Pastor’s Corner: “Holy Spirit’s Sword”
Ephesians 6:17 (NLT) – 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Great warriors are known by their weapons. Think about the great warriors in our literature and in pop culture. What are they without their weapons? Can you imagine King Arthur without Excalibur, his sword? Can you imagine Zorro without his rapier, or a Jedi knight without a lightsaber? So, imagine a Christian without a Bible (wielded by Holy Spirit)? Defenseless and without power. How can Christians engage in the spiritual battle all around us without knowing the Words of God? The short answer is they don’t. The church ends up being tossed about by the winds and waves of this world and its systems (run by satan) totally unarmed, disabled and ineffective.
In our opening scripture (Ephesians 6:17) we note that the Holy Spirit has a sword. He is quiet as the dew, tender as a flower, soft as lambs wool, and peaceful as a dove; and yet, under another aspect, he wields a deadly weapon. He is the Spirit of judgment and the Spirit of burning, and he does not bear the sword in vain. The Bible (sword) without Holy Spirit is like any other book. He’s the one who gives the sword its keen edge. The Spirit is the one who makes it effective and who makes it powerful. The word pierces because it’s wielded by the Holy Spirit. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 1 that “our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.” The Spirit and the word, coming together.
When Jesus ascended to heaven, He did not leave us defenseless. John 14:15-19 (NLT) – Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit – 15 “If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18 No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19 Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live.
Holy Spirit wields the word upon us and then through us, right? He uses it in us and through us. The Spirit uses the word to give us life. You remember how Scriptures tell us that we are born of the Spirit. To be born again, to be born from above, is to be born of the Spirit (John 3), but then when you read the letter of 1 Peter, Peter says that are born again by the word of God, the living and the enduring word of God. Why? Because the Spirit uses the word as the instrument to bring us to life. The opening scripture calls us to take up this sword!
There are two words used in Scripture for the word of God. There is the familiar word, logos, which is used in the opening verse of John’s gospel: In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word (Logos) was with God. Then there is another word, rhema, which is different in meaning. Logos refers to the total utterance of God, the complete revelation of what God has said. Rhema means a specific saying of God, a passage or a verse that has special application to an immediate situation;
Rhema is the word used here for the sword of the Spirit. It is the saying of God applied to a specific situation. Perhaps all of us have had some experience with this. We have all read passages of Scripture when the words suddenly seemed to come alive, take on flesh and bones, leap off of the page at us, or grow eyes that follow us around everywhere we go. That is why this is called the sword of the Spirit, because it is not only originated by Him as the author of the Word, but it is also recalled to mind by the Spirit and made powerful by Him in our lives. It is His answer to the attack of the devil, who comes to discourage us, defeat us, lure us aside, deceive us, or mislead us in some way.
Ephesians 6:17 tells us to take up the sword of the Spirit. When we are tempted, the most effective weapon that God has given to us as believers is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Jesus modeled this so beautifully during His temptation in the wilderness. When the devil tried temptation after temptation against Him, Jesus used the sword of the Spirit (see Luke 4:1–13). The devil said, “Why don’t you turn a rock into a piece of bread. I know you are hungry.” Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’ ” Then the devil said, “Why don’t you worship me right now?” Jesus responded, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord God only. Him only you shall serve.’ ” “Why don’t you cast yourself off of here, and the angels will catch you,” Satan said, quoting Scripture out of context. Jesus responded, bringing the Scripture back into context, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”
The Sword of the Spirit is the one piece of armor that is both offensive and defensive. When we go into battle, we don’t beat my enemy with our shield or try to defeat him with our belt or chase him down with our sandals or throw our helmet at him. We pull our sword out of the sheath and I use it. The sword of the Spirit works. So draw your sword, Christian.
Ephesians 6:10-12 (NLT) – The Whole Armor of God – 10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton