Ephesians 6:17b Individual Pieces of Armor-Sword

INTRODUCTION:

1. Each piece of the Armor of God is important.

Acts 20:26–27 NKJV

26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.

Ezekiel 3:17–19 NKJV

17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: 18 When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 19 Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

Ezekiel 33:1–9 NKJV

1 Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, speak to the children of your people, and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from their territory and make him their watchman, 3 when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ 7 “So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. 9 Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.

A. The whole armor is needed to fight the spiritual war.

Ephesians 6:11–12 NKJV

11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

B. The Sword of the Spirit is an important part of the Armor of God.

Ephesians 6:17 NKJV

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

1. The rest of the armor protects you so that you can use the Sword, but the Sword both protects you and the ones whom it is your aim to protect.

A. If you are wearing the Armor of God, you are protected because God’s Armor is impenetrable and therefore, you should be bold to go into war and fight.

Hebrews 13:5–6 NKJV

5 Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

B. This is where the Sword comes into play, because the war needs to be fought.

1 Timothy 6:12 NKJV

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1. There are those who need to be protected and those who need to be saved.

Psalm 82:3–4 NKJV

3 Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. 4 Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.

Ps 82

Luke 19:10 NKJV

10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

2. Pure and undefiled religion before God (paraphrasing): ‘Protect the ones who cannot protect themselves.’

James 1:27 NKJV

27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

C. Ask yourself three questions:

1. Do you have the Sword available to use?

2. Do you know how to use the Sword?

3. Will you survive the war?

A. At this point in the series on the Armor of God is where this question is the most applicable.

D. The lesson will focus on question number one today.

1. Then over the next two Sundays, we will discuss the next two questions.

BODY:

1. DO YOU HAVE THE SWORD AVAILABLE TO USE?

Ephesians 6:17 NKJV

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

A. In order to be able to use the sword, you must know how to obtain the sword.

1. The Sword of the Spirit is God’s Word, and being willing to acknowledge the Bible as Scripture is having it available to use.

2 Timothy 3:16–4:2 NKJV

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

2 Timothy 4.3

2 Timothy 4:3–4 NKJV

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

2 Pt 3.14-

2 Peter 3:14–17 NKJV

14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; 15 and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;

2 Timothy 3.16-4

A. Acknowledging the Bible as Scripture is more than just saying it.

1. One must acknowledge it’s infallibility.

2 Peter 1:20–21 NKJV

20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 NKJV

13 For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

2. Because it is infallible, then one must acknowledge its ability to convince, change, correct, reform, teach, and exhort us.

2 Timothy 3:16–4:2 NKJV

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

3. If any of these things are not acknowledged, then the Sword of the Spirit is not available, because it’s power is limited by man.

Psalm 78:41–43 NKJV

41 Yes, again and again they tempted God, And limited the Holy One of Israel. 42 They did not remember His power: The day when He redeemed them from the enemy, 43 When He worked His signs in Egypt, And His wonders in the field of Zoan;

Hebrews 4:11–13 NKJV

11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Ps

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Heb 4.11-

B. In order to be able to obtain the Sword, one must understand and acknowledge it’s power.

Hebrews 4:12 NKJV

12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Romans 1:16 NKJV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Romans 1:16 NKJV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

1. Though it is contained in the Christian, it is the power of God, not the Christian.

Romans 1:16 NKJV

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

A. In today’s world, we often hear of people witnessing; this makes the power of God their story, but the power of God is not in their story—it is Christ’s.

1 Cor 1.22-

1 Corinthians 1:22–24 NKJV

22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

2 Cor

1 Corinthians 2:1–5 NKJV

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 3 I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

B. If the power of God was the Christians, then their “witnessing” would matter, because it would be able to save.

Gal. 6.14-

Galatians 6:14–15 NKJV

14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

Gal.

Galatians 6:12–15 NKJV

12 As many as desire to make a good showing in the flesh, these would compel you to be circumcised, only that they may not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ. 13 For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. 14 But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but a new creation.

1. These people were concerned with how one becomes a child of God, and Paul told them, ‘It does not matter what you say; if it is not about Christ and His story and what He desires, then you are lost.’

2. In order to lead people to Christ, the Christian must understand he or she must be the vessel for God’s power.

1 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV

7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?

2 Corinthians 4:7 NKJV

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

C. In order to obtain the Sword, one must understand that he needs the Sword.

Acts

Acts 17:11 NKJV

11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

1. Sometimes Christians try to convert a person to Christ without knowing God’s Word and when the student asks where something is found, the teacher is not able to give the book, chapter, and verse.

1 Corinthians 15:1–2 KJV 1900

1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

A. This is trying to use the Sword without having it available; therefore, they do not fully understand that they need the Sword.

2 Timothy 2:15 NKJV

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

CONCLUSION:

1. Do you have the Sword of the Spirit available to use?

A. Do you know how to obtain the Sword of the Spirit?

B. Do you understand it’s power?

C. Do you understand you need the Sword?

2. The souls of the people around you may depend upon your protection.

A. Will you be able to wield the Sword to protect them?