Ephesians: In The Lord's Army (7)

If we are going to have any chance with sperading the gospel that God has commanded us to spread, then we need to start taking a stand and start attacking the enemy, itstead of waiting for him to attack us

My dad always told me, “dont go looking for a fight, but when you are in one you better fight a good one.”

Brothers and Sisters, we are in a fight, we didnt go looking for it, but we are in it and our Father through the Apostle Paul has told us to fight.

1 Timothy 6:12 KJV 1900

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

So, if we are going to fight the good fight of faith, we need to understand the weapon that God has given us to fight with.

The first thing we need to understand

The Description of the Sword

The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God

There were two types of swords. One was a large broadsword, swung with both hands to hack at the enemy. The other (mentioned here) was a shorter, two-edged sword used to cut and thrust

Paul had the latter type of sword in mind when he was writing.

Paul describes this sword as the very Word of God.

Gods Word is described as such in other places as well:

Hebrews 4:12 KJV 1900

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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.

Revelation 1:16 KJV 1900

And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

Revelation 2:12 KJV 1900

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

Why did Paul say it was the the sword of The Spirit

Because the spirit is the Source of the Sword

He gave chosen men the revelation and he guided them in the recording of those revelations

It came to men that were moved by the Spirit

2 Peter 1:20–21 KJV 1900

Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

The Bible is not a mere human document, or a human word.

It is without a doubt God’s very own out-breathed Words

Think about this,

The same “almighty word that chaos and darkness heard, And took their flight from” in the dawn of creation.

The same word of God that spoke the world into being.

The same breath that made man a living soul and quickens his spirit.

Is that same word of God that rang from the lips of Jesus in magnificent authority when He cast out evil spirits, cleansed loathsome lepers, and raised the dead.

The Word of God is God-breathed.

The second thing that we need to understand this morning is

The Duty of the sword

Just like a soldiers rifle today, the sword of the Roman soldier was issued to him at basic.

He was taught how to carry it

how to take care of it.

how to use it

The Word of God is no different for the soldier in the Lord’s Army

We should know how to care for our Weapon

Our Wepon, Our Sword is this Book! (Hold up the Bible)

This book is not just another book, this book is the Book. It should be cared for like it is your only possession

Its not ment to be thrown in the back seat of your car

or left in the pew all week like a discarded stuffed animal.

This book is your very guide for all faith and practice

This book has the very Words of eternal life.

The way you care for your Bible says a lot about you.

Now, those that have tape holding their bibles together, that shows a love for the Weapon.

They love it so much they dont want to part with it.

Then there are those that can’t even find the book Hezekiah.

Your Weapon may be in great condition but its because you have never taken it out of its holster.

How are you ever going to fight the good fight if you dont know how to first take care of your Weapon?

And how are you going to know how to take care of it if you dont read the manufacture’s instructions?

Now when I was in basic, in the usaf we had like a week if that of combat training.

Things had to be really bad for us to pick up a rifle. But we still had to learn about it.

Now, If you are or were a Marine you had to know the rifle inside and out.

How did you get to know it?

You studied it

You Learn about the different functions it has.

You Learn how each piece is needed in order for it to work as intended

You learn when to use it

You learn it capabilities

Same goes for our Weapon,

We need to Study it

Learn about the different functions it has

Learn it’s capabilities

Learn how it all works together

and Just like a rifle, if you leave out one part, it will limit how it can function.

Now after you learned about your Weapon, you were then taught how to use it.

I never was taught the many different ways you can use your rifle in combat.

I know they make all kinds of attachments to go on them.

One of those is or was a bannett

this was a two edged blade that stuck out from the barrell of the rifle.

This blade was used in close combat

Im not sure how strong they were but Im sure they could kill if needed

Now the Roman sword was much larger than a bannett

When the soldier pulled it form his sheth

He had one thing in mind and that was to destroy what ever was at the other end of the blade.

Now our Weapon , this Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God is pulled from its sheth,

it is used I think in three ways

To Pierce the Armor of Falsehood

To prove this we dont have to look to hard,

Just look at the Lord Himself when he was tempted by the devil.

he was led into the wilderness by the Spirit

The devil came at him with half truths which is nothing more then whole lies. They are falsehoods ment to decieve.

So what did our Lord do?

He pulled the sword from its sheth and pierced the Armor of Falshood.

the Word in the flesh used the Word of God to pierce the devils armor.

The devil said command these stone to be made bread

Jesus said It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

then the devil said if thou be the Son of God, cast thy self down for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:(what Satan left out was ‘to keep thee in all they ways’) and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest (and added) at any time, thou dash thy foot against a stone, PS 91:11-12

Jesus said, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God

Then the devil tried to brib the creator of all with everything He has created if He would only worship the devil.

Jesus said, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Christ used the Sword of the Spirit to defend against the attacks of the enemy and he used it to pierce the Armor of falsehood

You and I are to fight the devil and all his powers with the same weapon.

The best answer to secular humanism is the Word of God.

The best answer to materialism is the Word of God.

The best answer to behavioral psychology, liberal theology, cults, and false religions

is the Word of God.

The second thing we use the Sword for is

To Cut the Flesh of the Adversary

Because the Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit, it cuts through all Satan’s ranks, deceptions, and devices.

The devil is no match for the Holy Spirit.

You know why the world gets so mad when we use scripture to defend our beliefs?

