The Sword of the Spirit
Engaging the Battle • Sermon • Submitted
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Prayer
Words Have Power
John Eldredge, in his book, Wild at Heart, shares some sad stories of men - the impact the words of their fathers and stepfathers had on them
Craig whose dad was killed in Korean War when Craig was only 4 months old
He mother remarried and Craig was adopted by his stepdad, a sour old navy captain, who would call Craig a “seagull” whenever he was angry with him
Those words began to define who Craig understood himself to be - Craig, you’re nothing but a seagull - all you’re good for is sitting and squawking
Dave had a father who was rarely present, working all the time with his business.
His parents were arguing in the kitchen and his father was tearing into his mother. So Dave tried to stand up for her.
His dad exploded and the words Dave heard from his father before he walked out on the family were devastating, “you’re such a mama’s boy.”
Words have power. Power to cut - and to cut deeply
But sometimes, words - even though they may cut, serves a good purpose: Clinical Pastoral Education experience
While in Seminary, I, along with a small group of other seminary students, spent the summer serving as chaplains at the local VA hospital in Atlanta.
We would spend time visiting patients on the floors we were assigned, and then we would spend time in small group discussing our experiences.
In preparation for the small group, we’d take turns writing out a verbatim, conversation we had with one of the patients. Then everyone else in group had opportunity to dig in and ask questions or offer their opinions on the interaction. I’ll be honest, it was intimidating. Whole process was to help reveal your own comfort (or discomfort) dealing with difficult emotional issues around suffering, pain, death.
One of group leaders, pastor / counselor, who had incredibly insight, when he made a comment, it was like a surgical knife - he had a way of cutting through everything, getting to root of matter, felt exposed
Didn’t want that knife on me! But cuts from these words were very different - not meant to harm, destroy, but to bring life. To reveal, expose - in order to heal, bring life. Words have power.
I want you to think with me for a few moments - not just about the power of words, but the power of God’s word. That’s what Psalm 29 (passage we began our worship service with) was trying to convey to us…The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is majestic.
God’s Word has Power to create - all of creation, spoken into being…and God said, Let there be light, and there was light...And God said, let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear. And it was so.
Over and over again, with every single aspect in the entirety of creation - all the heavens, all the earth. God simply spoke -Let there be…and it was. It came into existence. Out of nothing. One moment there’s nothing - literally, no thing. Next moment - there is the sun…the moon…the earth…waters on the earth…filled with fish…and on and on.
God simply speaks…and it is. Let that sink in for a moment. Power of Word of God.
Not only does God’s Word have power to create, but Power to endure, God’s word lasts forever…Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the Lord blows on them. Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.
Our words come and go, forgotten almost as soon as we say them. There are times I can’t remember what I said two seconds ago (what was I saying?!).
But not God’s word. Not what God commands and instructs and warns and encourages. It has no end. It lasts forever. We shouldn’t be surprised we’re still studying the Bible thousands of years later, sharing God’s Word. That’s power.
God’s Word not only has power to create, to endure - it has the Power to reveal, to make known. Hebrews 4:12-13 - For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrows; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
How often we use words to hide or obfuscate, to deceive. We tell half-truths, only revealing parts of the story that make us look good. Sometimes we do it to ourselves, trying to convince ourselves of the rightness of our actions or our beliefs.
But none of that stands before God. When he speaks, his words cut right through to heart of the matter, to the truth. Nothing stays hidden. Everything is brought to light before God. It is always the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth with God.
You see this so many times in Scriptures when Jesus is being tested by Pharisees, trying to trick him…they bring woman caught in adultery - Whoever has no sin may cast the first stone…Ask him whether or not they should pay imperial taxes to Caesar - knowing their evil intent, you hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? (Asks for coin, who’s image? Caesar’s). So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s…Jesus’ words expose their evil intent. So they leave. Power of Word of God.
God’s Word has Power to heal and transform, give us identity
Unlike those dads / stepdads of Dave & Craig, listen to the words the Father speaks to Jesus at his baptism, Matthew 3:17 - And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Those words can become ours, to allow God to speak our identity to us. That we are God’s children, adopted into the family. We belong.
For those, like Dave & Craig, who experienced painful words from their fathers or stepfathers, what a gift of healing and life that can be.
There’s so many words here, that as we hear them - really hear them, that are such a lifeline for us, a refuge - in the midst of feeling alone, weighed down with our sin, afraid we don’t have what it takes
Jesus’ words to Zacchaeus, who was rejected and reviled by his own community because he was a tax collector…and Jesus announces to everyone as the honored guest at Zacchaeus’ house, “Today, salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham.”
The woman who’d been bleeding for twelve years, who touched Jesus without permission - and was healed! Jesus turns around looking for her, she finally confesses it was her…his words to her: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Words he speaks to us...
I am with you always, even to the end of the age
Friend of mine struggling with his lack of effort, felt like he wasn’t taking God seriously, There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He refreshes my soul.
Every day, libraries worth of words are written and spoken - newspaper / news sites, podcast commentaries, people offering their opinions and wisdom on blogs…so much of it is worth so little. But not Word of God. Here there is great power.
The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God
This is what Paul is talking about in our final piece of the armor of God that we are to put on: Ephesians 6:17 - Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. This is our next piece of armor, the sword of the Spirit.
Main point - To use great power of God’s word (this word that has power to create, power to endure, power to reveal, power to heal, to give life), to use great power of God’s word to stand firm against the spiritual forces of evil
Our verse this morning has helped me understand something in Bible that has long confused me - images in Revelation where Jesus is portrayed with sword in his mouth (which, honestly, just seemed weird, opposite of a sword swallower, which gives me shivers)
John’s first vision of Jesus in Revelation 1:16 - In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.
