The Sword of The Spirit
Ephesians 6:17
Message #13
THE BEST DEFENSE IS A GOOD OFFENSE. We need to grasp this statement, especially when it comes to the spiritual battle. The best defense is – a good offense. An aggressive offense, an out-of-control – in the devil’s face offense. That’s what we’re going to see today.
We’re in the thirteenth week of our series on “The Spiritual Battle.” We are near the end of the series, and we’ve really got to focus on these last couple of messages. Today, we are looking at the all-encompassing, all-inclusive offensive weapon for our spiritual battle.
In the spiritual battle
Some Christians walk around without a weapon
Some Christians walk around with a weapon – but no ammunition
Some Christians have their weapon and some ammo but no idea how to use it
Here’s my prayer and my heart for you – we need to stop getting whooped so easily by the enemy. We’ve got to start putting on the whole armor of God and learn how to stand firm against the schemes and tactics of our enemy. In order to do that, we’ve got to have a better understanding and develop a better use of the sixth article of our spiritual armor, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
In our study so far, we’ve gotten through all the “so-called” defensive articles of the armor. Let’s just read through them as we lead up to the sword of the Spirit.
Ephesians 6:13–17 (NLT)
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and (for today) take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
That’s it, six articles of the spiritual armor that will guarantee we will walk in the victory that you own positionally in Christ. If you are a Christian, if Christ lives in you, you have the victory – it just might not look like it. You have victory in the spiritual battle, and the sword of the Spirit is the weapon that ties them all together. You need to know the sword of the Spirit is the crucial, offensive, aggressive weapon that is the foundation, the base, of every other article of the spiritual armor.
If you’ve been around a while, you’ve heard somebody teach this section of Scripture, and you’ve probably heard them point out that the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon, and I understand why most Bible teachers say that. We focus more on the metaphor of the Roman soldier than on the truths of the spiritual armor. If we are primarily focused on: Belt – Breastplate – Shoes – Shield – Helmet … (all metaphorical things), then we would naturally say those things are all defensive. Then we would come to the sword, and we think of a sword as an offensive weapon, and so we get this idea of five articles of defense and one article of offense because we are thinking more about the Roman soldier than we are about the truths being taught.
We often make far too much of the metaphor of the Roman soldier and not near enough of the truths the Holy Spirit is teaching here. So, if I talk to you about living in Truth – Righteousness – Peace – Faith – Salvation … those truths don’t sound as much like defensive weapons as their “associated metaphors” of the Roman soldier. I believe those spiritual armor truths are all offensive.
If you want to take it to the enemy:
Start living in God’s TRUTH
Start walking in God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS
Start resting in God’s PEACE
Start making choices in FAITH
And start protecting and directing your mind with your SALVATION.
If you want to put an offensive hurt on your spiritual enemy – then take the battle to him by living in these five great offensive truths.
Now, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is the offensive weapon that guarantees our victory. However, the Word of God is not separated from the other five articles of armor. It is all-inclusive; it is all-encompassing. The Word of God is not separated from the other five articles. Where else are you going to get your truth, and your righteousness and your peace, and your faith and your salvation? It all comes through the offensive Word of God, which changes heaven and hell and changes your life, and backs the devil down! Every article of the armor comes from the Word of God.
In fact, the Word of God is crucial and foundational in every article of the spiritual armor. In our last two messages that dealt with protecting and directing the mind, we said the mind has a role in every article of the spiritual armor. Well, in a similar and far greater way, the Word of God has a crucial and foundational role in every article of the spiritual armor. It is the basis for the armor. You put on the armor through the Word of God. The Word of God is the great offensive component in each of the articles of armor. It is the basis for the armor, and the Word of God provides the power.
The problem is we’ve gotten on this offensive-defensive line of thinking. We’ve put our own selves on the defense. Why? The victory is already won, and Jesus took it to the enemy with these same exact articles of armor. If we will grasp the crucial and foundational role the Word of God plays in every one of the articles of armor, then we will better understand the phrase, “The best defense is a good offense.” Standing up, leaning in, and putting on the armor of God. I’m not saying to taunt the enemy. I’m just saying, be ready. You’re going out; you’re not hiding to take it to the enemy.
What does that even mean, anyway? The best defense is a good offense. Well, when in doubt, turn to Wikipedia, right?
Wikipedia – “The best defense is a good offense.”
The idea is that strong offensive action will preoccupy the opposition and ultimately hinder its ability to mount an opposing counterattack, leading to a strategic advantage.
