The Sword of the Spirit part 3 - The Living Powerful & Active Rhema Word of God

You can quote scripture or stand on some biblical promise all day long, but if God hasn't personally spoken it to you, it will not be the sword of the Spirit. It must be something God has spoken to you personally, and that's not all. You may find this hard to believe, but the fact is Satan is not afraid of the Bible. Not one bit. Perhaps it's his enormous hubris, but whatever the case may be, the truth of the matter is Satan does not fear the Bible. He not only knows it inside and out, he's very skilled at using it as a weapon when it suits his purposes. So then, whenever we're faced with some opposition to what we know to be God's will for us, we can, and in fact must, take the Rhema word he has spoken to us and by faith take our stand on it. Whether used defensively against some lie of the devil or offensively to counter that lie with the power and truth of what God has said, this is what it means to take up the sword of the Spirit. In this series, we're looking at what the Apostle Paul described in the sixth chapter of Ephesians as the sword of the Spirit. Almost everyone seems to assume, because Paul said the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, that he was referring to the Bible. And since the Bible is almost universally taught and understood to be the Word of God, according to this reasoning, it is, of course, also the Sword of the Spirit. Case in point. I've seen more than a few sermons and teachings over the years where the speaker triumphantly held up his or her Bible while referring to it as the sword of the Spirit. There's a really good chance you have too. Every single time, the clear and unmistakable takeaway is that quoting scripture or standing on some biblical passage or promise, regardless of the level of one's spiritual maturity, sanctification, and relationship with the Lord, is the sum total of what Paul meant when he instructed the saints to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And virtually no one questions it. That's how it's almost universally been taught and understood for as long as I can remember. After all, how could so many well respected theologians, religious leaders, and Bible teachers be wrong? But is that really what Paul meant when he wrote about the sword of the spirit? Your first reaction may very well be, well, of course it is. And given how this is generally taught and understood in Christian and Messianic circles, that would be perfectly understandable. So right out of the gate, let me say it loud and clear. The sword of the Spirit is not the Bible. Yes, you heard me correctly. The sword of the Spirit is not the Bible. At least not in the sense that it's commonly taught and understood. So let's be Bereans and see what the Bible, as opposed to church tradition, actually says about the sword of the Spirit. And in doing so, we're going to pull down strongholds, cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, which brings us right to the heart of the matter. What exactly is the sword of the spirit? Simply stated, it is the Rama Theu, the living, active, and powerful voice of God spoken personally to you and me. That is what the Apostle Paul meant when he said the sword of the Spirit is the Lord of God. Not the Bible, the living voice of God. You see, whenever we read the English phrase, the word of God or the word of the Lord and the Bible, it means either the spoken or spiritually communicated voice or expression of God. Whether speaking the creation into existence as in let there be light, speaking personally with men and women such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Moses, Samuel, and David, spoken by Christ or the Holy Spirit, spiritually communicated to the Hebrew prophets and apostles, or as a divine utterance given by those same Hebrew prophets and apostles, every single time. John's description of Christ as the logos or word of God expresses this in its ultimate and fullest possible sense. As Christ Himself said, He who has seen me has seen the Father. And so it is with the Sword of the Spirit. It is the Rhema Theu, the living, active, and powerful spoken word of God, which we bring to bear against the wiles, schemes, and attacks of the devil. If you haven't seen the first two episodes of this series, I highly encourage you to do so for the biblical background and foundation we're building this study on. Now, as you might expect, this topic usually comes up in the context of the armor of God Paul described in the sixth chapter of Ephesians. Let's look again at this most remarkable and important passage. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. At the outset, I do want to emphasize that graduate level expertise in Hebrew and Greek is not necessary to critically examine or understand what I'm presenting here. What is required is an honest heart, together with a genuine spirit of humility and a sincere love for the truth. So that said, let's look at the Greek word rhema. This is the word Paul used when he instructed the saints to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Let me repeat that. The Greek word Paul used for the Word of God in verse 17 is Rhema, not logos, and very significantly for our study here, not Graphi, the Greek word all the New Testament writers used when they were talking about the Bible. Rhema. Strongs defines Rhema as a spoken word made by the living voice. It is often used in the New Testament to mean the Lord speaking his dynamic, living, and powerful word in a believer to birth or implant living faith. This is what Paul was referring to in Romans 12 3 when he wrote that God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. And in contrast to the cheap counterfeit taught by Word of Faith, prosperity preachers, this is the true biblical word of faith Paul spoke of in Romans 10 8. The living, active, and powerful word of faith spoken or otherwise spiritually communicated by God personally to you and me. We see this, for example, in the third chapter of Luke when the word of God, Greek word Ramath, came to or upon John the Baptist in the wilderness. Brother, that wasn't a Torah school, and it sure wasn't the King James Bible. It was a living voice of God speaking directly to John, the Rhema Theu. We see the same thing in Hebrews with the writer's warning against falling away to those who have tasted the goodness of the Word of God. Again, the Greek phrase here translated the Word of God is Rhema Theu, and make no mistake, he was not talking about the Bible. Rather, he specifically meant those who have personally experienced how wonderful, blessed, and holy it is to hear the living voice of God. Let me repeat that. When the writer of Hebrews spoke of tasting the goodness of the Word of God, he was not talking about how wonderful it is to read and study the Bible. He meant experiencing or tasting how wonderful, blessed, and holy it is to hear the living voice of God speak to you personally, the Rama Theu, the living, active, and powerful voice of God, not only directly and personally communicated by God, but also, and this is key, spiritually heard and understood. One very well known example of this is Romans 10 17. Let's look. The ESV renders this passage, so faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of Christ. While the King James reads, So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. While theologians and Bible scholars may disagree as to whether Paul used the Greek phrase Romatos Christu, the Word of Christ, or Ramatos Theu, the Word of God, one thing is crystal clear. He specifically meant the living and powerful Rhema words spoken or otherwise spiritually communicated directly and personally by God. Again, not the Bible, the Rhema. The living, active and powerful divine utterance spoken or otherwise spiritually communicated directly to you and me. The Ramatos the you. Romans 10 17 should therefore be understood as meaning something like, so then, faith proceeds from spiritual hearing, and this spiritual hearing is birthed or consummated by the living, active and powerful voice or Rhema word of God. By now you should be getting a better sense of what Paul actually meant when he said the sword of the Spirit is the Rhema word of God. And please, do not let any smooth talking preacher deceive you. This is the true word of faith Paul was speaking of in Romans 10 8, and it is light years from the cheap counterfeit sold on the open market by sleazy televangelists and word of faith prosperity teachers. Let's look at this again. Romans 10 17, rendered in the King James as so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, should be understood as meaning that faith proceeds or results from spiritual hearing, and moreover, that this spiritual hearing is birthed or consummated by the living, active, and powerful voice or rain word of God spoken personally to you and me. Let that sink in for a moment. Notice how this is directly connected to spiritual hearing, which is our part in this, as in having ears to hear. We in fact see the exact same concept in another well known passage, this time Galatians 3 2 from the ESV. Let me ask you only this. Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? The Greek word translated hearing in both Romans 10 17 and Galatians 3 2 is akoi, meaning hearing, report, fame, or audience. Both passages refer to the hearing of faith, in other words, a spiritual hearing and understanding that accompanies the divine birthing of faith. This is how God's part and our part work together to birth genuine living faith, whether leading to justification or as the gift of faith Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 12 9. This is precisely what the writer of Hebrews meant when he referred to Christ as the author and finisher of our faith. So then, faith does indeed come by hearing, and hearing by the living, active, and powerful word of God, not about Christ, as some translations incorrectly render it, although it most certainly can be and often is about him. And here is where we have to be really careful. You see, it's one thing to say that faith comes by hearing a spoken word or message about Christ. Think about it. That can mean anything from a church sermon to a street evangelist, television preacher, Bible teacher, or even an atheist talking about Christ. However, it is an entirely different matter to say that faith comes by hearing and understanding the living and active word of Christ, or as the case may be, of God, spoken directly and personally to you and me. And this