The Believer's Armor, Part 7: The Sword of the Spirit

This incredible matchless incomparable book is the final the final out of the harbor given to the believer in the battle against Satan and the sad fact is that so many Christians do not really know how to. Why do chess or even football that best defense is a good offense. But whatever the battle, the reality is you need both elements to win. That's especially true as you resist the satanic forces that war against you as a Christian and today on grace to you. John MacArthur is going to show you how to use the one weapon that God is given you that is both offensive and defensive.

It's the super weapon known as the sword of the Spirit so follow along. Now, as John continues his classic grace to you study the believer's armor will examine the last piece of the Christian's armor verse 17. Finally, as Paul expresses what is needed for the believer to overcome Satan and his host. He says take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God bull Dr. Guthrie said the Bible is an armory of the heavenly weapons laboratory of infallible medicines online of exhaust lists well is a guidebook for every road.

A chart for every seed of medicine for every malady in a bomb look for every wound. Rob us of our Bible and our sky has lost its sun.

One writer said the authorship of the Bible is so wonderful. There are words written by kings by emperors by princes by poets by sages by philosophers by fishermen by statesmen, by men, learned in the wisdom of Egypt. Educated in the schools of Babylon and trained the feet of rabbis in Jerusalem. It was written by men in exile in the desert in shepherd's tents in green pastures and beside still waters among its authors. We find a tax gatherer, a herdsman, a gather of sycamore fruit we find poor men rich men statesmen, preachers, captains, legislators, judges in exile. The Bible is a library filled with history, genealogy, ethnology law, ethics, prophecy, poetry, eloquence, medicine, sanitary science, political economy and the perfect rules for personal and social life, and behind every word is the divine author God himself of the authorship of the Bible. John Wesley said the Bible must have been written by God, or good man or bad men or good angels or bad angels, and then he said, but then admitted that angels wouldn't write it because it condemns bad men and bad angels and good men and good angels wouldn't deceive by lying as to its authority in claiming that God wrote and so said Wesley. The Bible must have been written as it claims to have been written by God, who by his Holy Spirit inspired men to record his words using the human instrument to communicate is truth. I don't know if we even understand the fullness of what it means to have the sword of the Spirit. I'm quite confident window.

This incredible matchless incomparable book is the final weapon. The final out of the harbor given to the believer in the battle against Satan and the sad fact is that so many Christians do not really know how to use it. We fall victim to Satan because of an ineptness with the sword. You realize what kind of a book. This is you really realize what you have in your hand as you glance at its words and its page. I'm just telling me tell you what the Bible claims for itself. First of all, the Bible claims that it is infallible.

That means that it is without error. In total, that the sum of it all makes no mistakes that install less less without blemish. In Psalm 19. Seven it says the law of the Lord is perfect in its total it is infallible. Secondly, it sparks is in arrogance and that means that there is nowhere in it. In Proverbs 30, verses five and six it says every word of God is pure every word now not to his words. Last, he reproved the V and that will be found a liar and so his word is infallible and total inherent in part. Thirdly, it is complete. Revelation 2218 and 19 says if any man shall add under these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book and if any man shall take away the words of this book, God shall take away his part from the tree of life. In other words, you can add to it and you can't take away from it. That means it is complete. Fourthly, the Bible is authoritative in Isaiah chapter 1 verse two we read here all heavens and give ear earth, for the Lord hath spoken. When God speaks everybody better was that's what it means when it says its authority. Further, the Bible is sufficient in second Timothy chapter 3 it says that it is sufficient to make you wise unto salvation is sufficient to make you perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

This book can bring you to salvation and bring you to perfection. There is nothing other than that it is needful so the Bible is infallible and total inherent in part, complete, authoritative, and sufficient sex is affected is effective when it speaks, things happen. The Bible changes things the word of God works transformations in Isaiah 55 so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth. It shall not return void, but shall accomplish what I please. It is effective listener fight, and believe that I would preach the reason I preach, it is because I believe it will do what it says it will do. Seventh, it is divine. Second Peter 121 says the Scripture did not come from any private interpretation became not from the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, God's book. Ellis a book that is infallible in error and complete authoritative sufficient affective and divine is a book that audibly cherished one other reason. It is also determinative.

What a person does with the Bible reveals his relationship to God. Jesus said, he that is of God hears God's word year, not of God.