And so, when you put on these articles of armor, you put them on with an aggressive, leaning-in, motivated, offensive stance. You put on the armor because you’re going on the offense. You don’t put on the armor because you’re going to go hide in a hole somewhere.
If we will learn to use the offensive weapon of the Word of God as the foundation for every article of armor, we will ultimately eliminate the enemy’s ability to mount an opposing attack in any of these areas of our lives. We need to see the offensive weapon of the Word of God is the crucial foundation of every defensive article of the armor.
Verse 14 – We put on TRUTH in our lives through the Word of God
Verse 14 – We put on PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS in our lives through the Word of God
Verse 15 – The PEACE of God comes through the Word of God
Verse 16 – FAITH comes through the Word of God
Verse 17 – Protecting our MIND with our SALVATION comes through the Word of God
The best defense – is a good offense.
If we will learn to offensively use the Word of God in each of these areas of the spiritual armor, it will be the best defense we have, and then we will continue to walk in the victory that we have positionally in Jesus Christ.
So, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is the offensive weapon that is at the center of every other article of our spiritual armor. So, let’s talk a little bit about it.
First, let’s talk about what it is not. This is the sword of the Spirit – it’s not your sword. You don’t have a sword. One huge reason we are losing battle after battle in the spiritual realm is because we are trying to use some other sword instead of the sword of the Spirit. For example, how often do we try to battle the attacks of the enemy with our own ideas and our own logic? How often, when we are being pummeled by the enemy, do we say, “Well, here’s what I think I should do. Here’s how I feel about it.”
Worse yet, how often do we try to fight the attacks of the enemy with someone else’s opinions or ideas? This is not the sword of Oprah, or Dr. Phil, or your friend at the Bible study who’s constantly telling you what they think you ought to do. None of those people have a sword! Listen, you don’t need someone else’s opinion. You need the sword of the Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit has a sword, and it is the Word of God. Yet we cling to (and trust in) our own opinions and ideas or someone else’s opinions and ideas to try to fight the spiritual battle – and then we go blame God when we don’t have any victory.
Hear this, please. God does not support your approach in the spiritual battle. God does not support your battle plan. God does not say, “Well, what do you think we should do? Let me come alongside and help you with that.” God does not support your friend’s approach in the spiritual battle. And if you try to fight the spiritual battle your own way, you can forget about experiencing any victory at all. The only weapon that will stand up to this enemy, the only weapon that is the crucial foundation for all the armor, is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
If we want any victory in the spiritual battle, we must align ourselves with God’s battle plan, not our own, and we must submit to God’s way, not our own, and God’s battle plan and God’s way is laid out for us in God’s Word.
Guys, if we would just begin to grasp and use some of the power there is in God’s Word, we would begin to experience the supernatural power of God in our lives, and it would radically change the numbers of our win/loss column in the spiritual battle. But to do that, we have to learn how to actually use the Word of God. You know, it’s very dangerous to give someone a weapon without teaching them how to use it because their enemy will just take that weapon from them and use it against them. And you have to get used to using it.
The first time we see that done in scripture is in Genesis Chapter 3 in the Garden of Eden. The devil took God’s Word and twisted it and used it against Adam and Eve. The devil tried to take God’s Word from Jesus himself in the temptation in the wilderness, and he tried to twist God’s Word to use it against Jesus himself. And we see it all the time. The devil gets great victories today by getting people to twist God’s Word and use it to promote hell’s agenda.
And so, we must “Take up the sword of the Spirit,” AND we must “Learn how to use the sword of the Spirit.”
There is a great lesson in how to use God’s Word wrapped up in the three Greek words used in the New Testament for “The Word of God.” I appreciate Tony Evans pointing out this great word study, and I wanted to really develop it here, but I have to just summarize it for time’s sake… so here it is.
We must LEARN the Written Word
We must KNOW the Living Word
We must USE the Spoken Word
There are three Greek words in the New Testament that are used for “The Word of God.”
GRAPHE – The Written Word
LOGOS – The Living Word
RHEMA – The Spoken Word
Again…
We must LEARN the Written Word
We must KNOW the Living Word
We must USE the Spoken Word
The Written Word (GRAPHE) is used in 2 Timothy 3, verse 16.
2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)
16 All Scripture (graphe) is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
That is GRAPHE (The Written Word), and we’ve got to learn the Written Word if we are going to use it as an offensive weapon against the enemy. The GRAPHE (Written Word) is the foundation, the basis, for using the sword of the Spirit.