is precisely what Paul meant in Romans 10 17. So once again, we see that the New Testament writers made a clear distinction between what is written in the Scriptures, what we know as the Bible, and what is spoken or spiritually communicated as a divine utterance, what they refer to as the Word of God or the Word of the Lord. The sword of the Spirit is no exception. Whether as a word of knowledge, prophecy, understanding, guidance, comfort, encouragement, assurance, discernment, conviction, warning, or even judgment. God's spoken word takes root in our inner man. By faith, it then becomes the solid rock upon which we stand. It's the very life and power of God breathed or spoken into our spirit. Ray Steadman beautifully described the distinction between the living word of God, Rhema, and the written scripture, Gothi, in his wonderful devotional entitled The Sword of the Spirit. Following is a brief excerpt. Quote, in this verse, the word of God does not refer to the complete Bible. There are two words used in Scripture for the Word of God. There is the familiar word logos, which is used in the opening verse of John's gospel. In the beginning was the word logos, and the word logos was with God, and the word logos was God, John 1.1. Then there is another word, Rhema, which is different in meaning. Logos refers to the total utterance of God, the complete revelation of what God has said. Rhema means a specific saying of God, a passage or a verse that has special application to an immediate situation. To use a modern term, it is the word of God applied to experience, to our existence. Rhema is the word used here. The sword of the Spirit is the saying of God applied to a specific situation. This is the great weapon placed in the hands of a believer. Perhaps all of us have had some experience with this. We have all read passages of scripture when the words suddenly seem to come alive, take on flesh and bones, leap off of the page at us, or grow eyes that follow us around everywhere we go. Perhaps we've experienced this in some moment of temptation or doubt. We were assailed by what Paul calls here the flaming arrows of the evil one. But it has been answered immediately by a passage of scripture that flashed to mind, something we had not been thinking of at all, but which supplied the needed answer. That is why this is called the Sword of the Spirit, because it is not only originated by Him as the author of the Word, but it is also recalled to mind by the Spirit and made powerful by Him in our lives. It is His answer to the attack of the devil, who comes to discourage us, defeat us, lure us aside, deceive us, or mislead us in some way. Now here is where we need to pay very close attention. God can and often does speak this Rama word to us independently of the Bible. Let me repeat that. God can and often does speak to us independently of the Bible. Now I know this may come as a shock since many believers have been taught that God only speaks to us today through the Bible. Well, that's about as unbiblical as you can possibly get. It's not only wrong, it borders on heresy. You see, in their zeal to correct the excesses of hypercharismatic and Pentecostal Christianity, many fundamentalist teachers and theologians have thrown the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. They not only deny what the Bible itself clearly teaches, some even go so far as to mock gifts of the Spirit such as prophecy and the word of knowledge. That's a really bad idea, as you don't correct error with more error, but rather with biblical truth. So let me say it again. God can and often does speak this rhema word to us independently of the Bible. Very rarely in an audible voice, much more often in what the Bible calls the still small voice. As Christ said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Do you know him like that? Now, of course, it can also be, and very often is, the Holy Spirit quickening some passage of the Bible to us for understanding, guidance, discernment, or warning specific to a given situation. Then and only then can we rightly consider the Bible to be the living, active, and powerful word of God. If you've been a believer for any length of time, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The written scripture comes alive, jumps off the page, and becomes real, and that, brother, is when the written word becomes the living, active, and powerful Rhema word of God. Think about it. Christ often had to open the scriptures before the apostles and disciples understood them. Mind you, these are the same Hebrew scriptures they had known all their lives, but their meaning was hidden to them until Christ opened their spiritual eyes and ears. And it was the same in the eighth chapter of Acts when Philip proclaimed Christ to Ethiopian eunuch. And as you may recall, this royal official was returning home from Jerusalem where he had gone to worship. After being led into the desert by an angel of the Lord, the Holy Spirit told Philip to overtake his chariot, and as he did, he heard the eunuch reading Isaiah's prophecy of the suffering servant. When Philip asked him if he understood what he was reading, the eunuch responded, How can I unless someone guides me? It was only when Philip, led by the Holy Spirit, began reading what we