Wielding the Sword

Take your Bibles, if you would please, and turn to Ephesians chapter 6. Verse 17 is the text today, and the title is "Wielding the Sword." We have finally reached the point, as we're studying through our spiritual armor, where we are at most of the men's favorite part — the sword. The aggressive part. The offensive part of the armor that God gives us. And so Ephesians chapter 6, verse 17, is our text.

We talked about the helmet of salvation last week, and the Bible says, "Also receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." And so this part — receiving the sword, receiving the Word — is also to be said. Maybe you have a different translation that says "take up the sword." That is the same idea. And so we're to take up the sword and wield the sword. The word "wield" is a good word to use. It means to exercise authority and power and influence. And so we want to utilize the Scriptures as a sword. What the Word of God is — it's a sword. And you see that in the text in verse 17: "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."

And we have the Word of God. And so the sword is the last piece of God's armor, and it is offensive and defensive. And so it's symbolizing what happens when we wield the Word of God. When we utilize the Word, it works every single time. The Word is something that is effectual — it works according to God's will. And so by the Word, we can understand the gospel and understand God. By the Word, we see that others can understand the gospel and understand who God is. And so when we wield the Word of God, we exercise the power of God in salvation. We guide, we govern, we manage according to the Word of God. We exert the force as is appropriate and necessary with this weapon. Remember, it's a sword — it's powerful. Jeremiah likens the Word of God to a hammer. And so we need to be careful in how we utilize the Word of God and how we wield this sword. It takes skill.

But when we wield the Word of God, notice first with me today that God's will is revealed. Turn to Romans chapter 12. I'd like to look with you at how the Word of God helps to reveal God's will in our lives. Romans chapter 12 is talking about being transformed — transformed into a better representation of who God is and being conformed into His likeness. And this is all the work of the Word. In fact, in Romans chapter 12, it is so that the will of God will happen, so that you can approve and discern what is God's will. Utilize God's Word to know God's will.

If you back up with me to the last verse in Romans chapter 11, you'll see that it is all about Him. In verse 36: "From Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen." So we're talking about Him, we're talking about His Word. And therefore, in verse 1 of chapter 12: "I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice — living, holy, and pleasing to God — which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is." How can you do this except by the Word of God? And the rest of that verse says "that which is pleasing and perfect." And so by the Word of God we are able to understand what God's will is for our life. And so when you wield the Word of God, when you use the Word of God, it helps you to discern what God's will is. It's God's will for you to be sanctified. It's God's will for you to be saved. These things are revealed as we wield the Word.

And also, the wielder — you with your Bible — are to be filled with the Spirit. In Ephesians chapter 5, verse 18, you have a command — not a suggestion — to be filled with the Spirit. And this sword is of the Spirit. In Ephesians chapter 6, verse 17, it says, "receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit." So the sword is of the Spirit. It belongs to the Spirit. We have the Word of God by the work of the Holy Spirit when it comes to divine inspiration, but also we have the ability to wield what has already been revealed and utilize it for godliness and for evangelism and for making disciples.

Also, you will see that when you wield the Word of God, the spiritual foes are turned back. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 9. When you wield the Word of God, you're able to resist evil. And remember, we've made a very explicit case that we don't do battle against Satan himself. We don't jump into the ring and fight with demons. Satan's two-step strategy is evil spirits and demons, worked through people, to you. And so people are not the enemy. We work against the schemes of the devil, according to Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10, 11, and 12. The schemes are what we wield the sword against. And so we're not fighting and stabbing people. We don't use the Word of God as a weapon on people, except to help them to see the error of their way and to be able to conform into the righteousness of Christ. And we do that with gentleness and love and kindness.

And so our spiritual forces that come against us can be resisted by utilizing the sword. In 1 Peter chapter 5, verse 9, it says, "Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished among your brethren who are in the world." And you are resisting that evil one. That is clear in verse 8: "Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone whom he may devour." Seeking someone to devour. Don't be that Christian casualty who is devoured because you're not walking with your sword. You're not wielding your sword. You're not getting used to your sword.

Christian soldiers must know this: you are already engaged in a war whether you know it or not. Many walk around in life as if everything is fine, as if we're not actually at war. We are at war. There is an evil one and he hates children of God. He hates you. And so this is a very real reality — a reality check for some who don't realize that we are engaged in a war. And unfortunately, the casualties of this warfare are eternal, much more detrimental than an actual war with guns and such. It actually sends people to hell. And so we need to know how to wield our sword. We must not be neutral in this battle. There are no Christian diplomats in this war. We don't need to establish common ground between evil and God — that's not what we do. Nor do we shrink back and hear their terms out. We don't make a deal with the devil. And so we don't talk to the devil — Eve made that mistake. We don't engage in those types of things.

