God’s word as mentioned again in the New Testament in Hebrews.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 NIV
If studying the Bible better is on your list of things to do this year, be sure to visit our Bible Study Resources page where you’ll find everything you need to make Bible study a regular part of your daily routine.
The word of the Lord is a double-edged sword because when we share it, it changes both the person who is sharing and the person who is listening.
It pierces and divides the soul and spirit because of its great power which can transform even the most stubborn hearts and minds to believe it and trust it.
God’s word exposes our thoughts and intentions of the heart and transforms us from the inside out.
This word helps us to be able to distinguish between right and wrong and make the decision to obey the Lord. It’s our greatest weapon and piece of armor.
Like a Roman soldier on the battlefield, we need every piece of armor in place, leaving nothing exposed to the enemy’s attack.
The Bible is filled with powerful words coming out of the mouth of God so when we read it it’s like listening to the Lord himself.
“From His mouth comes a sharp sword (His word) with which He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He will tread the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty [in judgment of the rebellious world].” Revelation 19:15 AMP
Apostle Paul warns us that we can’t fight the good fight of faith without knowing the Holy Bible.
We will not grow in faith and we will miss out on our eternal inheritance if we don’t believe the word of God and act on its teachings and principles.
“Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12 ESV
As Christians, the Bible is very clear that we will face spiritual warfare. The father of lies is a real enemy who wants to destroy us and those we love.
Using the full armor of God guarantees our victory against the spiritual forces of evil who are in the heavenly realms.
The Sword of the spirit is an important piece of armor as it is the word of the Lord himself and has great power.
God’s word can be used as a defensive weapon against the devil’s schemes and as an offensive weapon to guard our hearts and minds from his lies.