Towards the end of Revelation, a description of Jesus when he comes in all his glory, this comes out of Revelation 19:11-15
I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True...his name is the Word of God...Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.
That strange image is a way to portray the power of the Word of God, power of Jesus’ words. Listen to Jesus’ warnings - Revelation 2:14-16 -
Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: There are some among you who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to entice the Israelites to sin so that they ate food sacrificed to idols and committed sexual immorality. 15 Likewise, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Do you hear Jesus’ warning? There are some in church in Pergamum who’ve been holding to false teachings. And it bothers Jesus’ greatly - because he knows his words are words that bring life, that bring healing. And they’ve abandoned them.
If they don’t repent (take his teachings seriously), he’s going to come and fight against them with the sword of his mouth. He’s going to bring his word, alive and active - cut right through (which is a painful, difficult process - like a surgery).
By the way, let me make clear that we are not to use God’s word as a weapon against others - to condemn others, to induce guilt (Bible thumping)
But as a weapon for others, to give them the opportunity to hear what God might say to them, if they are willing to listen.
About a month ago, I was driving around town, and there were a bunch of people standing at the intersection of Hurricane Creek and Teays Valley Road. And they were all holding signs - signs with Scripture passages (such as Romans 10:9, If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.)
My first reaction - that’s not going to be very effective. Then, it struck me. Who am I to dismiss the power of the Word of God? It’s been his word, his truth - that have cut through to hearts for centuries.
Instead of scoffing, I offered up a brief prayer that God’s word would do exactly what he sends it forth to do. (very different from signs of Westboro Baptist Church - word against versus word for others).
Gideons International - their commitment to getting the word of God in hands of people.
Story of Roy and his invitation to worship Satan at a Michigan hotel
Left, went to the lobby, found Bible started reading it, fell asleep, woke up - Gideons’ prayer meeting - led him to Romans 5:8, Romans 3:10
Stories of people whose lives were changed because the Word of God was put in their hands
Stories such as Susan, who started reading the New Testament to try to prove why she was going to heaven…Bonnie, hopeless and homeless, riding New Testament that had been sitting in the trunk of her car for years
Weapons to help us stand against Satan, stand strong in our faith and love of Jesus
Best example is Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness - which happens to come right after Jesus was baptized, his voice spoke those powerful words, this is my Son.
Which is exactly where Satan attacks him first - his identity. If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread. Prove yourself.
Jesus counters that attack with the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. “It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Jesus knows power of the word - power to create, power of enduring, power to reveal - that’s why he himself lived on every word that comes from mouth of God.
Every time Satan comes against him, Jesus counters Satan with Scripture, with the sword of the Spirit. Jesus doesn’t try to fend off Satan with his own willpower, with his own strength.
He arms himself with the power and might of the Father, with the Word. Why would we want to do anything less?!
And we have opportunity to do this all time, to stand firm taking up sword of the spirit, by using great power of God’s word to stand strong.
Feelings of impatience…No!
Judgmental thoughts…No!
Feeling alone…worry coming over...
This is what it means to arm ourselves with the sword of the spirit, the Word of God.
Spiritual Disciplines - Put this into practice (Jesus’ teachings, his word, don’t do us any good if we don’t put them into practice. In one ear and out the other. We want to live by every word that comes from mouth of God.
Remember that scene from Crocodile Dundee. Mick walking one evening with Sue and a guy approaches, pulls out a switchblade, demanding his wallet. Mick just stands there - you better do what he says, Sue tells him. Why. He’s got a knife! Mick: That’s not a knife…pulls out a big hunting knife…that’s a knife.
We want a knife - a sword!
Engage God’s Word every day - Plan to be in the word every day. Doesn’t have to be long (A chapter a day, half a chapter). Read (or listen), reflect (try to find one verse, one idea, one image that God is speaking to me). Pray in response to that. Do it with conviction - Hear teachings of Jesus, put them into practice.
Receive the Word of God in all its power (prayer before time of teaching)
To judge / penetrate / convict
To heal / transform / encourage
Inspiration
In John 6, Jesus is teaching a crowd that He is the Bread of Life. That they must eat his flesh and drink his blood in order to experience life - the fullness of eternal life.
There were many in crowd - including “many of his disciples” - who couldn’t accept what Jesus had to say. His teaching this was too much. They quit following him, then and there. There’s that double-edged sword - it judges our thoughts and attitudes. It reveals whether we’re really willing to receive everything God teaches.
Jesus holds firm. He says to those who remain, The words I have spoken to you - they are full of the Spirit and life.
My favorite part is when Jesus turns to the Twelve, his closest followers and asks them, “You don’t want to leave too, do you?”
Now Peter does a lot of goofy things in gospel, he’s constantly inserting his foot into his mouth - but here, here’s one place he gets it exactly right with his response…Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
Years ago, at one of our Community Thanksgiving Dinners, a guy came in to eat dinner there at the church. I don’t remember much about him - I think he was kind of a traveling preacher. He was quite a character.
When he sat down to eat, he set his black leather Bible right there on the table next to his plate.
When he finished, as he was about to leave, he made a point of saying - “oh, wait, I can’t forget my sword” as he grabbed his Bible.
Sure, it was a little odd. But I do appreciate his deep sense of conviction of the power of the word of God. That is the Sword of the Spirit. And God offers it to us, his Word, that we might experience his power in our lives.
This whole sermon series has been on “engaging the battle” - that there is a great battle going on. And we want to put on the full armor of God.