Welcome friends
As we wrap up our journey through the final piece of the Armor of God
I just want to say thank you for your patience, this has all been new territory for me
I truly pray you’ll keep digging deeper, studying, and growing in your understanding of this powerful Armor God has given us
Ephesians 6:17-“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
A soldier typically carried two types of swords
The sword mentioned in this verse is the Greek word for machaira meaning dagger
This shorter dagger was the secondary sword that was held on the side of his hip
It was used for closeup, hand-to-hand combat and personal defense
Every Christian is engaged in spiritual warfare and we’ve been given a powerful weapon
the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, also known as the Bible
This is our personal defense, our close up, hand-to-hand combat defense
The purpose of God’s Word is to help us in our spiritual battles
not just against people and challenging circumstances
but also satan’s lies and temptations that pull us away from God
Just as a Roman soldier was trained on how to use his sword properly
All Christians soldiers also need training to know how to handle the Sword of the Spirit
Matthew 6:11–“Give us this day our daily bread.”
This verse from the Lord’s Prayer isn’t just about asking for physical nourishment
it’s also a call to seek spiritual food.
Spending time in scripture every day deepens our knowledge helping us recognize truth from lies
so we can be ready and prepared at all times
The purpose of the Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God-is not just to read scripture
but to take hold of the saying which are in the bible
How do we take hold of the “saying” found in the Bible?
Let’s look to Scripture and see how Jesus Himself used them against satan
In Matthew 4, when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness
Jesus responded each time with “It is written,” quoting Scripture from Deuteronomy
Temptation 1 – Turn stones into bread
Matthew 4:3-4
“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
Jesus answered:
“It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
Quoted from:
Deuteronomy 8:3–man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
Temptation 2 – Jump from the temple
Matthew 4:5-7
“If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down.
He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone
Jesus answered:
“It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
Quoted from:
Deuteronomy 6:16-“Do not put the Lord your God to the test as you did at Massah.”
Temptation 3 – Bow down to Satan for all the kingdoms
Matthew 4:8-10
“All these things I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
Jesus answered:
“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”
Quoted from:
Deuteronomy 6:13-“Fear the Lord your God, serve him only…”
Jesus used his sword-the saying of God’s word- and satan could not stand up to this and he left
As soldiers need to be familiar with their weapons
2 Timothy 3:16-17 -“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Bible study: regular bible reading, in-depth study, and memorization help us learn how to use the Word effectively
Prayer: Asking God for understanding and guidance helps us apply His Word in our lives
Fellowship: Fellow believers can help sharpen each other’s understanding and encourage each other in using God’s Word
Teach Others: When we teach others, we reinforce our own understanding.
I don’t know about you, but I can honestly say I wasn’t very well equipped.
In fact, if I’m really being honest-I was hardly equipped at all.
That’s probably why I found it so easy to follow the ways of the world
gossiping, complaining, quick to anger, judgmental, self-centered—you name it
Satan had a field day in my mind, messing with my thoughts
But I thank God for waking me up. He didn’t just rescue me from Satan, He rescued me from myself.
I was on a path to self-destruction
Now, life has meaning. I’m on the other team—Team Jesus—and let me tell you, it’s so much better.
Being on Satan’s team really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be
My marriage is healthier now, too.
The first 40 years were rough, but here’s to the next 40—by God’s grace!
The enemy’s mission is to keep us from ever picking up our Bible,
to stop us from opening its pages, and to harden our hearts against personal conviction.
If he can’t stop us completely, he’ll settle for making us ineffective in our walk with God.
Armor Up !!
The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, isn’t just meant to be read-it’s meant to be used
It’s our spiritual weapon in battle, sharpening our ability to recognize truth, stand firm, and push back against the lies of the enemy
1. Belt of Truth
2. Breastplate of Righteousness
3. Shoes of the Gospel of Peace
4. Shield of Faith
5. Helmet of Salvation
6. Sword of the Spirit
Coming next- prayer, it’s the glue that activates and empowers the whole set
and review of all the pieces of armor along with our certificate of complete-Graduation Day!
so study up, get your bible dusted off
There is a lot of great information and tools out there to help build our knowledge
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for equipping us with everything we need to stand strong against the enemy
Help us to put on each piece of Your armor daily and to stay grounded in Your truth
Help us to rely on Your strength, not our own
In Jesus’ name, Amen
I invite you to join me on this journey
Let’s allow God to transform our hearts.
True change starts from within, and when He changes us, we can better impact the world around
https://echosofmyfootsteps.com
Interactive Lesson #39- Sword of the Spirit