Next is LOGOS (The Living Word), and we see it used in John 1, verse 1, and John 1, verse 14.
John 1:1 & 14 (ESV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . .
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . .
The LIVING WORD is Jesus Christ. (It is the message of God expressed in living form.)
Here’s a cool insight, in the famous verse in Hebrews 4, verse 12.
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
12 For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit…
Guess which Greek word is used for “The Word of God” here. It is LOGOS – the Living Word of God. So, as we learn the Written Word, we must grow in our relational knowledge of the Living Word (Jesus Christ) because (watch carefully) the Written Word is only powerful when used in the authority of the Living Word.
Again, the Written Word is only powerful when used in the authority of the Living Word.
We learn the Written Word (GRAPHE)
We know the Living Word (LOGOS) which gives us the authority
And then we can use the Spoken Word (RHEMA)
But the RHEMA (Spoken Word) can only be used in true accordance with the Written Word and in the true authority of the Living Word.
So, our key verse says:
Ephesians 6:17 (ESV)
17 and take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,
Guess which Greek word is used here for “The Word of God?” It’s RHEMA – the Spoken Word of God. Take up the spoken Word of God as the sword of the Spirit, which will absolutely decimate your spiritual enemy. You see, the Written Word and the Living Word are the foundation to ALL the articles of the armor, and the Spoken Word is the sword of the Spirit which takes out your enemy at the knees. BUT it only takes him out in accordance with the Written Word and in the authority of the Living Word. Is that cool, or what?
Let me say it again:
You USE God’s Written Word –
You USE IT in the authority that comes from you being identified with the Living Word
And you SPEAK IT (in that authority) to the enemy
And when you do that, you will be victorious in the spiritual battle, and your enemy will continue to be defeated in your life. It’s an aggressive offensive move. It’s standing up with the knowledge of the Written Word and the authority of Jesus Christ and speaking, in his name and in accordance with the Written Word, in his authority, and the enemy flees.
To close, let’s see how Jesus did it, and then we’ll do it like that. Turn over to Matthew Chapter 4. I’m using the ESV here to make an important point.
Just after his Baptism, after the heavens had opened up and the Holy Spirit had descended upon him, and the Father had spoken his approval from heaven, the first word in Matthew 4, verse 1, is: then.
Matthew 4:1 (ESV)
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 4:2–3 (ESV)
2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
Jesus was one hundred percent man, one hundred percent God, and one hundred ten percent hungry! After forty days of no food, you can easily be at the point of death, and it was then, when Jesus was at his very weakest, that the tempter (Satan) came to him and said…
IF you are the Son of Man
This “If” is like us saying “if indeed” or even “since.” It’s spoken as a challenge from the devil. IF INDEED you ARE the Son of God – command these stones to become loaves of bread. Satan uses a very real need in Jesus’ life to try to get him to take a path contrary to God’s plan. And he does the same in our lives.
But Jesus answered Satan with the exact words that we must answer him with.
Matthew 4:4 (ESV)
4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
It – Is – Written. That’s the word GRAPHE. Jesus stands on the Written Word, spoken with the authority of the Son of God, the LOGOS, and he speaks the Word of God to the enemy, that is the RHEMA, and the devil backs down.
But that’s only strike one. Now the devil’s going to actually use the Word of God to try to get Jesus to sin. Twisting the Word of God is the devil’s tool… correctly using the Word of God is our weapon of victory.
Continuing in Matthew 4.
Matthew 4:5–6 (ESV)
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple
6 and said to him, “If (if indeed, or since) you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Not only did the devil use the Word of God, he quoted it accurately (meaning he knows it well). He quoted it accurately, but he didn’t quote it correctly. Yes, that is what Psalm 91 says, but that doesn’t mean we should do stupid stuff and expect God to protect us. And so, Jesus answers in Matthew 4, verse 7.
Matthew 4:7 (ESV)
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, it is written. Using the GRAPHE (Written Word) with the authority of the LOGOS (Living Word) and speaking it as the RHEMA (Spoken Word.) The Word of God – triple forged into an unbeatable weapon against your spiritual enemy. But still, the enemy isn’t finished with Jesus. That’s only two strikes. And so, we continue in Matthew Chapter 4.
