Armor of God – Part 6
“And
take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of
God”. Ephesians 6:17. The sword of the
Spirit is the word of God“. For the word
of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing
even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow,
and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”, Hebrews 4:12.
The
word of God is necessary for the Christian to succeed in spiritual warfare. The
only way to defeat Satan is with Scripture. Christ used Scripture three
different times against Satan in the temptation narrative with, “It is
written”. Jesus started His defense telling us how to fight the
devil
– with the word of God. “But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not
live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”,
Matthew 4:4. Paul tells us in Romans
10:17 that the word of God is the basis of our faith. “So then faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God”.
There
is a sharp contrast between a physical sword and the sword of the Spirit. A physical sword wounds to hurt and kill. The sword of the Spirit wounds to heal and
give life by cutting away the transgression and sin in our lives. “Wherewith
shall a young man cleanse his way? By
taking
heed
thereto according to thy word”, Psalm
119:9. “Thy word have I hid in mine
heart, that I might not sin against thee”, Psalm 119:11. The word “cuts” us
when we are not living in accordance to what it teaches. “When they heard that, they were cut to the
heart, and took counsel to slay them”. Acts
5:33, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their
heart,
and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what
shall we do?” Acts 2:37
As
we have been examining the armor the last several weeks, we notice there is no
armor for the back of the soldier. Only the front of the body is protected. To me this implies that we are to face our
spiritual enemy face on, without fleeing from the fight. Jesus tells us in Luke 9:62,
“And
Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking
back, is fit for the kingdom of God”.
It
is my hope that we all wear the armor of God as a proud soldier of the cross of
Jesus Christ, standing firm in the faith “having done all, to stand”.
Elder
Tim White
Ider,
Alabama