know as Isaiah 53, 12 and proclaim Christ, that the written scripture became the living Rhema, Word of God. Then and only then were the eunuch's spiritual eyes opened. And it was only then that he was able to understand that Isaiah was speaking of Christ. And so it is with us. It is by this Rhema Word that we truly come to know Christ. Not only as the Word of God, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the Son of David and prophet greater than Moses, but personally and intimately as my Lord and Savior, my elder brother, and my friend. Same with God the Father. It's by this same Rhema Word that we truly come to know Him. Not only as the God of the Bible, Creator of the universe, the God of Israel, and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but personally and intimately as Abba, Father and my God. And when God speaks to Yumi like this, make no mistake, it becomes ours. That's when we cross over from the realm of dead religion to walking in the power and might of the living God. As it is written, the kingdom of God is not in word but in power. And when that happens, brother, no angel, demon, lying spirit, principality, power, or any other created thing can take it away from you or me. Praise the Lord. And in the evil day, you and I can draw upon the living word that God has birthed in us as a mighty weapon against all the wild schemes and attacks of the devil. That is the true sword of the Spirit. So when the devil comes in like a flood to try to frighten, intimidate, or discourage us, take heart and be a good courage. Like Gideon of old, God can speak a rhema word to you or me, such as, The Lord is with you, you mighty man or woman of Valor. Like Gideon, we may think of ourselves as a weak, insignificant nobody. Or like Sarah, we may be well past the prime of life with no evidence in sight of either God's blessing or favor. Or like Moses, we may have spent the last 40 years tending sheep in the desert and consider ourselves to be slow of speech and tongue. The devil may also come against us with accusations and reminders of past mistakes or failures. Other people may very well be the same. But when the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the same God who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did, calls you or me a mighty man or woman of valor, that changes everything. And that is when we rise up in faith, take the word that he has spoken to us and wield it as the sword of the Spirit on our way to victory. Hallelujah! As it is written, this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. So then, whenever we're faced with some opposition to what we know to be God's will for us, we can, and in fact must, take the Rhema word He has spoken to us and by faith take our stand on it. Whether used defensively against some lie of the devil, or offensively to counter that lie with the power and truth of what God has said, this is what it means to take up the sword of the Spirit. And this also explains why Paul characterized the Rhema word of God as the sword of the Spirit. You see, like it or not, we're engaged in a very real war with an ancient, powerful, and invisible enemy whose stated goal is urgent destruction. This is exactly why Peter exhorted us to always be sober minded and watchful. So let me be perfectly clear. Yes, it is absolutely true that Christ defeated Satan at the cross. Praise God. But we still have a race to run. And the Bible declares that we must overcome the devil by the blood of the Lamb. The word of our testimony and not loving our lives unto the death. Used properly, the sword of the Spirit is indeed a powerful and effective weapon against the laws of the devil. But make no mistake, you and I must still take up the whole armor of God in order to be able to withstand in the evil day, and after having done all, to stand. So don't let anyone deceive you. One day, your spiritual well-being and destiny, or that of a family member or friend, may very well depend upon how well you can handle the real sword of the spirit. Not sitting in some cushy Bible study with the double latte, but real down and dirty one-on-one warfare. And when that day comes, you'd better have the right stuff. What do I mean? Well, first of all, you have to know what the sword of the spirit actually is and is not. That's the main reason I'm doing this series, as going into battle against the devil without the real sword of the spirit is highly likely to get you killed. Spiritually, if not also physically. And just like any other weapon, we have to know how as well as when and when not to use the sword of the spirit. Skillfully, effectively, and in tandem with the rest of the armor of God. Again, not only to deflect the devil's attacks, but also to counter his lies with the power and truth of the word that God has spoken to you and me. Whether the opposition comes in the form of some temptation or as a spirit of doubt, fear, or unbelief, by faith we resolutely lay hold upon what God has said, stand upon that as the absolute truth of a matter. And press on. Moreover, this is not for spiritual babes, the faint of heart, or those with one foot in the kingdom and the other in the world. Rather, as the writer of Hebrews explained, it is for those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. And