Matthew 4:8–9 (ESV)
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
First of all, in this temptation, who is it that has the “right” to give all the kingdoms of this world to Jesus? Satan does. Satan controls the kingdoms of this world and their glory. So, if that is what you’re chasing, make note of this. Satan tries to get Jesus to give him what Satan has always wanted – worship that is due only to God. That is exactly what Satan is trying to trick you into doing as well. Don’t fall for it! Speak to Satan the exact words Jesus spoke to him in Matthew 4:10.
Matthew 4:10 (ESV)
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
For it is written – the GRAPHE (Written Word) with the authority of the LOGOS (Living Word) spoken as the RHEMA (Spoken Word.) This is the triple forged power of the Word of God.
Listen, we have been given an unbeatable weapon to stand against the enemy and to defeat him. You have this victory already guaranteed in Jesus Christ. Why don’t we use it? Because we’re lazy? Because we don’t know God’s Word? Because we trust someone else’s opinion more than God’s Word? Or is it because we just don’t like what God’s Word says?
If you’ll learn the Written Word, if you’ll grow in your relational knowledge of the Living Word, and if you have the courage to offensively speak the Spoken Word, you will be victorious in the spiritual battle. Period!
Guys, we’ve got to get over this. ALL of the spiritual armor is based on God’s Word, and you can put it all on through God’s Word so that when the enemy comes at you, you will be able to respond the same way Jesus does.
IT – IS – WRITTEN!! BE GONE, SATAN!
All we have to do is learn how to use the weapon. The weapon is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. In its GRAPHE form, the Written Word with the authority of its LOGOS form, the Living Word, spoken to the enemy in its RHEMA form, the Spoken Word. And BAAM!!! You will stand against all the attacks of the enemy.
And so, here’s what I want you to do. I’m going to give you some resources to begin actually using God’s Word in your spiritual battle because we have got to start doing something about the enemy just whooping us all the time. So, I want you to take note of these following three resources to start using God’s Word more in your life.
1). Get our phone app. Search wordbymail in your app store.
Look under “Scripture by Topic.”
2). Get the YouVersion Bible app
And practice using the SEARCH function
3). Get the GotQuestions app
And practice searching keywords and questions
If you don’t have a smartphone, you can get all of this on the computer as well (at the websites). OR just come talk to us. We want to help you learn how to actually use the sword of the Spirit in your spiritual battle.
We’re in the thirteenth week of our series on “The Spiritual Battle.” We are near the end of the series, and we’ve really got to focus on these last couple of messages. Today, we are looking at the all-encompassing, all-inclusive offensive weapon for our spiritual battle.
In the spiritual battle
Some Christians walk around without a weapon
Some Christians walk around with a weapon – but no ammunition
Some Christians have their weapon and some ammo but no idea how to use it
Here’s my prayer and my heart for you – we need to stop getting whooped so easily by the enemy. We’ve got to start putting on the whole armor of God and learn how to stand firm against the schemes and tactics of our enemy. In order to do that, we’ve got to have a better understanding and develop a better use of the sixth article of our spiritual armor, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
In our study so far, we’ve gotten through all the “so-called” defensive articles of the armor. Let’s just read through them as we lead up to the sword of the Spirit.
Ephesians 6:13–17 (NLT)
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm.
14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.
15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.
16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.
17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and (for today) take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
That’s it, six articles of the spiritual armor that will guarantee we will walk in the victory that you own positionally in Christ. If you are a Christian, if Christ lives in you, you have the victory – it just might not look like it. You have victory in the spiritual battle, and the sword of the Spirit is the weapon that ties them all together. You need to know the sword of the Spirit is the crucial, offensive, aggressive weapon that is the foundation, the base, of every other article of the spiritual armor.
If you’ve been around a while, you’ve heard somebody teach this section of Scripture, and you’ve probably heard them point out that the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon, and I understand why most Bible teachers say that. We focus more on the metaphor of the Roman soldier than on the truths of the spiritual armor. If we are primarily focused on: Belt – Breastplate – Shoes – Shield – Helmet … (all metaphorical things), then we would naturally say those things are all defensive. Then we would come to the sword, and we think of a sword as an offensive weapon, and so we get this idea of five articles of defense and one article of offense because we are thinking more about the Roman soldier than we are about the truths being taught.
We often make far too much of the metaphor of the Roman soldier and not near enough of the truths the Holy Spirit is teaching here. So, if I talk to you about living in Truth – Righteousness – Peace – Faith – Salvation … those truths don’t sound as much like defensive weapons as their “associated metaphors” of the Roman soldier. I believe those spiritual armor truths are all offensive.
