Studying God's Word

6. The sword of the Spirit (cont’d)

The sword of the Spirit is both a defensive weapon able to deflect the blows of Satan and it is an offensive weapon for inflicting blows because it is the very power of God. When Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days Satan tempted Jesus 3 times and each time He defeated Satan by quoting Scripture. Jesus left this example for us to follow. Jesus left the Bible for us to use to defeat Satan and his demons. God would not leave us defenseless against so powerful an enemy.  Scripture is the living and active power of God. The Word of God is so powerful that it transfers men and women from the realm of falsehood 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.

The Word of God changes sadness to joy, despair into hope, stagnation into growth, childishness into maturity, and failure into success. Millions of Christians have given this testimony. The rest of the world’s religions remain silent because they are all fake and have nothing to offer except to lead people away from the truth of our God.  Every time God’s Word leads a person to salvation it demonstrates its power to cut a swath through Satan’s dominion of darkness and bring light to a darkened soul. We must study God’s Word in depth in order to use this formidable weapon with great skill. Skill takes practice and discipline. The Bible is God’s wisdom which can be ours for the asking. Our charge is to use God’s Word for the glory of God and the furthering of His kingdom.

In summary, the armor of God consists of:

1. The knowledge of God’s Word gained through personal study.

2. Obedience to God’s commands in order to be holy before the Lord.

3. Actively spreading the gospel of Christ per the Great Commission that Jesus gave all disciples.

4. Having faith in who Jesus is and trusting His promises.

5. Trusting in God to be our Rock through whom we have the blessed hope of salvation, eternal life in heaven.

6. The very power of God through His Word to resist Satan and assault the powers of darkness.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

6. The sword of the Spirit:

We have previously covered the three permanent pieces of armor to be worn by Christians which are the knowledge of God’s Word, obedience to God’s commands and taking action by going forth to spread the gospel of Christ.  Then we mentioned the two additional pieces of armor to be taken up as needed which are faith in the promises of God and the blessed hope of our salvation, eternal life in heaven in fellowship with God.  The Roman foot soldier’s primary weapon for hand-to-hand combat was an 18 inch common sword carried in a scabbard attached to their belt and always at hand ready to use. The Christian’s primary weapon against Satan is the Bible. The Apostle Paul makes it clear this last piece of God’s armor is the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.

The Bible is the believer’s supreme piece of armor. The Bible can deflect the blows of Satan and is the Christian’s best defensive weapon.  For those who know God’s Word the Bible is also an effective offensive weapon against the powers of darkness.  But God’s Word is effective only if handled with precision and applied at the exact point of Satan’s attack.  Think of yourself as a doctor in the spiritual world and you scalpel is the Word of God. If you don’t know God’s Word intimately there’s no way you can use it effectively against Satan. Satan does know God’s Word and we must know it too.  Satan will always attack us where we are weak, uninformed or confused.

John 14:7 – The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

1 Joh 2:20 – But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.

1 John 2:27 – But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

5. The helmet of salvation:

Roman soldiers never entered battle without their helmet. Helmets were made of thick leather covered with metal plates or they were made of heavy molded or beaten metal. Helmets usually had cheek pieces to protect the face. Helmets were protection from the large double edged broadswords carried by cavalrymen who swung at the heads of foot soldiers.  Helmets were protection against the enemies primary weapon. Satan’s primary blows are against our minds and directed at the believer’s security and assurance in Christ. The two edges of Satan’s spiritual broadsword are discouragement and doubt. Satan wants us to doubt our salvation and discourage us by pointing out our failures, our sins, our problems, our poor health, or whatever else seems negative in our lives.

Satan wants us to lose confidence in the love and care of our heavenly Father by convincing us we don’t deserve God’s love. Satan wants us to doubt biblical truths, including doubt about one’s salvation. If Satan can get us to doubt God’s goodness and dependability our relationship with God becomes uncertain.  If our hope in God wanes we are susceptible to discouragement. As Christians our hope is everything and we can never allow Satan to touch the bedrock of our faith which is “the hope of salvation”.

If we lack hope in the future promise of salvation there can be no security in the present.  Hold fast to the truth of God’s Word and ignore Satan, the father of lies. We must live by faith and not by sight.  The helmet of salvation is the great hope of final salvation that gives us confidence and assurance that our present struggle with Satan will not last forever. We know we will be victorious in the end.

Ephesians 6:17 – And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

4. The shield of faith:

Roman soldiers carried shields to protect their entire body from aerial projectiles. These shields were 4 1/2 feet tall by 2 1/2 feet wide. These shields were made of wood and covered with metal or thick leather. These shields primarily protected against enemy arrows and especially those fiery arrows that had been dipped in pitch.

Ephesians 6:16 – Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

The object of the Christian faith is our Lord Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. Our faith is infinitely powerful and effective because the object of our faith is reliable, helpful, trustworthy and never fails to deliver on His promises. Without faith you cannot please God. You must first believe that God exists and that He will do what he says He will do. Without faith God will not protect you. God will not be your refuge or tall tower without faith in Him.

Hebrews 11:6 – But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.