In fact, we wield the sword to invoke full surrender. We keep wielding the sword. We keep saying what the Bible says. We keep saying what Scripture says about the subject at hand until full surrender to that concept is achieved. And so there are no truces. I'm not engaged in evangelism to call a truce. I'm not engaged in making disciples so that we can find common ground and maybe we can all get along and sing "Kumbaya." That's not what Christians do. Christians are engaged in a war. They have a sword, and you are to learn how to wield that sword and to use it.

So take up the sword. In Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10, it says, "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and against the authorities and against the world forces of darkness and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor." Take it up. Pick it up and put it on like clothing. Utilize it. Wield it. Be one who is very familiar with your sword. Know it. Know its strengths. Know its abilities. It is a mighty weapon. It has the power to wield the gospel into salvation for lost souls — that is amazing. It's not your power. You are strong in the Lord. Verse 10 says our strength is in Christ. In fact, if you separate yourself from Christ, you're a weakling. You're a nobody. But we are somebody when we are in Christ. And so our strength is in Christ. We need to be wielding the sword of the Spirit.

Now that we know that we are certainly engaged in spiritual warfare whether we like it or not, I want to give you a spiritual warfare test. Tests are revealing — they help you understand how good you are, how much you know, and how much you're applying. So the spiritual warfare test is going to help us get a grip on how good at fighting you actually are.

And so when you're in a battle, I want to ask you these questions, and you ask yourself: do you actually do these things? Basically, if you read through verses 10 through 20, I have taken these questions verse by verse from the text, to be able to see if we are actually fighting spiritual war according to the Word of God. And then if you add up your score at the end of this ten-question test, you'll be able to see just how good — or how bad — you are at spiritual warfighting. And I'll grant you this: when I took my test here for myself, I had to give myself a half point on two of the questions. So I didn't completely pass or fail on one or two of these questions, but I said "sometimes I do," so 0.5 is acceptable.

All right, question number one. When you're in a battle — when it's hot and heavy, when the arrows that are lit on fire are landing and hitting you in the heart, you haven't shield-blocked those, and the evil one is after you, and it is just awful — all kinds of things going on. Number one question: do you rely on God's strength? Which means you do not start to operate in your own strength. So number one: when it's hard, when the spiritual war is on, do you rely on God's strength? Yes or no.

Number two. When it's hot and heavy, do you stand against evil? Which means you don't retreat and hide, nor do you go into a neutralized stance — "I'm just a peaceful person here, I don't want anything to do with this." That's not what spiritual warfare is. You're either for or against when it comes to Christ's rules of engagement. And so do you stand? In Acts chapter 5, verse 28, they stood when it was hot and heavy. I'll read it to you: "We strictly commanded you not to continue teaching in this name" — that being the name of Jesus — "and yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles answered and said, 'We must obey God rather than men.'" And so when it is hot and heavy, when you have the councils and when you have the rulers and when you have the authorities and you have spiritual forces and world forces coming against you, trying to stifle your evangelism or your discipleship or your parenting or your going to church — whatever the case may be — do you stand against evil? And is there an "and yet" in your life, on your spiritual résumé? Will you walk before God, and will there be an "and yet"? Even though they came against you, yet you did this. So do you stand against evil? Yes or no.

Question number three. When the battle is hot and heavy, do you remember that the battle is not against people? Which means that you don't blame people and you don't get frustrated with people, because you know it's really evil — and a lot of times people are just the victims. And so when you are really getting hit — remember Satan's two-step strategy: evil through people, to you. It's easy to blame people. It's easy to get frustrated with people and come down on them. But spiritual warfighting is to remember that it is not against flesh and blood, the Bible says.

And in 1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 20, there was an opposer. His name was Alexander. And the Bible says, "Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme." And so here you see that sometimes spiritual warfighting is so intense you just have to pray and give them over to Satan. You say, "Lord, deal with them. Give them to the evil one so that the destruction of the flesh may lead them to the salvation of their soul." And if you are praying for a person to be saved — even though, like Alexander and Hymenaeus, they are opposing you — even though you have people who are opposing you and causing you all kinds of hurt and frustration and anxiety, yet you still pray for your enemies and you bless your enemies. That's the Christ-like way. So in your spiritual warfare, do you remember that the battle is not against flesh and blood? Are you actually able to pray for them in such a way that it is to their benefit? I often pray, "Lord, just show them the truth. Help them to see the truth — the way, the truth, and the life."

Question number four would be: in the battle, do you resist evil? Which means that you do not get drawn into sinful compromises. You don't revert back to sinful habits that you have overcome as a youth in the faith. 1 John chapter 2 shows us that we have children of faith, youth in the faith, and fathers in the faith — that spiritual growth and maturity. 1 John 2 helps us to see that youth struggle with overcoming sin. But as you grow from a youth in the faith to a more mature believer — a father or mother in the faith — you have ceased from struggling and falling into the same old sins. But I say this because when we are wounded, when we're down on our luck and things are just really hurting, sometimes it's easy to fall back into those past sins. And so do you resist evil?

