This is the final post in my series on the armor of God, based on information from the book Sparkling Gems from the Greek by Rick Renner. Have you noticed that all the other pieces of armor are defensive? Finally, it's time to play offense with the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God! ~ Ephesians 6:17b
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| Photo courtesy of Donny333 and Photobucket |
By using the word machiara when describing the sword of the Spirit, Paul, the author of Ephesians, is telling us God gave His church a weapon satan fears because it has the power to slash him to shreds! The use of the word machiara also tells believers that this sword of the Spirit we've been given will be used in close combat. Just a short stab is sufficient to do the enemy in!
Of course, a Roman soldier didn't go onto the battlefield unprepared. He trained with his sword every day so when it came time for battle, he would be ready. In the same way, we must spend time in God's Word every day so we will be prepared for whatever the enemy throws our way.
Of course, a Roman soldier didn't go onto the battlefield unprepared. He trained with his sword every day so when it came time for battle, he would be ready. In the same way, we must spend time in God's Word every day so we will be prepared for whatever the enemy throws our way.
The Greek word logos refers to the written word of God, but that's not the word Paul used here. He defined the sword of the Spirit using the word rhema which is a quickened - or living - specific word from the Holy Spirit. You see, we're not in this battle alone - we have the Holy Spirit working with us! According to John 14:26, "the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
Are you as excited about this as I am? Not only will the Holy Spirit help us understand what the Bible says, He will hand us our sword by bringing that Scripture to mind right when we need it! If I do my part and spend time studying and memorizing God's word, I can be assured God will do his part and bring it to mind when the need arises.
The question we must each ask ourselves is, "Am I doing my part?"
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. ~ Ephesians 6:11-18
Lord, I thank you for the armor you have made available to me so that I will be protected and victorious when I battle against the enemy. Help me to put it on every day so that when the day comes I will be prepared. And thank you for the aid of the Holy Spirit, who is there to remind me of Your truth!
Lord, I thank you for the armor you have made available to me so that I will be protected and victorious when I battle against the enemy. Help me to put it on every day so that when the day comes I will be prepared. And thank you for the aid of the Holy Spirit, who is there to remind me of Your truth!
Lisa
TweetOther posts in this series:
Armor of God (overview)
Are You Buckled Up? - The Belt of Truth
Guard Your Heart - The Breastplate of Righteousness
Killer Shoes - Feet Fitted with Readiness
Impenetrable - The Shield of Faith
Guard Your Mind - The Helmet of Salvation
Time to Play Offense - The Sword of the Spirit (YOU ARE HERE!)
Linking up with: "Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday", "The Beauty in His Grip", "Soli Deo Gloria", "Playdates at the Wellspring", "Monday Musings", "Living Well Wednesday", "Word Filled Wednesday", "Weekend Whatever", "Spiritual Sundays"
I linked up behind you at "Hear in on Sunday...", and yours is the second post I've read tonight on the Word being our sword...funny thing is, I mentioned it in my post today as well. I think that's the Holy Spirit :) Anyway, thanks for this exhortation and encouragement. Blessings :)
Great reminder of all God does to prepare us for spiritual battle. I love this line: "Just a short stab is sufficient to do the enemy in!" Thanks for sharing this and for visiting me at Doorkeeper. Blessings!
I love looking at the original Greek to get a better handle on what the text is saying! thnaks for sharing your insights!
posting a portion on my fb and linking others to this.
we are neighbors at Jen’s....Learning the true meaning of a word and really bring it more alive and help us in our everyday walk....thanks and blessings to you~
Lisa, this is fantastic! You did a wonderful job with this post. Sometimes on Fridays, I post links of articles that really touch me. This one will be definitely on the list.
There is power in WORDS, and using the Word of God as a weapon against The enemy in what ever form he comes to us in, is our weapon of choice.
Using God's word in prayer, in speach, in thought will keep us bolstered up.
Awesome! I never had done a word study on the word sword. Loved this post! Thanks for sharing and for the encouragement!!
Michelle
I needed to see this and read your post today! My workplace is filled with Satan and it is all I can do to fill my heart and mind with God's word and His armor before I enter the office.
But my heart is sad as our youngest son is off to college and he is 9 hrs. away! I would welcome prayer for us so somehow we can find more creative ways to visit him!
I feel safer in His arms whenever I read Ephesians 6:11. It is a Scripture I repeat daily!
Your thoguhts are beautiful! Thank you. Anne
I've always been more afraid of knives, swords, etc. - anything that "cuts" more than guns and bullets. The sword of the Spirit is a valuable and necessary weapon. Thank you for sharing this.
Blessings,
Charlotte
Last night a visiting pastor spoke about the machiara. It stirred me so much, I googled it and came upon your site. You confirmed almost word for word what you have written! What a blessing!