(Armor of God 7) Sword of the Spirit
Notes
Transcript
Today we are in our 7th and final sermon in the series titled “the armor of God”
The first piece of armor Paul list is the Belt of Truth...
The Belt of Truth Holds Everything Together. (faith secure in truth)
The 2nd piece of armor is the Breastplate of Righteousness.
The Breastplate of Righteousness Marks My Identity (armor is unique to the army you fight for… Righteousness is unique to us...)
The 3rd piece of armor is the Shoes of the Gospel of Peace.
The Shoes of the Gospel of Peace Empower Me to Stand Ready
(Ready to go wherever the Holy Spirit leads) [steady in battle… rest in storms]
The 4th piece of armor is the Shield of faith.
1. The Shield of Faith Is for All Circumstances
(True Faith is not conditional it is foundational) [shield stops the darts of the enemy.… unites us in battle]
The 5th piece of armor is the Helmet of Salvation.
The Helmet of Salvation Protects My Mind (serves as a constant reminder to think in the ways of the Kingdom of God not man)
2. The Helmet of Salvation Declares My Hope (We look forward to the future hope)
The main point in wearing this armor,
is that we may remain standing....
(No matter what the scheme of the devil is, we remain standing strong in the faith because we are dressed to stand)
The Armor equips us to remain standing...
Remain standing in truth, (Belt of truth)
Remain standing in righteousness, (Breastplate of righteousness)
Remain standing in peace, (Shoes of the Gospel of peace)
Remain standing in faith, (Shield of Faith)
Remain standing in hope of salvation, (helmet of Salvation)
Notice the first 5 piece of Armor are all defensive...
Tom Koser “If they don’t score they don’t win”
(Good defense sets up a good offense)
Today we will be unpacking the sword of the Spirit....
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. 16 In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; 17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, 18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
I will be unpacking 3 points today about the Sword of the Spirit...
The Sword of the Spirit Must Be Sharp and Ready
A soldier ill-prepared for battle
is a soldier who will not last long in the fight.
Therefore, a soldier must have his weapon prepped and ready for war.
How many know that you don’t train in battle? (You don’t practice on the front lines of war)
You prepare vigorously on the training ground first...
To have success in battle,
you must first be prepared for battle.
It is important to understand that there is personal equipping and preparation,
and there is community equipping and preparation.
To keep my sword sharp and ready for battle in this spiritual war,
it must start with me personally.
Paul says that the sword of the spirit is the word of God,
Therefore to be effective with the sword we need to know the Word...
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
11 I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Storing up the word in my heart in order for me to meditate on it day and night,
requires me to be in the word. (Student of the Word)
[Can’t mediate on something I do not know and do not have stored up in my mind]
31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
(Greek word for abide is meno.… meaning staying, remaining, being constant in something...)
[Jesus articulates the point that true disciples are continuously and faithfully remaining in the Word]
To have a sharp, ready sword in hand,
one must have a consistent life of keeping an open Bible in hand.
Readiness with the sword,
begins with the personal discipline of being in the Word.
But to step into the fullness of what God has called us to be,
we must not stop with personal equipping...
16a Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
The Word dwells in us personally,
but must continue into the life of other believers.
I believe that for a church to be functioning at the highest level,
each member needs to be contributing to the health and strength of one another.
29 The glory of young men is their strength,
but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.
(young man’s strength will energize an old man)
[Old man’s wisdom will develop a young man]
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
17 Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
(Sword will become dull when we are alone or surrounded only by unbelievers)
There needs to be personal equipping,
and there needs to be corporate equipping.
Is your sword sharp and ready today?
2. The Sword of the Spirit Cuts Out the Impurities
12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
The Sword of the Spirit is effective,
because it pierces through the darkness within us—
reaching places that no human wisdom,
no earthly power, could ever touch.
The Sword of the Spirit penetrates the hidden chambers of the soul,
those unseen regions where fear, pride, and pain dwell in silence.
It divides truth from deception, light from shadow,
and reveals what even we cannot see in ourselves.
The Sword of the Spirit cuts through the flesh,
striking deep into the hidden motives and desires of the heart.
