The Sword of the Spirit
Greg Laurie
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.— Ephesians 6:17
Have you ever noticed that when you plan to spend some time reading your Bible, all kinds of crazy things start happening? You can get up in the morning and read the newspaper, every section of it, and everything is fine. There are no phone calls, no disturbances. Nothing is going on. But when you say, "I'm going to read my Bible," the phone starts ringing. Kids start screaming. You remember that you forgot to pick up the dry cleaning or return a phone call. They are not necessarily evil things that are keeping you from God's Word—they are just things. They are distractions. The devil doesn't want you to read your Bible. Did you know that? He wants to distract you, because the Bible is a crucial weapon for spiritual battle.
Ephesians 6:17 refers to God's Word as "the sword of the Spirit." It is the only piece of offensive weaponry listed with the armor of God in Ephesians 6. The breastplate and helmet are for protection. The shoes help a soldier gain ground. The shield is something to stand behind. But the sword is for attacking and inflicting damage.
So we want to sharpen our sword. We want to study it and know the weight of it. We want to know how it works and how it moves. And most importantly, we want to know how we are going to use it.
What shape is your sword in? Is it polished from daily use? Has it been sharpened on the anvil of experience as you have applied and obeyed its truth in your life? Or, is your sword dulled from disobedience? Is it rusty from lack of preparation?
It has been said that a Bible that is falling apart usually belongs to someone who isn't.