on that note, a word of caution is in order. You can't just take some biblical passage or promise and use it as you would a rhema word of God against the attacks and schemes of the devil. That's not what Paul meant when he said to take up the sword of the Spirit. It must be a living rhema word that God has personally spoken to you. You can quote scripture or stand on some biblical promise all day long, but if God hasn't personally spoken it to you, it will not be the sword of the spirit. It must be something God has spoken to you personally, and that's not all. You may find this hard to believe, but the fact is Satan is not afraid of the Bible. Not one bit. Perhaps it's his enormous hubris, but whatever the case may be, the truth of the matter is Satan does not fear the Bible. He not only knows it inside and out, he's very skilled at using it as a weapon when it suits his purposes. Think about it. For centuries, Christians have used the Bible to justify the slander, plunder, dehumanization, persecution, and murder of millions of Jewish men, women, and children. Would you call that the Word of God? Well, I certainly hope not. To say it is would be nothing less than a slander against God Himself. No, it's the hand of the devil. And one of his main weapons against Israel and the Jewish people is the Bible. The very same Bible, mind you, that emphatically proclaims God's eternal love and faithfulness toward Israel. And that's only one of many examples. Let's look at a few more. Right up to the end of the American Civil War, Christian leaders such as Cotton Mather used the Bible to not only legitimize slavery, but even characterize it as a divinely ordained Christian institution. Then a few decades later, the Reformed Church of South Africa used many of those same Bible passages to legitimize apartheid as holy, righteous, and even pleasing to God. Any minister who opposed this was not only ostracized, but forced to resign. No matter how pious or well-intentioned those men may have been, that was neither holy, righteous, or true. It most certainly was not the word of God. No, that too was the devil's handiwork. And his main weapon once again was the Bible. Still not convinced? Let's talk about the German Christian movement in Nazi Germany and how its leaders weaponized Romans 13 to not only compel blind obedience to Hitler, but also brand dissenters such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer as traitors. And let's not forget how this treachery, in the name of Christ, helped facilitate the Holocaust. Or the fact that rather than provoke my Jewish brethren to jealousy, this has so deeply hardened them against the name of Jesus that they would rather die than even say his name. Would anyone in their right mind call that the word of God? Well, I certainly hope not, as that again was neither holy, true, or righteous, nor was it by any conceivable biblical standard the word of God. No. It was the hand of the devil. And again, one of his most effective weapons, in the hands of German church leaders, mind you, was the Bible. And I'm not even talking about Die Botuschapte Gottes, the Nazis dejudified version of the Bible, I mean the 1912 Luther Bible, as in the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. And let's not forget that Satan even tried to use the Bible against Christ himself, not just once, but three times. So I ask again, would anyone dare call that the Word of God? Well, I think the right answer should be obvious, but just in case anyone thinks otherwise, let me explain. Not only why this distinction is so important, but also what it has to do with the sword of the Spirit. So let's dive in. As used throughout the Bible, the concept of the Word of God has a much richer and much more precise meaning than the modern practice of loosely referring to any and all versions of the Bible as the Word of God. Let me explain. First, the biblical writers only use the phrase the Word of God to refer to God's direct communication or expression of some aspect of Himself or His will. Same with the phrase the Word of the Lord. As we saw earlier, John's description of Christ as the Logos or Word of God expresses this in its ultimate and fullest possible sense. In Christ's own words, he who has seen me has seen the Father. Second, the word of the Lord is holy, powerful, pure, true, and altogether righteous. It carries the unmistakable weight, majesty, and authority of a divine utterance. It's not just true, nor is it simply the truth. It is truth. As Christ also said, thy word is truth. Big difference. And most importantly, the word of God cannot be manipulated, twisted, corrupted, or otherwise used for any purpose other than to accomplish his will. It's impossible, as it is written, for as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth and make it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. That's exactly what the Bible means when it speaks of the Word of God, and it's just one of many reasons why equating the Bible with the sword of the Spirit misses the mark. Yes, it is certainly true that all scripture, as originally written, was indeed given by God. I'm not touching that, nor am I moving any ancient landmarks. But make no mistake, the fact is the Bible can be used for either good or evil, to