The Sword of the Spirit
The Word of God

Hebrews 4:12; Matthew 4:2-11; 1 Peter 3:15; Psalm 119:110-112 “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”—Ephesians 6:17-

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”      -Ephesians 6:18-

 

  The Sword of the Spirit is a powerful weapon of spiritual warfare. The sword is formed by speaking God’s Word. When we use the sword properly, God’s power and resources are available to us. In discussing the Sword of the Spirit, it is helpful to first examine the meaning of the Greek words 1. “Logos” (The Word of God). this means standing in faith on the Word, God has given us for our particular situation and confessing it in the face of the enemy’s attack. 2. “Rhema”, (Spoken Words of God), which are often used for the “Word” of God. This means speaking or singing scriptures that apply to the situation we are facing.
    As with the other pieces of the Armor of God, the Sword of the Spirit relies on faith for its foundation. When our faith is based on the promises of God’s Word, our sword’s “spiritual power link” to God is engaged. Jesus said, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:23). Spoken in faith, the Sword of the Spirit is the truth that sets people free from the lies that hold them captive (John 8:31-32; Psalm 119:160; John 17:17).
       Jesus used the Sword of the Spirit in resisting satan in the wildness (Luke 4). Jesus responded to each of the temptations by quoting scripture. The scripture He chose revealed and destroyed the lies of each temptation. In the same way, we can use scripture to destroy the lies that tempts us. When using the Sword of the Spirit, we need  to ensure that we are using the scripture in the proper context from where it was taken.  In order to understand, we will need to learn the Bible. Bible study not only familiarizes us with the Word; but also builds our faith up (Romans 10:17), and sharpens our discernment skills for spiritual warfare (Hebrews 4:12).
     The best method for learning the Bible is to study it each day in quiet time with God. Specifically, you will want to learn about God’s promises to you, your identity in Jesus and the guidelines for holy living. As you study the Bible, you will also want to pick out verses to memorize. Scripture memory helps improved your swordsmanship in rejecting temptations and it usually requires persistence and effort, but it is well worth it. As you face temptations each day, try to recall the verses you have learned that apply to the temptation or to the problem. You can ask the Holy Spirit to help you remember them. One of the Holy Spirit’s function is to remind you of the Word (John 14:26). The more you have memorized, the more verses the Spirit has to help you with. The more you speak the scriptures that come to mind, the more you reinforce them in your memory.