The Christian is not to live life as a consumer but as a combatant. There is a real adversary who seeks to destroy the testimony and effectiveness of believers. This enemy is not of flesh and blood but is spirit, and operates in the heavenlies. To withstand him, a believer must have spiritual armor and resources that only God can supply. Today is certainly “the evil day,” and God’s people need to be strong in the Lord. Believers must arm themselves with the sword of the Spirit if they are going to experience victory on a daily basis.
There is a common misunderstanding, and thus misconception, about the imagery of the sword used in Ephesians 6. Many believers read the phrase “which is the Word of God” and assume that Paul is referring to the Bible that they have in their hands. This thought has been reinforced in childhood through “sword drills” as well as through some children’s choruses. One often hears expressions such as, “Where is my sword?” or “Here’s my sword!” when people refer to their Bibles.
The “sword of the Spirit” is indeed the Word of God, not the word in your hand, but rather, the word in your heart. Waving a Bible at Satan will not deter him or defeat him in the hour of temptation. It is the word that is hidden in our hearts that can be drawn from its sheath and used to thwart the schemes of the enemy; but, even more, it is the word that is obeyed and put into action.
SPIRITUAL SWORDSMANSHIP
The proper use of the “sword” is seen in the response of the Lord Jesus to Satan during the temptation. He answered each of Satan’s temptations with a quotation from the book of Deuteronomy. Each response was prefaced by the phrase, “It is written.” It was the word in His heart and, thus, on the tip of His tongue.
To use the Word as a sword involves more than the recitation of words as some kind of mantra to ward off evil. The sword is drawn when one is confronted with a situation or circumstance used by Satan to bring temptation into our path. The sword is used when one chooses to be obedient to the Scripture that has come to mind. That is what the Lord Jesus did: the Scripture verses were quoted, but He was also obedient to the truth contained in them and consequently Satan was defeated.
Two negative examples from the Old Testament might help us to grasp this concept. These illustrations are given against the background of Peter’s statement that “the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8). Satan is on the prowl, seeking Christians who are not alert, burdened with the cares of life and full of pride.
The first illustration comes from 1 Kings 13 and is about the man of God sent from Judah to Bethel. The Word of God was very clear to him, “For so it was commanded me by the Word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water nor return by the same way you came’” (v. 9). An old local prophet convinced this man to return to Bethel and to have a meal.
Thus the young prophet willfully disobeyed what he knew God’s Word to be, as in his own words he said, “For I have been told by the Word of the Lord” (v. 17). While they were eating, the old prophet said, “Because you have disobeyed the Word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, ‘Eat no bread and drink no water,’ your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.” So it was that on the way back to Judah, the prophet was met by a lion and killed. The man was defenseless because he knew God’s Word but chose to disobey.
The second story illustrates the same point. In 1 Kings 20:35 a prophet “said to his neighbor by the Word of the Lord, ‘Strike me, please,’ and the man refused to strike him.”
The prophet then said to him, “Because you have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, surely, as soon as you depart from me a lion shall kill you.” Not surprisingly, the disobedient man was met by a lion and killed.
Although both of these men knew the word of God, their lack of obedience led to their downfall. The only two recorded cases where the lion won the victory occurred because God’s word, though known, was disobeyed. In both cases these men would have been spared if they had properly used the “sword of the Spirit,” that is, had they simply been obedient.
A New Testament application can be drawn from 1 John 2:13-14. Here John is writing to young men who are growing in Christ and progressing towards maturity. The commendation in verse 13 is that “you have overcome the wicked one.” This statement is expanded in verse 14, “You are strong, and the Word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.” The source of their strength is the Word of God, which abides in them. To abide means to be at home or remain where placed. They have fed on the sincere milk of the Word and have developed an appetite and an ability to consume the meat of the Word. The Word of God has allowed them to overcome the wicked one. Positionally, all believers are overcomers; but, practically, the Word of God is the resource given so that “you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Eph. 6:11).
The Psalmist in Psalm 119:9 asked the question, “How can a young man cleanse his way?” The answer is “by taking heed according to Thy Word.” It is not enough to know the Word; there must also be obedience to the truth contained there. This leads to purity of life and victory over the wicked one and his assault on our faith.
Paul, in Ephesians 6, says that the armor is something we must “put on.” Each item is something we must appropriate, that is, take it for ourselves. We must do more than merely pick up the Bible; it must be read and the Word must be hidden in our hearts. It must be more than mere head knowledge but must also be lived out in obedience.
In our own battle, it is insufficient to know where the armor is mentioned in the Bible or to be able to recite each piece by memory. A believer must be obedient and put on the breastplate of righteousness, which is to live a life characterized by righteousness. One responds to the fiery darts of the enemy with the shield of faith, which is a faith that is living and founded on God’s Word. That is how we take up the “sword of the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit can bring to mind scriptures that have been read and applied, so that, in the time of need, we too can defeat the wicked one.
THE MAN IN THE ARENA
It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have done them better.
The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood: who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
—Author Unknown