Therefore, you hear them not if you listen to the Bible shows you belong to God. If you don't, it shows you don't. The Bible then becomes a determiner and a sense of a man's eternal destiny and his relationship with God.

What an incredible book.

There is no existence in the universe that can make these claims and substantiate only the Bible was the Bible do for you what is the Bible offering what resources is a bring you want to suggest a few. First of all is the source of truth and John 1717 says thy word is truth is the truth about life and death time eternity. The truth about heaven and hell the truth about right and wrong the truth about men and women the truth about all people and young people the truth about children the truth about society the truth about every relationship between God and man.

Every relationship between man and man in every relationship between man and creation truth about everything is needful. Secondly, the Bible is a source of happiness. We see the world around us chasing happiness like Matt just furiously chasing happiness in the simplicity of Scripture is this Proverbs 834 happy is the man who hears the simplicity of the statement of Jesus in Luke 1128 happy are they rare. The word of God and obey it. That's happiness the Bible that is the source of happiness as well as the source of truth because frankly no man is happier than he who discovers truth but was watching an interview with a lady who had been raped and the interviewer said or what have you learned through this and should all I've grown through the and interviewer several actually wonderful. That's what life is all about growing, but I agree life is all about growing but not growing in the way they think growing in the knowledge of the word of God because Peter says grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You do that again the word is the source of growth in Peter, he says, first Peter 22 as babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby listen the Bible as a source of truth Bible is a source of happiness. The Bible is the source of growth and then the Bible source of power were really impotent in our lives if we don't use God's word, the Bible is the source of our power.

The word is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. Further, the Bible is the source of guidance Psalm 119, 105 thy word is a lamp on my feet and a light into my pack the Bible as the source of comfort.

Romans 15 for talks about the comfort of the Scripture. The Bible is the source of perfection. Second Timothy 316 that the man of God may be perfect. The Bible is a source of so many thing this incredible book that never has an error never makes a mistake is always sufficient and complete and authoritative and effective and determinative can bring to your life, truth and happiness and growth and power in guidance and comfort of perfection and one other thing the Bible is the source of victory over the and with that, we arrive at Ephesians 670 is the sort of the spirit which is the word of God that gives us the weapon against our enemy and a lot of that's why I preach the word of God. That's why we systematically teach the word of God because you see it wouldn't even matter if all those other things I said about the Bible were true. If you never learned you have a jury. Disposable resource never used. So we believe systematically week after week after week and teaching the word of God. Why because it gives you the source of truth, the source of happiness, a source of growth the source of power. The source of guidance. The source of comfort, the source perfection of the source of victory. Now we know in Ephesians 6 were in a war right that was made clear to us in verses 10 to 12.

If you look back in verses 10 to 12 you will reiterate again the war that were involved.

We are resting against Satan and his deep as Christians we been given a resource in Christ, we are literally blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heaven we know how we are to live that's laid out in Ephesians 4, five and six. We know what our resources are. That's in Ephesians 1, two and three. The reservoirs there and we learn how we are applying now we are facing the reality that Satan resists that application. Satan tries to stymie our productivity. He wants to stop us from living out our position in the way we overcome his hindrance is to have the armor on.

We discussed the Belzer truthfulness in verse 14, which is commitment. We discussed the breastplate of righteousness which is holiness and we discussed the shoes of the gospel of peace which is confidence in the Lord's power and presence.

We discussed the shield of faith, which is believe in God. We discussed the helmet of salvation which is confidence in the eternal salvation yet to come. And now we come finally to the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Ellis the previous armor has been primarily defensive, but now we come to a piece of armor that is both defensive and offense. I've heard people say that this is offense. It is more than that it is defensive as well.

Now the word sword.

