Ephesians 6:17b Individual Pieces of Armor-Sword--Part 3

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.

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 Timothy

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

Psalm 82:2–4 NKJV

2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked? Selah 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.

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?

A. Ask yourself three more questions to determine if you know how to use the Sword.

1. Are you willing to learn how to use the Sword properly?

2. Are you willing to teach others to use the Sword properly?

3. Are you willing to be an example of how to use the Sword properly?

3. Will you survive the war?

A. This is our lesson for today.

BODY:

1. WILL YOU SURVIVE THE WAR?

A. How much of the Armor do you have on?

1. A soldier is protected by his armor.

A. King Saul offered David his armor.

1 Samuel 17:38–39 NKJV

38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off.

1 Samuel 17:38 NKJV

38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail.

1 Sam

B. David went into battle with the Armor of God.

1 Samuel 17:40–47 NKJV

40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”

1 Sam 17.40

1. David knew God’s Word.

Deuteronomy 31:16 NKJV

16 And the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, you will rest with your fathers; and this people will rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.

Deuteronomy 31:1–8 NKJV

1 Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the Lord has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ 3 The Lord your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the Lord has said. 4 And the Lord will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them. 5 The Lord will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” 7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

Deut 31.1-

Deut 31.1

Deuteronomy 31:1–6 NKJV

2. David understood God’s Word.

Deuteronomy 31:6 NKJV

6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Deut 31.

1 Sam 17

1 Samuel 17:39–40 NKJV

39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So David took them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

3. David applied God’s Word.

1 Samuel 17:48–51 NKJV

48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

1 Sam 17.48-

2. How much of God’s Word do you know, understand, and apply in your life?

Heb 5.12

Hebrews 5:12–14 NKJV

12 For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13 For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. 14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

A. This will determine how much of the Armor of God you have on and how protected you are in battle.

B. How well do you use the Sword of the Spirit?

1. A soldier will either survive or die by how well he uses his weapon.

1 Samuel 17:49 NKJV

49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

1 Samuel 17:49 NKJV

49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

2. A Christian will either survive or die by how well he uses his weapon.

1 Sam 17

1 Peter 3:15 NKJV

15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

Colossians 4:6 NKJV

6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Jude 3–4 NKJV

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. A Christian who does not know the Scriptures is more apt to be led astray.

Proverbs 12:26 NKJV

26 The righteous should choose his friends carefully, For the way of the wicked leads them astray.

2 Timothy 3:13–17 NKJV

13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 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.

2 Timothy 3.

C. How well do those around you use the Sword of the Spirit?

1. A soldier must be able to rely on his fellow soldiers.

1 Samuel 17:51–53 NKJV

51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted, and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents.

1 Sam 17.51

2. A Christian must be able to rely on his fellow Christians.

Galatians 6:1–2 NKJV

1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

3. A Christian must surround himself with people of like mind.

Philippians 2:1–2 NKJV

1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Ephesians 6:17b Individual Pieces of Armor-Sword--Part 3

INTRODUCTION:

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