Number five. When it's hot and heavy, do you always say what's true? Which means that you never settle and tell a compromised lie. You're not playing the role of the diplomat. You are of the truth. Your belt of truth is on and you will not shrink back from the truth. John 17:17 says, "Your word is truth." And I'm not compromising in regards to what is true. "I can do no other."

Question number six would be: do you live righteously? Which means you do not retreat into sinful ways. Ephesians chapter 5, verse 3 says, "Not even a hint of impurity to be among you." And so you see a little bit of an overlap here in the concepts, and that is right — when you study out the armor of God, the concepts have some overlapping. Don't worry about that; just answer it truthfully.

And number seven: the seventh question would be this. When you are engaged in spiritual warfare, do you still share the gospel? Or does your mouth close? "I have no concern for people. I'm not worried about anybody else except myself right now" — which means you're not going to be faithful when God opens a door for you to share your faith, because you're just consumed with your own pain and suffering at the moment. And so Colossians 4:3 says that Paul asked the Colossian church to pray for him, that there would be a door open for the Word. And being someone who was excellent at spiritual warfighting, even through enduring imprisonment, Paul was still looking — through his pain and suffering — for an opportunity to share the gospel and make disciples. And so when you are engaged in spiritual warfare, do you share the gospel?

Question number eight: do you block hurtful accusations with the facts of your faith? Which means you do not stew on lies. That's a tough one. I'll tell you my answers here in a minute and how I fared. But that's a tough one. When it comes to receiving accusations, those flaming arrows — boy, they just stick right in the heart. They catch you from behind or whatever the case might be. Do you block those with your shield of faith? Do you say what your faith says about that lie? Do you block lies with truth — the truth of God's Word? Are you wielding your sword? Are you using your shield? Do you block harmful accusations with the facts of your faith and not stew on the lies? Philippians 4:8 says "think on these things," and so you have some guardrails for what you are to be thinking upon. We should not be dwelling on things that are not to be dwelt upon.

Question number nine would be: do you remain secure in your salvation that God gave you? One of the flaming arrows that will come at every single Christian is to doubt your salvation, to question whether or not you're truly saved. And so in the midst of the battle, when the war is hot and heavy, do you remind yourself that even being fearful of being lost shows that you fear God — and that lost people don't fear God — and so by rational deduction, you must be saved? Do you desire to obey God's Word? That's evidence that you're saved. Do you love the people of God? That's evidence that you are saved. Do you fall under conviction when you sin? That's evidence that you're saved. Does God discipline you when you're rebellious? That's evidence that you're saved. And so the ninth test question is: do you remain secure in your salvation when you are in a spiritual battle? Are you able to put on the helmet of salvation and remain secure and keep yourself stable in your salvation — stable in Christ — because you are able to say what the Word of God says about your salvation, about your spiritual condition?

And then the tenth question would be: do you pray more? Which means you go to God. Colossians 4:2 says to devote yourselves to prayer. And here pretty soon, we'll get past the armor of God and get into the prayer side of spiritual warfare, and I invite you to continue to come, because this is a very much-abused part of spiritual warfare in today's day — how to pray in regards to spiritual warfare. But the tenth question is: do you pray more? Does the heat of the battle cause you to go into your prayer closet, or to take prayer walks, or to spend more time with God in prayer? Or do you shrink back from prayer and try to get through it yourself in your own strength?

Now, there are ten questions here. And so if you got nine "yeses," then you got a 90 on this test — which was better than me, because I got a no and two 0.5s. Which means I've been fighting spiritual warfare battles as an average spiritual warfare fighter. I've got some work to do. I look at the text and I see where I don't measure up in some areas, and I'm like, "Oh man, I'm going to do better here and here and here." And so for yourselves, be encouraged in that the Word of God exposes where we do not measure up and it shows us where we can get better.

And if you were a spiritual warfare fighter that would fare well on this test, that means you're doing these things. Now, what I think in regards to spiritual warfare fighting is that when you get good at it, then you are better off during the battle and it doesn't affect you as badly. You know that saying — and Job chapter 42 says that all the purposes of God cannot be thwarted. If I could go back and speak to my prior self, when it comes to years past with some spiritual war battles that my family and I have gone through, I would say, "Casey, be at peace, brother. God is in control. Do these things in Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10 through 12. Be systematic. Be specific. Be intentional. Wield your sword. And be confident in God. The results are in His court. You're just to remain faithful. Be at peace. Fight from a standpoint of victory. Don't act like a victim. Don't throw an 'oh poor me' party. Don't blame the people. Don't get caught up in all these different things. Fight like a Christian who is in the Lord's army. Wield your sword."