Here's a very interesting term is the word in the Greek and the Cairo and it's a very common word in Greek. A very common word, even in the New Testament. The other word for sword ROM fire refers to that large broadsword. It could be as long as 40 inches plus longer than a yardstick a great rot, two-edged sword that was wielded with two hands. That is not in view here. This is the more normal sword carried by the soldier. The much higher anywhere from six inch-long daggers to 18 inch swords are so there were put in a sheath or scabbard by the side of the soldier and were used in hand-to-hand combat. That's what's in view. In fact, by the way, but Kyra is the word used to describe the swords in Matthew 2647 that were in the hands of the Romans who came to capture Jesus while he was in the garden was the normal Roman soldiers sword is the same word used to speak of the sword with which Peter cut off the ear of the servant of the high priest is the same word used in the Cairo to speak of the sword used in acts 12 to to kill James the brother of John is the same word in the Kyra sword used to speak of the sword used against the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11 is the normal sequence of sizes in this but Kyra concept that was the everyday routine sword used by soldiers but in each case it seems apparent that Kyra had to be used in a rather precise way to be effective, a Peter, simply cut off an ear with.

I'm sure if you had a ROM file here come all the way from the year to the tip of the guys told the Kyra had to be used as a precise weapon. Now this is the sword that Paul has in mind was the normal sword used by the Roman soldier.

Now notice that verse 17 he says it is the sword of the Spirit to dermatitis of the spirit. It could be translated literally could be transited by the spirit or also to be transmitted in adjectival sense spiritual qualities options.

Perhaps the best to our these first of all, we can use it as an adjective and take the spiritual sword small apps not referring some parts of the Holy Spirit, but the spiritual sword because we know how well that Paul said to the Corinthians in second Corinthians 10 for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual. That's his implication so we are using a spiritual sword. The fact that verse 12 says we are fighting spiritual wickedness.

He's talking here about a spiritual sword. Of course all of this is spiritual. We have really a spiritual belt and a spiritual breastplate and spiritual shoes and spiritual shield in a spiritual helmet so that could be used in that sin.

And by the way to Numa toss is used in an adjectival sense in Ephesians 1, three and 519 so that would be a fair way to translate it in the context of the book but perhaps better because it would be more consistent with the rest of the armor is to translate it in a what we call it a genitive of origin.

In other words, it's referring to where it comes from sword given by the spirit so that it is the sword of the Spirit in the sense that the spirit is given.

If you put both together you get this idea are sore is spiritual because it was given to us by the Holy Spirit.

And when you became a Christian you received the sword in what sense you have the Bible recently. The nonbeliever has the box yes an unbeliever has the Bible but does not have the residence with teacher. The Holy Spirit can make the Bible meaningful right. That's why the natural man understand not the things of God. That's why in first John tells us in chapter 2 that we have an anointing from God, and we know all things. We have a resident truth teacher is the spirit of God living in the life of the believer who makes the word of God available to that belief. And so when you become a believer you receive the word of God and the spirit of God and in conjunction, you have the sword so the sword becomes ours.

As believers, but now it's a matter of how we learn to use the store and are all Christians possess the sword, we have it here and we have the resident spirit of God so that it is a spiritual sword.

It becomes a weapon was a beloved the Bible in your life as a weapon.

No question about it's a weapon it's only a matter of whether you know how to use and learning how to use it is dependent upon how diligently you get involved in studying the word of God.

That's why the apostle Paul's spent three years in Ephesus and said I have not failed the clarity of the whole counsel of God. Why you want to teach them how to use the sword worthy given the whole thing so that they would be able to use it effectively.

So we have a spiritual sore a sort not foraged in human animals or tempered and earthly fires a store that is divine origin, a powerful, effective, amazing weapon that is all those things that I said earlier about the Bible and comparable matchless in the hand of the believer so powerful that nothing can withstand it, and nothing can over power. Always remember reading King Arthur and the invincible sword.

It pales in light of the invincibility of the word of God (of a righteous knows how to use the word then is our weapon and its powerful is powerful in Romans 116 it says so powerful pieces are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God and the salvation you wield this sort of people get saved, you will literally use the sword as it were, to to tear away souls from the kingdom of darkness with the sword.

You can cut a swath through Satan's dominion power it can be used in judgment in Hebrews chapter 4 where it says the word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, of joints and Marilyn is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart the word discern their comes from criminal, which means to judge by sifting out the evidence, the word of God becomes that which judges people you preach the word and it brings to bear on their life. The judgment of God, and it sifts in ways their life in the balance of the authority of the word of God to show them the factor or reality of their sinfulness. The next verse he says that's why he was for 13 no creature can hide himself, but everyone is made naked before God's word. God's word comes like a sword resting souls from the kingdom of darkness. God's word comes like a sword, piercing into the hearts of men splitting them open. Sifting the evidence and and showing them their own sin and guilt before holy God.