It exposes the secret thoughts of the mind,
not to condemn, but to cleanse.
The Sword of the Spirit is effective
because it reaches the concealed places of the soul,
and when it does,
it begins to cut away the cancer of sin.
It is the divine scalpel of the Great Physician—
precise in every incision, intentional in every cut.
It opens what is diseased so that healing may begin,
and removes what is dead so that life may flourish.
Jesus said this....
2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
(Explain pruning and purifying) not to bring pain but healing
3 stages of sanctification…
Positional, Progressive, Ultimate.
The more we abide in Christ the more pruning that takes place.
The Sword of the Spirit cuts deep—removing every impurity that dulls the soul.
It purifies the heart, renews the mind, and cleanses the life of the believer.
When the Word has done its work,
we rise refined by fire—
vessels made holy, warriors made ready,
as instruments set apart for His greater purpose.
As the life of the believer is sharpened,
fruit overflows,
glory ascends to God,
and the Kingdom of Heaven advances with power. Amen!
A sword sharp and ready in the hand of a soldier,
whose life has been cleansed from bondage,
is ready to swing the sword to destroy the works of darkness.
3. The Sword of the Spirit Cuts Down Evil Schemes.
A sword that is sharp and ready in the hand of a purified soldier,
becomes a terror to the kingdom of darkness.
The one who has been refined by the Sword
now wields it with holy boldness—
ready to strike down every scheme of the enemy.
The sword of the Spirit which is the word of God,
is what we use to to destroy the plans of Satan.
Jesus in the wilderness… tempted 3 times…
(Devil comes to Jesus in His most vulnerable and weakest point)
Devil said, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.”
Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:4, ESV).
Devil said, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test’” (Matthew 4:6–7, ESV).
Devil said, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
Jesus said, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve’” (Matthew 4:9–10, ESV).
In all three attacks from the devil,
Jesus used the Sword of the Spirit to destroy the schemes of the devil.
Schemes aimed to attack Jesus at His weakest and most vulnerable points,
Schemes designed to make Jesus stumble and fall away from His Father’s mission of the cross.
Notice that Jesus did not argue with Satan using human reasoning,
but rather took the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
and used it to destroy the devil’s attacks.
(human reasoning vs Scripture) God breathed...
[consulting what the Word says or what the world says]
The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God,
exposes the devil’s lies,
for the breath of the Almighty carries unstoppable power.
It shatters every scheme the enemy sets to ensnare you.
When the Sword of the Spirit is firmly grasped in the hand of a saint,
darkness cannot endure—the radiant light of God’s Word pierces, consumes, and delivers with divine authority.
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
We expose darkness
by illuminating it with the light of the Sword of the Spirit.
With a sharp and ready sword in hand,
we disrupt the works of darkness,
driving it out with the brilliant light of truth.
The Sword pierces through the shadows
with divine power and authority,
leaving the enemy disarmed and defeated.
The Sword of the Spirit cuts through the chains of hopelessness,
the chains of depression,
the chains of shame,
the chains of guilt,
and the chains of doubt—
bringing freedom to those bound in captivity.
The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God.
It is not used to cut down the lost,
but to set free the lost—
awakening them to the hope of salvation in Christ.
The Sword is not meant to expose people as broken,
but to restore the broken,
revealing who God created them to be…
(Sword to tear down people instead of tear down darkness)
The Sword was meant to destroy the works of darkness,
and to call people out of the shadows—
into the radiant light of God’s glory.
The battle is not against flesh and blood,
but against the spiritual forces in the unseen realm.
Therefore, take up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God,
and use it not to cut down people,
but to destroy the works of darkness. Amen!
is the sword in your hand sharp and ready?
is the sword in hand purifying your own life?
is the sword in hand cutting down the schemes of the devil?
As we go out this week,
may we be prepared to use the sword of the Spirit,
to push back the darkness and advance the kingdom of God...
As we close out this series I want to say this...
For the sword to be affective in battle,
we have to remain standing...
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.
(Don’t remove a piece because it is uncomfortable) [Armor apart of your identity]