This is so important for us — to be able to do self-biblical counsel. And John MacArthur said it like this: "Talk to yourself. Don't listen to yourself." Oftentimes ourselves are so irrational and emotional and all that kind of stuff. We need to counsel ourselves according to the Word of God. And then we can turn this Word, apply it to us, and then we can do it for others.

So let's talk a little bit about how to use the shield and how to use the sword. I want to give you a technique, and I simply call it the shield-block-and-sword-swing technique. The shield block and the sword swing technique. When you're going through life, you need to know how to spiritually fight — that regards raising your shield of faith and swinging your sword. And so this is not survival training, okay? We're not retreating in spiritual battle. We're not running from the battle. You would be trained, if you're in the military or in a police department, in something like E&E training — Escape and Evasion training. And that's necessary. Escape and evade training is different from spiritual warfare, because we are not learning how to move undetected. That's E&E training. Okay, we are not running and hiding and signaling for a rescue — that is E&E training. We're not in fear of our lives. We're secure in Christ. To be in fear of your life and to escape and evade is E&E training. We're not worried about food, shelter, and water. In fact, we have all of those things taken care of by a wonderful Father who provides for all of our needs. Philippians 4:19 says, "My God shall supply all of your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus." And in Matthew chapter 6, verses 25 and following, He says, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life" — and that's in the context of food, shelter, and clothing.

And so we are not in survival mode. We're in disciple mode. We're in "I'm a Christian soldier" mode. We're marching forward. We are disciples, and we're on a forward mission to make disciples. So it's different from military training and police training. We are not to escape and run and be fearful. And so what are our resources to make forward progress, since this armor is forward-progress armor?

Look with me in Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10. Our first resource is God's strength. "Finally, be strong in the Lord." And so your resource is God's strength. In verse 11, you have another resource — it's God's armor. And so we have God's strength and we have God's armor in these spiritual battles.

And then we have God's people — you may have missed this. Look with me in verse 12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood." Did you see that? Our struggle. You have a corporate command here to spiritually warfight as a unit — as a church, as a prayer group, as a Bible study group, together. And so this is instruction to the Ephesian church, and he says "our struggle." Satan wants you to think that it's your struggle. He wants to single you out and make you feel like you've got to figure it out in your own strength — not in God's strength — on your own, not in the fellowship of the church. "You've got to handle this and keep your image." That's so wrong. That's the world's way of thinking. This is our struggle. So in verse 12 you see this corporate mentality, not an individualistic mentality. Do not allow Satan to separate you from the flock, especially when you're going through a spiritual struggle.

And then in verse 18 you have another resource — going to God in prayer: "Praying at all times with all prayer and petition in the Spirit." And so these resources are there for you. How many of these resources — and another test, just kidding — how many of these resources do you utilize? How many of them have you ignored over the years? Seriously. If there were only four questions in a test, that would be 25 percent each, and that's a pretty stout one. I think we would all probably fail if we look back on how we have fought spiritual battles in the past — in regards to utilizing God's strength instead of our own, God's armor instead of our own ways, God's people instead of going it as an individual, and going to God in prayer instead of not going to God in prayer.

You know, Conor McGregor is good at MMA fighting, and Mike Tyson is good at boxing, and Chuck Norris is good at martial arts. But are you good at spiritual warfighting? All these world-renowned fighters have developed their skill sets and are known for being good fighters. But Christians are called to engage in a spiritual war, and to be good at fighting is to fight the way the Scriptures say to fight. And so in the battles we remain strong in the Lord, and remain with the people of the Lord, and we swing the sword of the Lord, and we pray to the Lord.

This whole thing with the sword is mighty. God's sword is mighty. And it says to receive it in verse 17: "Also receive not only the helmet, but receive the sword." And the word "receive" helps us to understand that we take it, and this indicates to accept it wholeheartedly and with a sense of expectation. And so when you do the word work on that word "receive," you're not only taking it up, but you're also receiving it with a sense of expectation — "I am going to utilize this thing." And so your sword belongs to God. You're receiving it from Him. It's the sword of the Spirit, the text says. It's a sword of the Lord. And so your sword is not yours. You have a sword, but it's not yours — but you're to take it and own it.

All of God's principles have a bit of an oxymoronic quality to them. Sometimes they seem a little bit contradictory in terms. But this is God's Word, and you're to own it. You are to have it. It's to be in you. It's to be a part of you. And you're to utilize it. So the sword belongs to God.

