Up until this point, most of the armor that we’ve been discussing has been defensive. The shield could be used offensively, but it is primarily a defensive weapon. You can’t win a battle, though, only by defense. You eventually have to go on offense.
Fortunately, we have an offensive weapon—a sword. Ephesians 6:17 says to “take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
If you look carefully, you might notice that the wording is a little different than it was for the other pieces of armor. We had the “shield of faith,” where the shield was faith, and the “helmet of salvation,” where the helmet was salvation. However, when we come to the sword, it says “the sword of the Spirit,” then describes it—“which is the word of God.”
Why the difference in wording? I think it is because Paul wanted to stress that the sword belongs not to us, but to the Spirit. He gives it power—not us.
So, what exactly is this sword? It’s the “word of God.” Or to put it another way, the sword is what is spoken by God. Because what we have in the Bible is God’s message to us, we often call it the “Word of God.” That’s the best weapon we have.
Remember this: the sword of the Spirit is the word of GOD, not the word of ME. You may have heard of the “Word of Faith” movement that teaches that when we speak a word, if we have enough faith, God is obligated to make it happen. However, we need to remember that the sword belongs to the Spirit—not to us. The power is not in our words.
God’s words are more powerful than ours, anyway. In Genesis, we are told that God created everything just by speaking. In Revelation, Jesus will conquer His enemies with just His word. Today, His words convict us, discerning even the “thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).
Just as with all the other pieces of armor, we have to know how to use it. It’s dangerous to give someone a gun to carry when they don’t know how to use it. It may cause more harm. That’s why Sheriff Taylor would only allow Barney to carry one bullet, and he had to carry it in his pocket. If you don’t know how and when to use a weapon, you can do a lot of damage.
We can also cause a lot of damage by mishandling the Word of God. So, I’ll give you three tips to help you handle the words of God correctly.
First, know the Word of God.
Remember when the Devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness? How did He respond? He quoted the Scriptures. But you can’t do that unless you know it! You have to read it and read it again.
It’s not enough just to know it, though—you have to understand it, which is the second tip for handling the sword correctly. If we are going to fight the enemy using the Word of God, we better get it right. This takes study.
Third, we need to practice using it. People who take up fencing don’t just pick up a sword and start slashing away at their opponent. They take time to learn the art. You might do this by making a list of Bible passages that help with specific situations that you or your friends are going through. It also might be a good idea to think about what you would say in certain situations, like when you are tempted or trying to defend your faith to a skeptic. Try to foresee when you might need to use the sword and learn how to use it in that situation.
The sword of the Spirit is a very powerful weapon, but we have to know how to use it correctly. But ultimately, remember that the power is in the sword, not in us.
