Put On The Full Armor of God

Sword of the Spirit

Ephesians 6:17 (KJV)
 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

This portion of Scripture informs us the Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God

As we study the Sword of the Spirit we must remember that the Lord saves, heals and delivers His people through His Word. His Word is a weapon, empowered by His Spirit, used to defeat the lies and powers of Darkness. His Word brings sanctification, healing and deliverance to His people.

His Word is the primary means of His delivering power in our lives. As we apply and live by His Word then His power over darkness is released within us. The Lord gives His Word to His people; this has always been His primary means of empowering His people. He speaks, His people believe Him, and as they act on what He says, His Word gives them victories over their enemies.

The Word of God is called the Sword of the Spirit for two important reasons.

  • God uses His Word to defeat every enemy.
  • His people, in whom dwells the Holy Spirit, use His Word to defeat every enemy.

The Sword is a Weapon of Combat

2Cor. 3-5
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

When we act on the Word of God, the Holy Spirit performs the intended purpose of the Word. The Word of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit inflicts mortal wounds on the lies of Darkness.

And that is precisely the effect of the Word of God upon deception and darkness. The Word of God defeats, with a fatal wound, the lies of darkness that would bind and blind our mind.

Remember, Darkness flourishes when hidden by a lie. Darkness has its greatest influence over us when we do not see it. The sword of the Spirit shines light on the lies of Darkness, taking away their cover, and allowing us to turn from their inward destructions.

As we wage our warfare using the truth of God's Word, darkness must flee in the presence of Light. And as we use the Light of God's Word, to defeat lies that reside within, one by one, new freedom and power is released into our heart and mind.

The Word Of God Is Truth

That the Word of God is Truth cannot be over emphasized. Our battle with Darkness is fundamentally a battle with deception. Spiritual Darkness comes to us through a lie, or a distortion. The power of Darkness depends its "wiles" to bring us under the influence of a lie. Just as light defeats darkness, the power of a lie is defeated by truth.

As we bring truth into our mind, and begin to identify the lies in our thinking, the power of darkness is diminished, lie by lie, until our mind is completely renewed and governed by truth. As we subject our emotions and thoughts to the Word of God, we disarm the lies of Darkness and stop it's destructive influences. As we  gain victories over inward lies,  we find a new freedom as Jesus Himself now has final say over the desires of our heart.  We give Jesus the last word by yielding our heart and its desires to the Word of God. It is through the renewing of our mind that we are able to recognize, and then stop the ongoing influence of Darkness on our thoughts, our emotions, our ambitions, our desires, and our priorities.

Examples of Destructive Thinking:

  • Do I make decisions because of the love of money?
  • Do I chronically make bad decisions?
  • Am I living in chronic sin? Why, what do I really want?
  • What is it that I really enjoy?
  • Am I, in reality, a completely unhappy person? If yes, then what is it that I am not getting?
  • Do I relate to life as though it (life) is about me and my wants. Or do I relate to life through the ccomplishments of Jesus on my behalf.
  • Am I in constant competition or struggle with people?
  • Am I chronically frustrated, depressed or angry?
  • Do I define myself or do I allow God to define me?
  • Do I define reality or do I allow God to define reality?
  • Who defines truth for me - the culture, the media, my family, my Church, my own mind, or the Word of God?
  • Is my life characterized by thankfulness and joyfulness?
  • Do I have a sense of security with genuine peace?

The Word Converts the Soul

Psalm 19:7-11 (NKJV)
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.

The effects of Darkness are expressed through our personalities just as God expresses Himself through our personalities. Darkness rules in us through lies, God rules through truth. So, it is as we allow God's Word to rule over our heart, that darkness is effectively dealt with. The result of God's rule is spiritual and emotional freedom.

We must remember that believing and acting on lies is ultimately a moral issue, it is sin. If we live by a lie rather than God's Word it is because we prefer the lie.

God Sends His Word for a Specific Effect or Purpose.

Psalm 107:20 (NKJV)
20 He sent His word and healed them, And delivered them from their destructions.

Isaiah 55:8-11 (NKJV)
8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, 11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

One thing is certain, God understands our problems. He knows exactly where our difficulties lie. He understands anger, depression, frustration, unhappiness, destructive habits; He understands every problem we can have. But the really good news is that He not only understands our problems, but He understands us. It is as He fixes us that we become able to manage our problems. He understands life better than we do and He knows our heart better than we do. In fact, as God, He alone is the only one that has all the answers!

The Key: WE Allow God to Define Truth.

We are to allow Him to define our purpose in life; He is the One who gives meaning. As God, we allow him to define the source of our difficulties, and we allow Him to define Himself. God can answer every question and we allow to provide the principles we live by.

God Could Have Said Anything, but His Word is what He said!!

The above scriptures tell us that God understands the issues of our life. And He heals for healing is built into His Word. He says that just as water waters the earth, and causes the earth to bring forth fruit in order that people will have food. In the same way, God foresees our need, and sends His Word to water our soul and produce in us the health and healing He has purposed.

His word will accomplish His purposes, for He performs His Word to His desired end! God designed water to do what it does and God designed plants that need water for growth. The Scripture encourages us to learn from this simple illustration of God's design. Can you imagine a plant that refused water because, in the plant's wisdom, it didn't see the relevance or purpose of water.

Contrast that plant with a plant that simply accepts God's counsel, accepts that water is essential for health, and then, in faith, drank deeply of the water that God gave. We must see ourselves as designed by God, and His Word as the essential nutrient of our soul.

God Performs His Word

It is a question of power. God owns all power, otherwise he couldn't fix our problems. When the scripture says His Word will accomplish the purpose for which it is sent, we are to understand that in order for that statement to be true God must have all power. In other words, nothing can stop God's Word from accomplishing it's purpose. God Himself performs His Word! Isaiah 55:11 states His Word will accomplish what He pleases and prosper in the purpose for which He sent it! As we submit our hearts to God's Word then the accomplishing and prospering of His Word begins to work in us, producing the wholeness and freedom that He wills for His people. Listen to Psalms Chpt. 1.

Psalm 1 (NIV)
1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Notice the wholeness and freedom that comes to the person who allows the Word of God to rule in their heart. They are like trees that are planted by a river, trees that bear fruit and whose leaves are always green. He is so affected by the Word of God that he prospers in everything he does.

It is as we submit our lives to the searchlight of God's Word that we are changed. If we allow God's Word to decide all questions of faith and behavior, what is right or wrong, inside and outside, then we will be able to see our heart with God's eye. Otherwise we never see our real problems and never deal with the destructions of lies that reside within. Listen to Hebrews 4:12

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)
For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are

We all need this supervision of God's Word. No one ever comes to the place in life that they no longer need to expose their heart to God.

Listen to Timothy.

2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT)
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.

As we walk toward wholeness and freedom through His Word, may we hear the voice of God, speaking to us saying, this is the way, walk ye in it.

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Scripture

Psa. 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Psa. 119:114
Thou art my hiding place and my shield, I hope in thy word.

Psa. 119:125
I am thy servant, give me understanding, that I may know thy testimonies.

Psa 19:7-11

The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statues of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous all together. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them is thy servant warned, and in keeping them of them, there is great reward.

Psa. 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Psa. 91:4
He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust, His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

John 18:37
Pilate therefore said unto him, art thou a king then? Jesus answered, thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Jn 1:1,14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

1Jn 1:1
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

1Jn 5:7
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.

Rev 19:13
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

Job 23:12
Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Psa 119:89
For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

Isa 40:6-8
The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: 7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. 8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Deut 8:3
And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Psa 119:103-105
How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 104 Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Jer 15:16
Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.