But I want you to see as well that the battles belong to God. Turn to 2 Chronicles chapter 20. 2 Chronicles chapter 20, verse 15 — and this is an actual battle. And a lot of times we feel like we are in an actual battle as well. And you are. Just because it's a spiritual battle doesn't mean it has any less of a feeling, or any less hurt, or any fewer casualties. But in 2 Chronicles chapter 20, verse 15, it says, "And he said, 'Pay attention, all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat. Thus says Yahweh to you: do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude.'" Now if you were to simply think through this lens of a spiritual war — you're outnumbered. Of course we're outnumbered when it comes to all the demons and spirits and lost people that can be used by these demons and spirits. We understand that. You have a sword to fight against the multitude. But this Scripture says, "for the battle is not yours, but God's." Are not the results in God's hands? Is He not God? He is God, and the results belong to God, and so does the actual battle itself. And so relieve yourself from any type of huge, suppressive pressure, and just be obedient to wield your sword as you go through life. Because the battles belong to the Lord. The grand war belongs to the Lord.

You know, Satan has read where he will end up. It's not as if he has not read the Bible and knows where Revelation says he's going. And he knows that the grand war belongs to the Lord as well — not just these individual battles that add up to the conclusion of this war. And all of this is under the sovereignty of God. Every single bit of this is custom-designed to glorify God, to bring glory to Him, to reveal His attributes, and to be good for you. Everything that happens for the child of God who loves God is for God's glory and for your betterment. And sometimes we forget that when we are spiritually warfighting.

But even when it comes to those whom Peter addresses in 1 and 2 Peter — those who are under severe persecution — all of that is not outside of the sovereignty of God, and it is for them, not against them. And it's the same thing with Joseph in the Old Testament. As he was betrayed by his brothers — can you imagine growing up underneath someone like Potiphar, or someone like Pharaoh, in that evil empire? He had to do all kinds of things for what seems like the majority of his life. But in the end, God intended to bless him and not to harm him. Genesis 50:20 attests to the fact that his entire life — all the way back to when his brothers betrayed him, threw him in a pit, and sold him into slavery — was for a purpose.

And so don't get caught up in individual battles and lose hope as if God is not in control. You just keep wielding your sword. You keep saying what the Bible says. You stand upon the Word of God because the Word really works. Your job is to resist. Your job is to stand. And in order to resist, in order to stand, you must be training daily, sparring daily, swinging daily — utilizing your Word daily, carrying it, keeping it, utilizing it, sharpening it, understanding it, working it expectedly. Expect it to work. Don't use it flippantly and then be surprised when it worked. "Oh, somebody got saved — wow!" No — it works. It is the power of God unto salvation. Romans 1:16. And so wield the sword. Use the sword. Say what the Scriptures say. Expect people to come to Christ and be saved. Expect disciples to grow in their faith and to mature and to have their lives changed. All of this work — whether it's spiritual warfighting, whether it's serving Christ — is all pre-designed by God for you to approve of.

Turn to Ephesians 2:10. Everything that you are to do has already been pre-planned. And since it has been pre-planned since before the creation of the earth, the works that you have to do for Christ, the service that you have for Christ, even your sanctification, even your salvation — it's all been pre-designed with a plan. Not only is the end in God's design and court, but also the beginning — before the beginning. In Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10, it says, "For we are His workmanship." God is working us to become ambassadors for Him, transformed into His image. He is transforming us. He is working us. He is working through us. "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works." All of these good works — the works that can be referred to in this section when it comes to spiritual warfighting and wielding your sword — are good works: to be able to say what the Bible says, to swing your sword, to use your shield. That's a good work. If you are engaged in sharing the truth with someone who is perhaps opposing you, or sharing the truth with the lost, or discipling your discipleship group or Bible study group, or preaching or teaching or parenting or whatever the case might be — when you are engaged in that kind of service, guess what? The Bible says that service was prepared beforehand so that you would walk in it.

It's the same as your salvation, in Ephesians 1:4–5: "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love, by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." God is good. He has a good will. He'll be glorified not only in our salvation — that we did not deserve, that He bestowed upon us. Thank the Lord that our salvation is unmerited and undeserved, because none of us could do anything to deserve Christ dying for us. He through His own pre-planned design granted the remnant salvation. And those who come to salvation then serve Him. This is all according to His plan.

And as you are wielding the sword, you understand that people will come to salvation, and so you share the gospel, you wield your sword. God has planned that people will come to Christ. There are people who will come to Christ if you will share the gospel — God has planned it. He has planned for you to serve. He has planned for you to work. He has planned for you to evangelize and disciple and worship. He has planned all of these wonderful things for you, and so trust Him.

Don't be a skeptic in regards to the what-ifs in life — anybody could do that. But trust Him. Wield your sword. Work the sword. Know that the sword belongs to the Lord. Don't leave your sword on the shelf — that is to go through life not saying what the Bible says. Don't misuse God's sword — which is to not really know it well and to say something you think the Bible says when it really isn't what the Bible says. Use it daily. Use it regularly. Work it wholeheartedly.