Because it cuts them and they dont like it.

When the apostles spoke to the Jewish council, it cut them deep

Acts 5:33 KJV 1900

When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.

When Stephen rebuked the Jews,

Acts 7:57 KJV 1900

Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

The Word of God cuts and pierces but it is also used to

To Penetrate the Heart of the Sinner and Saint

Hebrews 4:12 KJV 1900

The Word of God Penetrated our hardened hearts and made them hearts of flesh

God breathed on the bones in Ezekiel and they became alive.

The Chapter before that he said…

Ezekiel 36:26 KJV 1900

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Praise God, for that night in October of 2003 that God breathed in me new life, and my heart of stone became a heart of flesh and His Spirit is in me.

All becasue of His Word!!!

God used his word to take us from dead fruit to first fruits

James 1:18 KJV 1900

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

God used his word to take the corruptible seed that I was and made me incorruptible

1 Peter 1:23 KJV 1900

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

The Pslamist new it was only by the Word of God that man would see his need of a savior.

Psalm 119:107 (KJV 1900)

I am afflicted very much:Quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word.

Psalm 119:25 (KJV 1900)

My soul cleaveth unto the dust: Quicken thou me according to thy word.

Psalm 19:7 (KJV 1900)

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

God’s Word tells us that if you confess what His Word says about His Son and believe it in your heart, you will be saved.

Romans 10:9–10 KJV 1900

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Many of you may have heard this story, I dont know who wrote it but its a good testament to the power of God’s Word

In the city of Chicago, one cold, dark night, a blizzard was setting in.

A little boy was selling newspapers on the corner. The people were in and out of the cold. The little boy was so cold that he wasn't trying to sell many papers.

He walked up to a policeman and said, "Mister, you wouldn't happen to know where a poor boy could find a warm place to sleep tonight would you? You see, I sleep in a box up around the corner there and down the alley and it's awful cold in there for tonight. Sure would be nice to have a warm place to stay."

The policeman looked down at the little boy and said, "You go down the street to that big white house and you knock on the door. When they come to the door you just say John 3:16, and they will let you in."

So he did. He walked up the steps and knocked on the door, and a lady answered.

He looked up and said, "John 3:16."

The lady said, "Come on in son." She took him in and she sat him down in a split bottom rocker in front of a great big old fireplace, and she went off.

The boy sat there for a while and thought to himself: John 3:16... I don't understand it, but it sure makes a cold boy warm.

Later, she came back and asked him, "Are you hungry?"

He said, "Well, just a little. I haven't eaten in a couple of days and I guess I could stand a little bit of food."

The lady took him in the kitchen and sat him down to a table full of wonderful food. He ate and ate until he couldn't eat any more. Then he thought to himself : John 3:16... boy, I sure don't understand it but it sure makes a hungry boy full.

She took him upstairs to a bathroom to a huge bathtub filled with warm water, and he sat there and soaked for a while. As he soaked, he thought to himself : John 3:16... I sure don't understand it but it sure does make a dirty boy clean.

The lady came in and got him. She took him to a room, tucked him into a big old feather bed, pulled the covers up around his neck, kissed him goodnight and turned out the lights. As he lay in the darkness and looked out the window, at the snow coming down on that cold night, he thought to himself: John 3:16... I don't understand it but it sure makes a tired boy rested.

The next morning, the lady came back up and took him down again to that same table full of food. After he ate, she took him down again to that same big old split bottom rocker in front of the fireplace and picked up a big old Bible. She sat down in front of him and looked into his young face.

"Do you understand John 3:16?" she asked gently.

He replied, "No ma'am, I don't. The first time I ever heard it was last night when the policeman told me to use it."

She opened the Bible to John 3:16 and began to explain to him about Jesus.

Right there, in front of that big old fireplace, he gave his heart and life to Jesus. He sat there and thought: John 3:16. I don't understand it, but it sure makes a lost boy feel safe.

You know, I have to confess I don't understand it either, how God was willing to send His Son to die for me, and how Jesus would agree to do such a thing.

I don't understand the agony of the Father and every angel in Heaven as they watched Jesus suffer and die. I don't understand the intense love for ME that kept Jesus on the cross till the end. I don't understand it, but it sure does make life worth living.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotton Son, that whosever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Arent you glad the Word of God Penetrated your cold, hungry, dirty, tired and lost heart?

Gods Word penetrates a discouraged and defeated heart.

Are you downhearted?

The prophet said, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart” (Jeremiah 15:16).

Are you perplexed?

The psalmist said, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

Are you tempted?

The Holy Spirit says, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word” (Psalm 119:9).

Are you in trying circumstances?

Deuteronomy 8:3 KJV 1900

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.

I will never leave the nor forsake thee.

Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV 1900

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Do you find it hard to pray?

Romans 8:26–27 KJV 1900

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

John 14:13–14 KJV 1900

And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

So…

“Take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

take up the Sword that the Spirit has provided to you.

You wonder why you cant seem to advance in this battle called the Christian life?

Because you are not taking out your Sword and going on the offence.

Closing

We should wield the Sword of the Spirit in all avenues of life.

when we pray because it will cut through Satan’s hindering hosts.

when we preach because our power does not lie in words of man’s wisdom, but in words the Holy Spirit supplies.

and when we face our problems, our circumstances, our needs, our temptations.

Take your Sword your armor is complete lets go out and fight the good fight of faith.

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