Sword of the Spirit

Ephesians 6:17 (TPT)
“...And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken word of God”

In spiritual warfare battles WILL come, but they will not come every day. Does that mean we can be laxed and not armor up daily? Do not be silly! I believe a big part of operating in the authority of the believer is we MUST suit up every single day, NO MATTER WHAT! There are multiple pieces to the Armor of God. The three I want to ensure are always ready are the Belt of Truth, Shield of Faith, and the Sword of the Spirit. By no means am I discrediting any of the other pieces, but merely giving my thoughts on my Key Three.

The sword is one of the most aggressive and offensive weapons in our spiritual arsenal. The word for “sword” that Paul used comes from the Greek word “machaira”. This sword was about 19” long and both sides of it were razor sharp. It made this sword the most dangerous of the five used by Roman soldiers. This weapon was not only intended to kill, but completely tear the enemy’s insides to shreds! So, this word that Paul uses for Sword of the Spirit declares that God has given His church a sword that is just as brutal against our enemy. It will destroy and tear our foe to shreds! GLORY!!!

So, Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…” Now “two-edged” comes from the Greek word “distomos”, which describes something that is two-mouthed. How can that be? Well one edge was sharpened when God initially spoke the Word and the other edge becomes sharp when YOU speak the Word. The original text is actually “two-mouthed sword”

The term for “word” comes from the Greek word “rhema”. It describes something that is spoken clearly, vividly, unmistakable, certain, and definite terms by way of revelation. A quickened word, that comes from scripture or a word from the Lord. These words are POWERFUL, there is NO doubt about them!

The sword, the shield, and the belt are inseparable. The shield is clipped on the right side of the belt and the sword hangs on the left. Picture it that the belt supports the shield and is a resting place for the sword. The belt is the written Word (logos), the Bible. This is the primary source for a rhema from God. You must get the Word inside of you so that when needed, the rhema word can be given to you. Many times, these will come right when needed in a battle. It is up to you to draw your sword and keep its edge as you speak it out!

When you speak it, you hear it, “So then faith (shield) comes by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema) of God.” (Rom 10:17).

Another passage of scripture that refers to the sword is found in Jesus' letter to the church of Pergamos.

“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:” (‭‭Revelation‬ ‭2‬:‭12‬)

The word "sharp" in this verse is the Greek word oxus. Most translations of this verse have oxus as "sharp" because of its connection with Christ's sword, and it's true that this word has that meaning in certain contexts. However, in ancient Greek literature, the word oxus is rarely translated as "sharp." It most commonly denotes the sanitizing effect of a medicinal cleanser, an astringent intended to attack infection and remove disease, or an anesthetizing wine given to patients suffering with excruciating pain.

This was precisely the same kind of solution given to anesthetize and numb a patient before a painful surgical procedure. Although the chemical itself was bitter to taste, it attacked infection and disease and thus produced a healing effect.

No matter how slowly or carefully Jesus proceeds in correcting His Church, the effects of judgment are always painful to some degree. Correction is a painful process and often bitter to the taste, but Christ in His infinite mercy attempts to minimize pain.

His sword is "sharp" (oxus) and covered in the anesthetic of the Holy Spirit, which helps lower the pain of these corrective procedures. So we see that the purpose of divine judgment is not to wound, but rather to cleanse, heal, and restore individuals who are being ravaged from within by a deadly spiritual infection!

Hallelujah, thank you Jesus!!!