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. 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 in hand-to-hand combat with the devil. The word of God is also an offensive weapon that we can (and should) 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 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 are easily defeated. Further, when a Christian lacks biblical knowledge, they are not able to go on the offensive, nor can they cut through the obstacles and impediments the devil puts in their path.
The word of God—the sword of the Spirit—is enormously important in the life of the Christian.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119.105)
