The Sword of the Spirit
6: 17b
The sword of the Spirit DIG: In what way is the Word of God like a sword? How is the Word of God a defensive weapon; how are the Scriptures an offensive weapon?
REFLECT: How well do you know God’s Word? What would it take for you to go into battle with this “sword?” You can have excuses or you can have results. But you can’t have both.
The sword of the Spirit is always ready to be taken up and used when the battle begins.
The sword to which Sha’ul refers here is the machaira, which varied in length from six to eighteen inches. It was the common sword carried by Roman foot soldiers and was the principal weapon in hand-to-hand combat. Carried in a sheath or scabbard attached to their belts, it was always at hand and ready for use. It was the sword carried by the soldiers who came to arrest Yeshua in the Garden (Matthew 26:47), wielded by Peter when he cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave, and used by Herod’s executioners to put James to death (Acts 12:2).
Take up the sword of the Spirit. From the context we know that it is a spiritual weapon, to be used in our struggle against spiritual enemies. As the Spirit of truth (John 14:17), the Ruach Ha’Kodesh is the believer’s resident truth Teacher, who teaches us all things and brings God’s Word to our remembrance (John 14:26). The emphasis of the present passage is on how believers are to use the sword of the Spirit. It is not a physical weapon designed by human minds or forged by human hands (see the commentary on Second Corinthians, to see link click Bt – Winning the Spiritual War), but the perfect spiritual weapon of divine origin and power, in effect, God’s twenty-four-hour emergency hotline. Like the shield of faith (see Cf – The Shield of Faith) and the helmet of salvation (see Cg – The Helmet of Salvation), it is always at hand, ready to be taken up and used when the battle begins.
Paul specifically states that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, offering limitless resources and blessings to the believer. First of all, it is the source of all truth. Your word is truth, Yeshua said to His Father (John 17:17). People today look everywhere for answers to life, to try to find out what is worth believing and what is not. The source of all truth about God and mankind, life and death, time and eternity, men and women, right and wrong, heaven and hell, damnation and salvation, is God’s own word.
The Bible is also a source of happiness. Speaking of God’s wisdom, the writer of Proverbs declares: Blessed [or happy] is the one who listens to me (Pro 8:34). Yeshua said: Blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it (Lk 11:28). No person can be happier than when they discover, accept, and obey God’s Word.
Scripture is also the source of spiritual growth. Like newborn babes, Peter admonished, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation (First Peter 2:2). It is the source of power: living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12); the source of guidance: a lamp to our feet, and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105); the source of comfort (Romans 15:4); and the source of perfection (Second Timothy 3:16). And God’s Word is the source of victory over our great spiritual enemy, our most powerful weapon against Satan.
The sword of the Spirit is first of all a defensive weapon, it is the believer’s supreme weapon of defense against the onslaughts of the Adversary. Unlike the shield, however, which gives broad and general protection, the sword can deflect an attack only if it is used precisely and skillfully. It must block the enemy weapon exactly where the thrust is made. When Yeshua was tempted by the Serpent in the wilderness (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bj – Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness), His defense for each temptation was a passage from Deuteronomy that precisely opposed the Devil’s sword. The believer who does not know God’s Word well cannot use it well. Those who merely rely on their salvation or their feelings to defend themselves spiritually are in grave danger. They get into countless compromising situations and fall prey to innumerable false ideas and practices, simply because they are ignorant of the specific teachings of Scripture.
The sword of the Spirit is also an offensive weapon, capable of inflicting blows as well as deflecting those of the enemy. 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. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13). It is so powerful that it transforms people from the realm of lies to that of truth, from the realm of darkness to that of light, and from the realm of sin and death to that of righteousness and life. When the seed of God’s Word is sown on good soil, the one who hears the message and understands it will surely bear fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty times what is sown (see The Life of Christ Et – The Parable of the Soils). It is here that the great offensive power of the sword of the Spirit is seen as it converts a soul from sin to salvation.
No believer has any excuse for not knowing and understanding God’s Word. Every believer has God’s own Spirit within him as his own divine Teacher of God’s divine Word. Our only task is to submit to His instruction by studying the Word with sincerity and commitment. We cannot plead ignorance or inability, only disinterest and neglect. It is essential for God’s Word to be known, and loved, and practiced if we are to win the battle against Satan.266
As stated above, of all the weapons given to a Roman soldier, the sword was the only offensive tool. Every other piece of equipment was for protection against the onslaughts of the enemy. And the Roman sword was a feared weapon; but how much more so the sword of the Lord! In the spiritual battle, a military sword is useless. But the Scriptures are called a double-edged sword that cuts right through to where soul meets spirit (Heb 4:12). According to the sages, the Torah was said to be the only true antidote to the attacks of the Adversary (Leviticus Rabba 28:3). We cannot bind him, even though we might like to. In fact, the Scriptures never encourage us to tie him up, but instead, to resist him through the power of the Word of God. Of course our Messiah modeled this for us in His own encounter with Satan in the wilderness. Yet, even Yeshua did not waste His time on curses or magical formulas, but quoted the Torah as He drove off the Evil One. If Yeshua stood His ground by quoting the Word of God, how much more should we! But how can we use the sword if we are unfamiliar with it? No wonder that studying the Scriptures is one of the highest priorities for the believer. It is a tree of life to those who apply it (Proverbs 3:18)!267
Dear Heavenly Father, Praise and thank You for the joy of studying Your Word. Using the sword of your Word can not only conquer those who are Your enemies, but can also conquer thoughts of discouragement and give strength and encouragement to make me stronger and wiser in battle. It is wise who keeps my sword sharp by spending time meditating on Your Word and thinking over stories that show your power, Your wisdom in everything, and Your love and holiness. Then when a battle comes, I can be well equipped to draw the sword of Your Word and conquer!
Sharpening the sword by meditating on how God loves and guides me is profitable in calming my heart and helping me prepare a plan of action. Meditating on David’s life brings encouragement for even when David was in the dry wilderness being sought after to be killed, he trusted in You, God, and sought a deeper relationship with You. O God, You are my God, earnestly I seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You in a dry and weary land, where there is no water. David praised You in the midst of the trial. Since Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You (Psalms 63:2-3). Praising you in hard situations is such a powerful thrust of the sword to demolish fear.
Meditating on both David’s (Psalms 51) and Sha’ul’s (First Timothy 1:15) life, encourages those who fail to turn around in humble confession to God for God longs for sinners to repent so he can forgive them. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some consider slowness. Rather, He is being patient toward you – not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9). Thank You for the great joy and encouragement that comes when I sharpen my sword by studying, and meditating on, Your Almighty power, love and holiness shown in the Word of God. In Messiah Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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