Ephesians 6:16-17
“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God …”
The final weapon in Paul’s list is the sword (verse 17). Of the six pieces of armor listed, the sword is the one which can be used for attack as well as defense. The sword to which Paul refers is the machaira, the common short sword carried by Roman foot soldiers. It was carried in a scabbard attached to the belt, and thus always at hand. The machaira was the principal weapon in hand-to-hand combat. It was the sword carried by the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus in the Garden (Matt. 26: 47), wielded by Peter when he cut off the ear of the high priest’s slave (v. 51), and used by Herod’s executioners to put James to death (Acts 12: 2).
Paul describes it as “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The apostle’s message is very straightforward: Scripture is a weapon of divine origin that Christians must use to cut through the schemes of the Enemy.
The primacy and power of the Word of God in the life of the Christian cannot be overstated. Can you imagine a soldier going to battle without a sword? Or imagine a combatant entering the arena with a sword that is dull and dented and rusted because it hasn’t been properly cared for? Sadly, that is all too common, as many Christians fail to diligently study the Word of God. As a result, they are not equipped to defend themselves against the attacks of the enemy, and they are easily defeated. Nor are they able to go on the offensive; they cannot cut through the obstacles and impediments that the devil puts in their path.
Here is what Paul wrote to Timothy, the young pastor at the church in Ephesus: “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
This passage tells us that the Word of God does four things that are “profitable” in our lives:
1) The Word teaches. It gives us instruction on how to live.
2) The Word reproves. It tells us when we are not living the right way.
3) The Word corrects. It tells us how to get back on the right track.
4) The Word trains in righteousness. It gives us instruction, skills, and disciplines that will keep us on the right track.
The passage also says that when we allow the Word to teach, reprove, correct, and train us, we will be complete and equipped for the work to which the Lord calls us. The opposite is also true. If we do not allow the Word of God to do it’s work in our lives, we will not be equipped for the work to which the Lord calls us.
The Word of God — the sword of the Spirit — is enormously important in the life of the Christian. More on this tomorrow.