This is a powerful weapon is so powerful it can bring truth and error is so powerful it can bring happiness into sadness is so powerful it brings light to darkness and shows you the way is so powerful it changes sorrow to joy is so powerful that it changes stagnation of the growth is so powerful it takes an infantile person and makes a mature, this is a powerful thing. This is what we hold in our hands, sword of the Spirit was great. Father, we thank you for your word. I can't help but think that in the sense the whole armor of God is nothing but a picture of Jesus Christ.

Christ is the truth like the builder truthfulness G is our righteousness are breastplate. He is our peace. His faithfulness makes our faith reality G is our salvation.

And he is the living word of God. Father, I know that this means that the moment we trust Christ, we received the armor I think of the words of the apostle Paul who said wake up castoffs in and put on the armor of light and then went on to say which is put G on the Lord Jesus Christ.

So father my heart I know that something up all of this armor, summing it all up and winning the battle. We must put on Jesus Christ. We must be covered with his truth in truthfulness with his righteousness with his peace with his confident faith in the father with his ultimate salvation with his very life is the living word father was to appropriate those resources. This is grace to you with John MacArthur. John is the Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary. He has titled our current study, the believers armor of John as you continued your study from Ephesians 6 today. You actually hit on many different portions of Scripture. Psalm 19 Revelation 22, Isaiah 1, Luke 11, in John 17, just to name a few. So talk about that strategy looking to multiple passages in order to understand one particular part of God's word and is that a technique that is best left to pastors and Bible scholars was also something that laypeople who study Scripture can do for themselves. If you study the New Testament and even the teaching of our Lord you know how often he use the Old Testament he would reach back to the Old Testament. The apostle Paul all the New Testament writers reach back to the Old Testament so they understand that the truth revealed to them in the New Testament is also connected to truth revealed in the Old Testament, and that's because you have one author so the Bible becomes its own best interpreter and early on in my ministry I realized that the New Testament writers would draw the enrichment of their revelation from the Old Testament and so I thought I now have the new and the Old Testament, and as I'm going through any given passage.

I want also to explain that given passage by the rest of Scripture. So it's it's a commitment that I made at the beginning of my ministry, and their number of reasons for it. The apostle Paul said the things written in the Old Testament have happened unto you as examples. So we have a full illustration book in the Old Testament to illustrate the truth of the New Testament.

So why would you use those illustrations that are designed by God to bring complete full ranging understanding to things in the New Testament. So when you use biblical illustrations to illustrate. They not only have interest that only have clarity, but they have power and authority because they are the word of God. So I think when you want to understand the Bible, you have to understand sections and passages in the greater context of all Scripture. That's one of the reasons that I wrote many years ago. Now the MacArthur study Bible.

The notes in the MacArthur study Bible help you do that there are 25,000 footnotes on every page of the Bible and they will inevitably take you from passage reading give you an explosion take you to other passages that elucidate and clarify if you don't have a MacArthur study Bible, you need to get one because it's essentially a biblical library in one volume and you will use it in a way that will do exactly what I've been explaining help you to explain the Scripture by other Scripture, that's right.

And friend you can think about the footnotes in the study Bible.

This way they help you grasp the fine details in God's word and that helps you see the big picture you will see, as John said that Scripture explain Scripture over and over to order your copy of the MacArthur study Bible.

Contact us today. Call our toll-free number 855 grace or visit our website TTY.org. Besides all the features that John mentioned the MacArthur study Bible comes with a section that shows you how to get the most out of your time in God's word.

The study Bible is also available in several English and non-English translation than in softcover hardcover and genuine leather to order, call 855 grace or go to TTY.org now turning the corner a bit. If you know of someone thinking about life after high school, keep in mind what I mentioned earlier in the broadcast that John MacArthur serves as Chancellor of the Masters University in Southern California. It's a four-year liberal arts University that is committed to the authority of Scripture. To learn more about the Masters University look for their link that our website TTY.org is a grace the website we have a link to the University TTY.org now for John MacArthur in the entire grace to you staff, I'm Phil Johnson encouraging you to be here tomorrow when John will look at the most effective way to defeat Satan's attacks. John is continuing his study of the believers armor, with another 30 minutes of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to