THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT

Eph. 6:17 & Heb. 4:12

The ‘sword of the Spirit’ is defined in Ephesians 6:17 as ‘the word of God.’

Hebrews 4:12 informs us as to how the sword of the Spirit (i.e., word of God) affects our lives.

This ‘sword’ is defensive as well as offensive as a part of our spiritual armor. At what times are we to be defensive? Offensive? There is a need for both (times to ‘protect from attack’ and times to ‘advance before attack comes’).

The power of the sword of the Spirit/Word is seen in the defining words in Hebrews:

1) Quick – (zeo) = verb; to live (literally and figuratively); life, breathe, to enjoy and have true life worthy of the name; living water, having vital power in itself; and exerting the same upon one’s soul. To be fresh, strong, and efficacious/effective.

 Matt. 4:1-11 (Lk. 4:1-13) – Jesus examples the necessity of the Sword of the Spirit, written Word while our hearts our being tested, tempted, and tried by the devil (accuser).

2) Powerful – (energes) = active, operative, effectual, powerful in effort and operation.

 Know the Word and Speak the Word as a weapon of our righteousness!

3) Sharp – (tomoteros) = by a single stroke it is capable to cut through, or cutting off, in one swing as opposed to chopping which needs repeated blows.

 Jesus didn’t have to keep repeating what the Word He spoke. Once was effective to defeat the accuser/tempter.

4) Piercing – (diikneomai) = to reach through; to penetrate. It has the sufficient ability to rightly divide that which is causing confusion or conflict.

 The spoken word penetrated to bring alignment of soul, heart, spirit while defeating the temptation, passing the test, and becoming purified in the trial.

In what ways has God’s word been used in your personal life to 1) give you life; 2) effectively help you; 3) cut off something in your life that needed to be removed, or cut through something brining you to a point of conviction; 4) pierced through confusion or conflict?

Heb. 4:12 says its effective in dividing the soul and spirit, and the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

This gives us three categories to examine:

1. Soul vs Spirit –

a. I Cor. 15:45b-47 – …the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man [Adam] was of the earth [natural thinking] made of dust; the second Man is the Lord [Jesus] from heaven.

b. II Cor. 7:1 - …let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness (stain; defilement) of flesh and spirit, perfecting (accomplishing) holiness in the fear of the Lord.

c. Kevin Conners: “ Young people are tempted by sins of the body and soul. Older people must guard against sins of the spirit.”

o Sins against the spirit can be: resisting the HS; coming in a wrong spirit in attitude through judgments, strife, contention…

o Gal. 5:17 – For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want. V. 16 – But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.

o Gal. 5:22-23 identifies the fruits (characteristics) of God’s Spirit which we should walk in.

d. I Cor. 2:11-14 – For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. V. 15 – But we have the mind of Christ.

2. Joints vs Marrow –

a. Natural ‘joints’ give us freedom to move, flex, and function as a team of distinct parts in unison together.

• Col. 2:19 – And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increases with the increase of God.

b. Marrow produces blood cells (white and red) that help protect the body from viruses, injuries, stops bleeding, and carries oxygen. This is where our immune system gets its defenses.

• Ps. 63:5 – My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips.

• Pro. 3:7-8 – Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones.

c. How does God’s word activate our spiritual immune system? And help us live in unity?

3. Discerns between thoughts and intents of the heart.

a. Thoughts (enthymesis) means deliberation or consideration. In other words, the things we ponder. (The exercise of our mind through an idea, conception, opinion, purpose, judgment, etc.)

b. Intents (ennoia) means our moral understanding and our manner of feeling and thinking. (Closely directed; strictly attentive; bent towards a specific outcome.)

o Peter give us an example when he cut off the servant’s ear & Jesus rebuked him.

This topic requires deeper thought than we have time for. However, Psalm 119 is an excellent chapter providing 175 verses to show how the Word of God which is the Sword of the Spirit affects our lives and the produce of refinement resulting from its affects. Meditate on these descriptions as you allow the Holy Spirit to lead you and guide you into all truth.