If you want to take it to the enemy:
Start living in God’s TRUTH
Start walking in God’s RIGHTEOUSNESS
Start resting in God’s PEACE
Start making choices in FAITH
And start protecting and directing your mind with your SALVATION.
If you want to put an offensive hurt on your spiritual enemy – then take the battle to him by living in these five great offensive truths.
Now, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is the offensive weapon that guarantees our victory. However, the Word of God is not separated from the other five articles of armor. It is all-inclusive; it is all-encompassing. The Word of God is not separated from the other five articles. Where else are you going to get your truth, and your righteousness and your peace, and your faith and your salvation? It all comes through the offensive Word of God, which changes heaven and hell and changes your life, and backs the devil down! Every article of the armor comes from the Word of God.
In fact, the Word of God is crucial and foundational in every article of the spiritual armor. In our last two messages that dealt with protecting and directing the mind, we said the mind has a role in every article of the spiritual armor. Well, in a similar and far greater way, the Word of God has a crucial and foundational role in every article of the spiritual armor. It is the basis for the armor. You put on the armor through the Word of God. The Word of God is the great offensive component in each of the articles of armor. It is the basis for the armor, and the Word of God provides the power.
The problem is we’ve gotten on this offensive-defensive line of thinking. We’ve put our own selves on the defense. Why? The victory is already won, and Jesus took it to the enemy with these same exact articles of armor. If we will grasp the crucial and foundational role the Word of God plays in every one of the articles of armor, then we will better understand the phrase, “The best defense is a good offense.” Standing up, leaning in, and putting on the armor of God. I’m not saying to taunt the enemy. I’m just saying, be ready. You’re going out; you’re not hiding to take it to the enemy.
What does that even mean, anyway? The best defense is a good offense. Well, when in doubt, turn to Wikipedia, right?
Wikipedia – “The best defense is a good offense.”
The idea is that strong offensive action will preoccupy the opposition and ultimately hinder its ability to mount an opposing counterattack, leading to a strategic advantage.
And so, when you put on these articles of armor, you put them on with an aggressive, leaning-in, motivated, offensive stance. You put on the armor because you’re going on the offense. You don’t put on the armor because you’re going to go hide in a hole somewhere.
If we will learn to use the offensive weapon of the Word of God as the foundation for every article of armor, we will ultimately eliminate the enemy’s ability to mount an opposing attack in any of these areas of our lives. We need to see the offensive weapon of the Word of God is the crucial foundation of every defensive article of the armor.
Verse 14 – We put on TRUTH in our lives through the Word of God
Verse 14 – We put on PRACTICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS in our lives through the Word of God
Verse 15 – The PEACE of God comes through the Word of God
Verse 16 – FAITH comes through the Word of God
Verse 17 – Protecting our MIND with our SALVATION comes through the Word of God
The best defense – is a good offense.
If we will learn to offensively use the Word of God in each of these areas of the spiritual armor, it will be the best defense we have, and then we will continue to walk in the victory that we have positionally in Jesus Christ.
So, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, is the offensive weapon that is at the center of every other article of our spiritual armor. So, let’s talk a little bit about it.
First, let’s talk about what it is not. This is the sword of the Spirit – it’s not your sword. You don’t have a sword. One huge reason we are losing battle after battle in the spiritual realm is because we are trying to use some other sword instead of the sword of the Spirit. For example, how often do we try to battle the attacks of the enemy with our own ideas and our own logic? How often, when we are being pummeled by the enemy, do we say, “Well, here’s what I think I should do. Here’s how I feel about it.”
Worse yet, how often do we try to fight the attacks of the enemy with someone else’s opinions or ideas? This is not the sword of Oprah, or Dr. Phil, or your friend at the Bible study who’s constantly telling you what they think you ought to do. None of those people have a sword! Listen, you don’t need someone else’s opinion. You need the sword of the Spirit. Only the Holy Spirit has a sword, and it is the Word of God. Yet we cling to (and trust in) our own opinions and ideas or someone else’s opinions and ideas to try to fight the spiritual battle – and then we go blame God when we don’t have any victory.