So I want you to know that the sword belongs to the Lord and that we are to work God's sword. But I also want you to know that God's sword is mighty. In Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10 and 11, it talks about how this sword is part of God's package — the armor of God — and where to accept it and use it. And it is mighty, powerful, and mightily strong. "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm." You can stand strongly when you have your armor — that includes this last piece, the sword.

It is amazing how mighty and forceful and wonderful the sword is. We don't know how wonderful it is, because we continue to come to a better understanding of the Word of God as we grow in it. It's so beautiful. As we understand the Word of God — you may be a child here today saying, "I can't pick up a big heavy sword. It's too big for me." Well, a dagger works too. Pick up your sword, however big your sword is. You don't need an expensive sword either. You don't need an ancient sword. Perhaps a Geneva Bible that has been kept and is worth twenty thousand dollars — you don't need a twenty-thousand-dollar Bible. You can do with just a dollar store Bible. You just need to use the sword. Use the Word of God. It really has its own strength and power. Ephesians 1:19 says that God's surpassing greatness and power is toward us. And this Word of God is truly wonderful and mighty — to transform, to cut away the sin, and to renew our lives. And the same thing for others as well. We have strength and power through Him.

Are you confident then in God's sword? The sword — the Word in the Greek — renders this as God's concepts. The sword that you have are God's ideas. They are His declarations, His sayings. Are you confident in saying what the Bible says? Are you confident in your conversations with your neighbors? Are you confident in conversations with your family? Are you confident in wielding your sword? Do you know how to use your sword? Are you confident in picking that thing up and carrying it daily and having it be truly part of who you are?

Have you received the Word of God? Because if you have — wholeheartedly, according to the Greek rendering of "received," brought it into a part of your being, and it's part of who you are — then the Word of God is part of you. You can only say the things that the Bible says in regards to all subjects in life.

And so you can be certain and confident in speaking the truth. You can be confident in God's Word at work — yes. You can be confident. You should be confident. When you're at Disney and you see people, you can talk about God and His Word. At a restaurant, even in England, which is primarily atheistic, you can be confident in saying what the Word says. You can be confident in a public school setting. You can be confident with your friends and your family. You can be confident when you're faced with aggressive foes. You can be confident, because God is real. Science is not the final word. Evolution is not a fact.

When someone comes up against you and says, "Religion is the cause of all wars" and "Religion is a crutch for the weak" — you can still be confident in saying what the Bible says, because you have an answer. You've studied the Word of God. Paul was faced with much more than what we are faced with. When he was faced with these pagans in Ephesus — and in his last days he stopped by to see the Ephesian eldership after he had planted the church in Ephesus and continued on his missionary journeys — Acts chapter 20, verses 16 to 27, records Paul's confidence that he did not shrink back from declaring the full counsel of God in Ephesus and to all of them. And it birthed new believers and it birthed the church. In all of the opposition that Paul faced, he encouraged the eldership and he said, "I did not shrink back from declaring to you all of the counsel of God's Word." He was confident in that.

And so wherever you are, we are truly then to be confident in God's Word. It's not man's word that's going to accomplish anything. You can reason with someone until you have no sleep left and it's not going to work. You can use human psychology and try to trick them into what is truth — it's not going to work. You can do anything and everything other than the Word of God and it's not going to work. But the Word of God has the sharp edge — the two-edged sword — that is going to get to the heart of the matter. According to Hebrews chapter 4, verses 11 and 12, it is the Word of God that separates heart and soul and joint from marrow. It's the Word of God that can pierce. Everything else can be shield-blocked. And so we need to be confident in God's Word.

You need to know your sword. And so you have a sword — you need to own it. It's mighty and it's powerful. It's extremely sharp.

So I want you to know a few truths as we start to wrap up here. God's Word cannot change. This is the doctrine of immutability, and it means that God and His Word are free from any potential corruption. God's Word — the sword — cannot change. God's Word cannot get better. It is perfect. It is pure. And so God's Word is in a complete and absolute and solid and unmovable state. John 1:1 and John 1:14 proclaimed that Jesus is the Logos — He is the Word. And so when you are wielding the sword, you are saying what the Word says, and you are an ambassador of Christ, and it carries the weight of who God is. It's not your own weight. It's not your own identity. It's not your own testimony. It's not who you are — it is Christ and who He is. When you are saying, on behalf of the Word of God, what the Word of God says, you're wielding your sword. And it is unchanging. Hebrews 13:8 says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forevermore. And so Jesus is not changing, nor is the Word ever to change.

And not only is it unchanging — it is perfect. The doctrine of the infallibility of Scripture means that God's concepts are not only concrete but perfectly perfect. They are pure. They're without any error. They're without contradiction. The history is perfect in the Bible. The poetry is perfect in the Bible. The prophecies are perfect in the Bible. The laws are perfect in the Bible. The wisdom is perfect. The eschatology is perfect, even if we don't understand it. It's perfect. God's law and God's gospel are forever flawless. And this is something that you are to pick up and to utilize. Psalm 19:7 says, "The law of the Lord is perfect." You have a perfect sword. It will never corrode. It'll never rust. It'll never be corrupted. You have a perfect tool. Don't use a shovel — use your sword. Don't drop your sword, and if you do, pick it back up.