Satan continually bombards God’s children with the flaming arrows (darts) of immorality, hatred, anger, covetousness, pride, doubt, fear, despair, distrust and other temptations. Every temptation, either directly or indirectly, tries to get us to doubt or distrust God.  The purpose of Satan’s missiles is to cause believers to forsake their trust in God, to drive a wedge between the Savior and the saved. Take up the shield of faith when Satan attacks your mind and emotions and you will be able to withstand his attack.

Hebrews 11:1 – Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

2 Corinthians 5:7 – We live by faith, not by sight.

James 4:7 – Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

3. The shoes of the gospel of peace:

Roman soldiers had to march everywhere they went over rough terrain because there were few roads. Their shoes were actually leather sandals which were usually impregnated with bits of metal or nails to give them better traction and stability as they fought. Shod with these sandals the Roman soldier could go anywhere on a moments notice and be effective in battle.  Christians must also be prepared to go anywhere on a moments notice.   For the believer, our spiritual footwear, our firm foundation, is the “the “good news” that believers are at peace with God through faith in Jesus.

When our feet are grounded in the preparation of the gospel message we can go anywhere and witness for Christ to anyone at any time. We are called upon to know the gospel message thoroughly and to go forth and fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus to witness to the nations of the world.  Because of the gospel we are at peace with God and we are one with Jesus. We can be confident in God’s love for us, God’s union with us, and God’s commitment to fight for us. We need fear no enemy, even Satan himself, as long as our feet are firmly rooted on the solid ground of the gospel of peace.

To summarize, the three critical pieces of God’s armor that believers must always have on are knowledge of God’s Word, obeying God’s commands, and witnessing for Christ. As we emulate Christ we must reach out to lost souls and try to save them for God’s kingdom. They are our brothers and we must have compassion for them.  If we don’t share the “good news” of God’s kingdom with lost souls then who will? Someone saved us and God leaves us here to pass the “good news” on to others. As disciples of Christ we are to do the work of Jesus and that is primarily to save souls. The three essential pieces of armor for the Christian are knowledge, obedience and action. Let us resolve to be good soldiers for Christ and persevere to the end.

2 Corinthians 5:20 – Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

2. The breastplate of righteousness:

The torso of the Roman soldier was protected by a leather breastplate covered with metal that protected the vital organs. The righteousness of God is applied to the account of all Christians the moment they believe in Christ. Our names are permanently written in the book of life.  Of course Paul is not referring to that righteousness here, what we call justification. Here Paul is referring to the practical righteousness of moment-by-moment obedience to God’s Word. The belt of truth is knowing God’s Word and the breastplate of righteousness is applying God’s Word in all aspects of our life. We must “know” before we can “do” and one is no good without the other. These are two sides of the same coin.

Colossians 3:2 – Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Romans 5:1- Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the Bible God commands us to be holy because He is holy. We do that through obedience to God’s Word. Believers are saved through faith in Christ which is a one time event but righteousness is a lifelong journey.  Our righteousness increases over time as we consciously try to obey God by following His commands for our life and emulating Christ in all we do. Living a righteous life should be the goal of all Christians.  Pray for God’s help in being righteous.  Ask for God’s forgiveness daily.  Lean on God for strength.

2 Corinthians 10:5 – Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.

Being children of the Most High God allows us to call on God for protection. What’s even better is living a righteous life before God because it affords us better protection from the spiritual assaults of Satan and his demons. All the saints are prime targets for the forces of darkness because we are beloved by God.  Satan will attack our mind and emotions and living a righteous life makes us better able to resist Satan. When we keep our mind focused on God Satan can’t influence us with false doctrine, false principles and false information. A righteous mind is the best defense against Satan.

Now that we’ve established the baseline parameters of our epic struggle against Satan let’s identify the protection at our disposal. The Apostle Paul used the analogy of the Roman soldier to describe the believer’s armor. In the book of Ephesians Paul has identified six pieces of armor God provides to His children so they can withstand the onslaughts of Satan and his demons. The first three pieces of armor are permanent and the believer is never to be without them. The last three pieces of armor are to be kept close at hand so they can be taken up when the actual fighting begins.

1. The belt of truth:

All Roman soldiers wore a heavy leather belt. The soldier’s loose outer garment was a tunic that was cinched up between the legs and tucked into the belt to prepare for hand-to-hand combat. This allowed for more freedom of movement. The equivalent of a belt for believers is the truth of God’s Word.  The foundation of our defense against Satan is to know the contents of the Bible intimately. Satan knows the Bible so we need to know it too. We must study Scripture for knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Jesus used God’s Word to defeat Satan when He was tested for 40 days in the wilderness just prior to the start of His ministry. By following the example set by Jesus we can also use Scripture to defeat Satan. The study of God’s Word is basic for the believer and we must continue this study for the rest of our lives.

Ephesians 6: – Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.

2 Timothy 2:4 – No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

Romans 12:1 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Romans 12:2 – And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of god.