Hear this, please. God does not support your approach in the spiritual battle. God does not support your battle plan. God does not say, “Well, what do you think we should do? Let me come alongside and help you with that.” God does not support your friend’s approach in the spiritual battle. And if you try to fight the spiritual battle your own way, you can forget about experiencing any victory at all. The only weapon that will stand up to this enemy, the only weapon that is the crucial foundation for all the armor, is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
If we want any victory in the spiritual battle, we must align ourselves with God’s battle plan, not our own, and we must submit to God’s way, not our own, and God’s battle plan and God’s way is laid out for us in God’s Word.
Guys, if we would just begin to grasp and use some of the power there is in God’s Word, we would begin to experience the supernatural power of God in our lives, and it would radically change the numbers of our win/loss column in the spiritual battle. But to do that, we have to learn how to actually use the Word of God. You know, it’s very dangerous to give someone a weapon without teaching them how to use it because their enemy will just take that weapon from them and use it against them. And you have to get used to using it.
The first time we see that done in scripture is in Genesis Chapter 3 in the Garden of Eden. The devil took God’s Word and twisted it and used it against Adam and Eve. The devil tried to take God’s Word from Jesus himself in the temptation in the wilderness, and he tried to twist God’s Word to use it against Jesus himself. And we see it all the time. The devil gets great victories today by getting people to twist God’s Word and use it to promote hell’s agenda.
And so, we must “Take up the sword of the Spirit,” AND we must “Learn how to use the sword of the Spirit.”
There is a great lesson in how to use God’s Word wrapped up in the three Greek words used in the New Testament for “The Word of God.” I appreciate Tony Evans pointing out this great word study, and I wanted to really develop it here, but I have to just summarize it for time’s sake… so here it is.
We must LEARN the Written Word
We must KNOW the Living Word
We must USE the Spoken Word
There are three Greek words in the New Testament that are used for “The Word of God.”
GRAPHE – The Written Word
LOGOS – The Living Word
RHEMA – The Spoken Word
Again…
We must LEARN the Written Word
We must KNOW the Living Word
We must USE the Spoken Word
The Written Word (GRAPHE) is used in 2 Timothy 3, verse 16.
2 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)
16 All Scripture (graphe) is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
That is GRAPHE (The Written Word), and we’ve got to learn the Written Word if we are going to use it as an offensive weapon against the enemy. The GRAPHE (Written Word) is the foundation, the basis, for using the sword of the Spirit.
Next is LOGOS (The Living Word), and we see it used in John 1, verse 1, and John 1, verse 14.
John 1:1 & 14 (ESV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . .
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us . . .
The LIVING WORD is Jesus Christ. (It is the message of God expressed in living form.)
Here’s a cool insight, in the famous verse in Hebrews 4, verse 12.
Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)
12 For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit…
Guess which Greek word is used for “The Word of God” here. It is LOGOS – the Living Word of God. So, as we learn the Written Word, we must grow in our relational knowledge of the Living Word (Jesus Christ) because (watch carefully) the Written Word is only powerful when used in the authority of the Living Word.
Again, the Written Word is only powerful when used in the authority of the Living Word.
We learn the Written Word (GRAPHE)
We know the Living Word (LOGOS) which gives us the authority
And then we can use the Spoken Word (RHEMA)
But the RHEMA (Spoken Word) can only be used in true accordance with the Written Word and in the true authority of the Living Word.
So, our key verse says:
Ephesians 6:17 (ESV)
17 and take . . . the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,
Guess which Greek word is used here for “The Word of God?” It’s RHEMA – the Spoken Word of God. Take up the spoken Word of God as the sword of the Spirit, which will absolutely decimate your spiritual enemy. You see, the Written Word and the Living Word are the foundation to ALL the articles of the armor, and the Spoken Word is the sword of the Spirit which takes out your enemy at the knees. BUT it only takes him out in accordance with the Written Word and in the authority of the Living Word. Is that cool, or what?
Let me say it again:
You USE God’s Written Word –
You USE IT in the authority that comes from you being identified with the Living Word
And you SPEAK IT (in that authority) to the enemy
And when you do that, you will be victorious in the spiritual battle, and your enemy will continue to be defeated in your life. It’s an aggressive offensive move. It’s standing up with the knowledge of the Written Word and the authority of Jesus Christ and speaking, in his name and in accordance with the Written Word, in his authority, and the enemy flees.
To close, let’s see how Jesus did it, and then we’ll do it like that. Turn over to Matthew Chapter 4. I’m using the ESV here to make an important point.
Just after his Baptism, after the heavens had opened up and the Holy Spirit had descended upon him, and the Father had spoken his approval from heaven, the first word in Matthew 4, verse 1, is: then.
Matthew 4:1 (ESV)
1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matthew 4:2–3 (ESV)
2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.
3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
Jesus was one hundred percent man, one hundred percent God, and one hundred ten percent hungry! After forty days of no food, you can easily be at the point of death, and it was then, when Jesus was at his very weakest, that the tempter (Satan) came to him and said…
IF you are the Son of Man
This “If” is like us saying “if indeed” or even “since.” It’s spoken as a challenge from the devil. IF INDEED you ARE the Son of God – command these stones to become loaves of bread. Satan uses a very real need in Jesus’ life to try to get him to take a path contrary to God’s plan. And he does the same in our lives.
But Jesus answered Satan with the exact words that we must answer him with.
Matthew 4:4 (ESV)
4 But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
It – Is – Written. That’s the word GRAPHE. Jesus stands on the Written Word, spoken with the authority of the Son of God, the LOGOS, and he speaks the Word of God to the enemy, that is the RHEMA, and the devil backs down.
But that’s only strike one. Now the devil’s going to actually use the Word of God to try to get Jesus to sin. Twisting the Word of God is the devil’s tool… correctly using the Word of God is our weapon of victory.
Continuing in Matthew 4.
Matthew 4:5–6 (ESV)
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple
6 and said to him, “If (if indeed, or since) you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Not only did the devil use the Word of God, he quoted it accurately (meaning he knows it well). He quoted it accurately, but he didn’t quote it correctly. Yes, that is what Psalm 91 says, but that doesn’t mean we should do stupid stuff and expect God to protect us. And so, Jesus answers in Matthew 4, verse 7.
Matthew 4:7 (ESV)
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, it is written. Using the GRAPHE (Written Word) with the authority of the LOGOS (Living Word) and speaking it as the RHEMA (Spoken Word.) The Word of God – triple forged into an unbeatable weapon against your spiritual enemy. But still, the enemy isn’t finished with Jesus. That’s only two strikes. And so, we continue in Matthew Chapter 4.
Matthew 4:8–9 (ESV)
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
First of all, in this temptation, who is it that has the “right” to give all the kingdoms of this world to Jesus? Satan does. Satan controls the kingdoms of this world and their glory. So, if that is what you’re chasing, make note of this. Satan tries to get Jesus to give him what Satan has always wanted – worship that is due only to God. That is exactly what Satan is trying to trick you into doing as well. Don’t fall for it! Speak to Satan the exact words Jesus spoke to him in Matthew 4:10.
Matthew 4:10 (ESV)
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
For it is written – the GRAPHE (Written Word) with the authority of the LOGOS (Living Word) spoken as the RHEMA (Spoken Word.) This is the triple forged power of the Word of God.
Listen, we have been given an unbeatable weapon to stand against the enemy and to defeat him. You have this victory already guaranteed in Jesus Christ. Why don’t we use it? Because we’re lazy? Because we don’t know God’s Word? Because we trust someone else’s opinion more than God’s Word? Or is it because we just don’t like what God’s Word says?
If you’ll learn the Written Word, if you’ll grow in your relational knowledge of the Living Word, and if you have the courage to offensively speak the Spoken Word, you will be victorious in the spiritual battle. Period!
Guys, we’ve got to get over this. ALL of the spiritual armor is based on God’s Word, and you can put it all on through God’s Word so that when the enemy comes at you, you will be able to respond the same way Jesus does.
IT – IS – WRITTEN!! BE GONE, SATAN!
All we have to do is learn how to use the weapon. The weapon is the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. In its GRAPHE form, the Written Word with the authority of its LOGOS form, the Living Word, spoken to the enemy in its RHEMA form, the Spoken Word. And BAAM!!! You will stand against all the attacks of the enemy.
And so, here’s what I want you to do. I’m going to give you some resources to begin actually using God’s Word in your spiritual battle because we have got to start doing something about the enemy just whooping us all the time. So, I want you to take note of these following three resources to start using God’s Word more in your life.
1). Get our phone app. Search wordbymail in your app store.
Look under “Scripture by Topic.”
2). Get the YouVersion Bible app
And practice using the SEARCH function
3). Get the GotQuestions app
And practice searching keywords and questions
If you don’t have a smartphone, you can get all of this on the computer as well (at the websites). OR just come talk to us. We want to help you learn how to actually use the sword of the Spirit in your spiritual battle.