The sword is perfect, the sword is pure, and it's also understandable. You think the Word of God is sometimes not understandable — for lost people, for your children? That's not true. The doctrine of illumination means that God's Word has been made known to people by His Holy Spirit. He illuminates the text. He brings light to the minds. He brings understanding. Read John chapter 1, verses 1 through 14. He illuminates truth to people. Read John 14:26 — it's the Holy Spirit's role to illuminate the truth. You can understand the truth of the Word because of this doctrine of illumination.

And then as well, the doctrine of perspicuity — which is the clarity of Scripture. The clarity of Scripture. It is clear and understandable. The doctrine of perspicuity means that it is understandable. His Word has been made understandable. Children can understand the sword. Children can understand the Word. And so be confident in that. In 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 15, it says, "And that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ." So from childhood, Timothy was able — by his mother and grandmother, Lois and Eunice — to understand the concepts that we may think of as hard, from the Old Testament Scriptures. Because the only Scriptures available to them at that time would have been the Torah and the prophetic writings.

And so this means, since all Scripture is profitable according to 2 Timothy 3:16, it's helpful, it's useful, it's beneficial for children, youth, and adults, boys and girls, men and women — all the same. It's usable. It's understandable for all people. This means you do not need a priest to be able to tell you what the Word says. You can understand the perfect law of the Lord. You can understand these things. You don't need a medium. You don't need to seek out a psychic. You don't need someone "super spiritual" to be able to tell you what the hidden things of God are — they're made plain for you. There's no unlocking of Bible codes. So much money today is generated by these false ideas. You've got to pay this amount, get into this program, and then step by step you can understand more and more about God. There's no Gnostic secret knowledge. Christ has made Himself plain and clear and known. There are no cults, no secret societies.

The sword is beneficial. It slices, it dices, it works, it's effectual. It slices evil schemes. It causes you to stand firm. It helps us be able to make the gospel known. This is brilliant — how God has designed this for the local church. Which means, when we engage in all of these ordinary means of grace — which are, according to Acts chapter 2, verses 42 to 47: the teaching of the Word of God, fellowship, the ordinances, prayer and worship, service and giving, with the Word of God being at the top, primary, the teaching of the apostles — when we utilize the Word of God, these ordinary means of grace produce extraordinary results. It's an extraordinary work of the Spirit when someone is saved. It's an extraordinary work when someone is transformed and they grow in Christ. It is wonderful. So the Word of God is sufficient and it is sustainable. These ordinary means of grace are wonderful.

We are engaged in the local church to be able to utilize the sword better and better and better. And we go out from the local church as ones who have been ordained by the Holy Spirit of God on behalf of Him to spread the gospel and make disciples.

And so I would encourage you not to fight incorrectly. Some Christians live as if they have a PhD in psychology and they try to do everything within their own estimation and their own mind. They try to figure it out. They've got a problem and they hyper-focus on the problem — "I am going to figure this out." But rather, we should have a PhD in bibliology — what the Bible has to say about these things — and go to the Word first, and really exercise the effectual power that we have with understanding the Word of God in regards to a problem.

So immerse yourself in prayer and in Bible study rather than doing it on your own. Don't pull back and try to humanistically do it yourself. Don't pull back from the local church where the Word of God is being taught and utilized. Don't pull back from the Word of God in your own lives when you're engaged in spiritual warfighting. This is so crucial, because this is a bad habit with a lot of Christians — when they're MIA for a little while, they say, "Oh, I'm just going through something." But the Word of God is utilized through everyone for the uplifting and encouragement of you, through fellowship and through the teaching and the preaching. Don't try to figure it out on your own. Rather, seek first the kingdom of God. Go to the Word of God and stay committed to the local church. This is so important.

You know, figuring things out in your own mind — it's like the long way to get to a destination. It's like walking home from church by way of the swamps. Who would do that? One person said to me it's like geese walking south for the winter rather than flying. It's the hard way of life. And so stick with the Word of God. Stay in the Word of God. Believe me, it is the right way to do this. It'll save you from confusion. It'll save you from being shamed into silence. It'll save you from isolation. It'll save you from dwelling upon your sins. It'll save you from dark, long nights.

Take-home truth number one: your sword will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from your sword. Your sword will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from your sword. It's also been said, "Dusty Bibles equal dirty lives." So if your Bible is dusty, it's probably because you have something dirty going on in your life that you don't want to be confronted. Dusty Bibles lead to dirty lives. People are either in the Word or they're in the world — that's just how powerful the Word of God is. And so if you're in the Word, you're not in the world. But if you're in the world, you're often not in the Word.