Our victory against the forces of darkness is guaranteed as long as we are strong in the Lord. We do that by daily prayer, knowing and obeying Scripture, hearing Scripture taught and having faith in the promises of God. Satan is the father of lies. Satan preys on our minds and our emotions.  One of Satan’s strategies is to deny his existence. Another ploy would have us believe Satan means us no harm and there is no conflict between good and evil in the supernatural realm. Don’t you believe it for one minute!

You can’t prevail against Satan if you don’t even know there’s a war going on. Many people will stick their heads in the sand and lose their souls when all they have to do is read God’s Word and open their hearts to the truth. The war between God and Satan is becoming more intense as we get nearer the end times.  It’s time for everyone to choose sides. It’s time for everyone to wake up to what’s going on around us and not be the dupes of Satan and his demons any longer. Weak people wind up consciously deciding to do evil and choosing Satan over God because they are trapped in their sin. Be strong in the Lord!

1 Peter 5:8 – Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

As the children of God we’re especially hated by Satan and the target of his wrath. We’re in a war with Satan and it will continue to be that way until Christ returns to establish His millennial kingdom and rule the earth for 1,000 years. In order to prevail in this war against such a powerful enemy we must have God’s provision, His strength, because we are weak.  To prevail against Satan we must take up the full armor of God. God will be our strength but only through our obedience to His Word. Only with the armor of God can we win this struggle against the powers of darkness. Scripture is clear we must resist the devil and stand firm.

Ephesians 6:11 – Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

James 4:7 – Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

What do we know and how do we know it? We know there’s hand to hand combat over us in the spirit realm between angels and demons. Demons seek our destruction and God protects us with His angels. Why else would God have created millions of angels if He didn’t have a purpose for so many?  The obvious purpose for so many angels is to protect man from the onslaught of demons bent on our destruction. Why is that? Man is God’s special creation and much beloved by the Father. Demons hate God and seek to hurt Him by destroying His beloved children. The Bible confirms we have guardian angels.

The ministry of Jesus started after a 40 day battle against Satan in the wilderness. This account is chronicled in Luke chapter 4. All through the ministry of Jesus Satan stirred up the people against Him. Satan again besieged Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Satan’s assault was so powerful our Lord sweated blood. At the trial of Jesus Satan made sure our Lord was found guilty and crucified. What Satan intended for evil God turned to good and our salvation.  After the war in heaven God threw Satan and his demons to the earth but He did not leave man defenseless. God has given us the Holy Spirit and the Word of God for our protection. The Apostle Paul gives us guidance on how we can apply God’s Word for our defense against the powers of darkness and be victorious.

Paul uses an analogy between the armor used by Roman soldiers and God’s protection of His saints. On our own we are weak and virtually defenseless against the power of the evil one. But if we lean on God’s mighty power evil can’t touch us.  Remember that as we genuinely do the Lord’s work Satan’s opposition will be the strongest. As believers we are servants of the Lord and His beloved children. We are soldiers for Christ and our job is to fight the enemy using God’s Word.  Remember that we are never alone in this world.  The physical world we live in is like a fish bowl and we can’t see outside of it but spiritual beings like demons and angels can clearly see us going about our lives. You’ll sin less if you always keep in mind you are a child of God and the spirit world is closely watching what you do.

As Christians we all run the individual race God has planned for us. Our mantra in this life should be, “love what God loves and hate what God hates.”  If you apply this filter to every decision, every action, before you do it you can be confident you’re acting in accordance with God’s will. Be sure to also pray to God for guidance and the Holy Spirit will confirm in your spirit the right course to take. Ask of God always and He will make your paths straight. Do these two things faithfully and you will stay on the narrow path.  God hates evil. God hates Satan and his fallen angels (demons). The Bible tells us this evil empire is on the earth all around us in the spirit world trying to destroy us every minute of the day.  Let me be clear; Satan wants your soul. The question is are you going to fight to keep your soul or are you going to roll over and let him take it without a struggle? In an earlier blog I put forth my proofs that the Bible is the living Word of God which any logical person should accept as fact.

Do you remember the story of the angel Gabriel who was dispatched to answer the prayers of the prophet Daniel in Babylon?  Gabriel was held up from reaching Daniel for 3 weeks because he was struggling with the powerful demon in control of that region who the Bible referred to as the prince of Persia. The archangel Michael had to finally intervene to defeat the demons trying to stop Gabriel from completing his mission from God. This kind of struggle goes on every day. We just don’t see it or hear about it.  Remember the story of the prophet Elisha and his servant being pursued by their enemies. The servant was fearful and Elisha asked the Lord to remove the scales from the servants eyes so he could see their protectors in the spirit world. God did so and camped all around them were a company of angels with swords of fire. Every story in the Bible and every word is put there to teach us and be an example for us to follow. The Bible isn’t a novel. God doesn’t do fluff. The Bible is God’s distilled wisdom.

This battle between good and evil began in the Garden of Eden when Satan induced Adam to sin and that sin fell to every man who came after Adam. The struggle between God and Satan has not diminished since then but has intensified as we get nearer to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.  The powers of darkness assault us every day from the spirit world. It’s an assault on our mind and emotions as they seek our destruction. God has sent His angels to help us and protect us from the powers of darkness. The unbelievers have no protection from God and are therefore easy prey for Satan.