Swinging the Sword
- Bishop Keith Butler
- Jul 2, 2024
- 2 min read
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:16-17)
The Apostle Paul discussed spiritual weaponry in Ephesians 6, and today, I want to highlight one specific weapon in the believer’s armory: the sword of the Spirit. Note that the S in Spirit is capitalized. That means it’s not talking about your spirit but the Holy Spirit. He gives you His sword to use.
How do we use it? The Scripture says, “The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Word is the Greek word rhema here, which means the spoken word. It is a timely, personalized, spoken word that comes from revelation.
The sword is both an offensive and a defensive weapon. Offensively, you must learn how to swing the sword with power and precision to see the will of God come to pass in your life.
As a defensive weapon, the Word protects us when the enemy fills our minds with negative thoughts or when others declare things over us that are not in accordance with the Word of God. When a thought full of darkness comes to your mind, cut it out by using the sword of the Spirit and speaking the Word right away.
As an offensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit empowers us to change the atmosphere through our words. When you speak in faith, empowered by the Holy Spirit, things change. God created the world with words of faith. Jesus stopped storms by them, and we are called to bind and loose with the spoken words of faith.
Practical Application
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal what you should say about your workplace, family, church, and yourself. Search the Word for specific Scriptures to apply to your situations, and take time every morning to declare them with power and authority.