Number two: the sword will keep you safe. Satan has schemes. And you can be safe from these schemes if you will wield your sword and block them with your shield. He's sending evil spirits. He's sending all kinds of schemes to work through others to get to you. And your sword is part of who you are, so that you can truly dice these schemes. So your sword will keep you safe.

And then number three: your sword will keep you strong. All of this is straight out of the text — verses 10 and 11. Your sword will keep you strong.

And then the last one: don't use anything other than God's sword. It's so tempting, in a world that wants to build up your pride and to build yourself up in the flesh, to utilize other means other than the Word of God. There are all kinds of programs out there to lead people from being addicted to alcohol or drugs or pornography or adultery — all these different programs. At least in those programs, oftentimes people will spend a lot of money and a lot of time, and they will get them perhaps out of trouble for a season. But these programs are not the Word of God. And these programs oftentimes leave people right back into the same situation from which they came. These programs are not sustainable.

God's Word — especially the ordinary means of grace — is sustainable for your life. You can swing this sword every day and not get tired. It's not dependent upon your shoulders and your biceps. You can swing this sword and cut alcoholism and pornography and sin and all these addictions to absolute pieces. And you can block these things with your sword and live free from sin with the sword. You do not need to be codependent on a program. You don't need other things. Believe in the Word of God and the sufficiency of the Word of God and its ability to accomplish what God's will is. You do not need all of these other things. You need the local church, because it's God's primary plan — He doesn't have a Plan B.

And so if you would invest yourself in God's ordinary means of grace and what the Word of God is for, wield your sword. It'll keep you safe from evil, keep you right with God, and it'll fulfill God's will for your life. You don't have to worry about anything else. If you're in college, listen — you don't have to figure out what God's will is for your life like it's some grand destination. God's will is not a destination. It's a journey. And it's with the Word of God and it's with Christ. So pick up your sword. Walk with it daily. Learn it well. Learn how to swing your sword. Learn how to do a two-step strategy when it comes to block and swing. When Satan is firing arrows at you — block it with your shield and swing with your sword. Block and swing. Block and swing. Go through life, and you will not be overcome by evil.

Let's pray together. Lord, we love You. We thank You for the ability to win in spiritual warfighting. I believe that the test perhaps helped us to see our lives in regards to how close we are to Your plumb line, to Your standard, and how well we actually spiritual warfight — or where we need to make some adjustments. And I pray, dear Jesus, for me first, that I would be able to take a very close look at my life according to these Scriptures and adjust my life and how I actually live. May I not just know what Your Word says, but do it as well. Let me not be one who is not a doer of Your Word and so deceiving my own self.

I pray, dear Jesus, that we would all tighten up our lives and live in close alignment with Your plans, with how You have pre-arranged for us to engage in life. This reality of spiritual warfighting — I pray, Father, that every single one of us would have a healthy habit of studying Your Word, so that we would be able to know our sword better, to know You better, and to know how to utilize it as we go through life.

And Father, if there's one here that is not saved — if the Word of God has never pierced their heart, if they have never seen what the Scriptures say in regards to Your perfect law, and that if we violate Your law we are a sinner and deserve the punishment of our sin, and that sin equals death, death being separation from You for eternity — if there's one here that is not saved, that's never seen that Your perfect, wonderful law is meant to lead them to salvation in Christ — I pray, dear Jesus, by the power of Your Holy Spirit and the Word of God preached, that You would cut them to the quick, cut them to the core. Help their heart to actually hurt because their sin — all of our sin — has caused You to have to send Your Son to die on an old rugged cross, to be beaten, battered, and bruised, to be rejected, to be tortured, to be killed, to die on our behalf. Thank You for Your substitutionary death on our part, so that we do not have to die for our sins, we don't have to pay the consequences of our sins. Thank You, dear Jesus, for that.

And I pray now that if anyone here has never repented, grant them the faith, dear Jesus, to be able to express a confession of repentance. Help them to confess that they are lost, that they are a sinner, that they have violated Your law, that they need You. Help them, dear Jesus — I pray. Draw them. You said if anyone needs rest to come to You, if anyone needs peace to come to You, if anyone needs salvation to come to You. Lord, I pray that they would repent and run to You and confess that they are a sinner and confess that You in fact died on the cross and were raised to overcome the power of sin and death in our lives. And we also confess, Lord Jesus, not only Your death but Your resurrection — and now we have newness of life, the new man who has new motives, a new heart, a new way of life. You've changed us. Thank You.

For those here who have desired to continue in Your Word and so prove that we are disciples of Yours — God, I pray that You would continue Your wonderful work of saving souls, and that You would continue to work through the proclamation of Your Word, not only to save souls but to see them baptized, and that they could belong to a good local church and study the Bible for themselves and make disciples. We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.