speak truth or to deceive, to set you free or to bring you in bondage, to teach righteousness or justify lawlessness, or to bring either light or darkness. And you can be absolutely sure that any use of the Bible that is contrary to God's revealed will and character cannot and will never ever be the word of God, or for that matter, the sword of the spirit. And now another word of caution is in order. You cannot use the rainbow word given to someone else as your own. Now let me say that again, as this is most important. You cannot use a rainbow word that was spoken to someone else as your own. It's theirs, not yours. In order to be the true sword of the spirit, it must be a rainbow word that God has spoken personally to you. You must know that God has spoken that word to you, very much like David when he tried wearing King Saul's helmet and armor before going out to fight Goliath. As you may recall, he told Saul, I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them. After which he exchanged them for his own shepherd staff, sling, and five smooth stones. Then and only then was he properly equipped for battle. And in the same manner, the sword of the Spirit must be a ram of word from God personally to you. Just as David could not fight against Goliath with Saul's armor, neither can we fight our Goliath while trying to wear someone else's armor and using their sword. It will never work. It must be ours. This is, in fact, a superb example of how to properly and effectively take the ram of word God has spoken to us and use it as the sword of the Spirit against our own Goliath. Let's look at this remarkable passage beginning at verse thirty two. Then David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. And Saul said to David, You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. But David said to Saul, Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth. And when it arose against me, I caught it by his beard and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, saying he has defied the armies of the living God. Moreover, David said, The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. Now let's look at what David said to Goliath when he went out to meet him in battle. Quote, You come to me with the sword, with the spear, and with the javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there isn't God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. End quote. Notice how David knew without a doubt that the Lord would give him the victory over Goliath. Now this wasn't false confidence, nor was it solo spravado. Well, how did he know that? And where did it come from? Well, although it's not expressly stated in this passage, we do have a number of important clues about this from other biblical accounts concerning David. For example, we know that David had a long-standing and intimate relationship with the Lord. We of course see this all throughout the Psalms. We also see this in passages such as 1 Samuel 23, 2 and 1 Samuel 30, verse 8, where the Lord directly answered David's prayer for guidance against his enemies. We further see that the Spirit of the Lord permanently came upon him when Samuel anointed him as king. We also see in Acts chapter 2 that the Apostle Peter, speaking by the Holy Spirit, called David a prophet. So taking all this together, it is quite clear that David had in fact heard directly from the Lord, not just about going out to fight Goliath, but about what weapons to take, and most importantly, that the Lord would indeed give him the victory. This then is an excellent example of what it means to take the Rama Word of God and wield it as the sword of the Spirit. So then, how do we go about fighting this war? And how exactly do we use the sword of the Spirit? Great questions. Let's turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 10. For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. But it's worth pointing out that our warfare is not with people. They're not our real enemy. Neither do we wage war, as the world does. As Paul also said, we do not war against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. So take heed. The devil will try his very best to seduce and lure you and me into fighting against people, whether it's the Illuminati, the Bilderberg, the Freemasons, the Deep State, Liberals, Democrats, or whoever, don't fall for it. It's a trap. Again, they are not our real enemy. And now please do not misunderstand me. I am in no way denying that much of what we see around us is indeed pure evil, no doubt about it. And the truth is it will only get worse and worse until the Lord returns. But as disciples of Christ, we must remember that God's ways are not our ways. There's much, much more going on that meets the natural eye, and we must look at things with the eyes of faith. Which, by the way, is exactly what the Bible means when it speaks of the patience and faith of the saints. Otherwise, we'll not only fight the wrong battles, we may even find ourselves fighting against God, just like the zealots, who were so focused on fighting the Roman Empire, they missed the whole point of what Christ was doing, why he came, and even who he is. There's a very good reason why the Bible says we do not war against flesh and blood, and woe to anyone who does or teaches otherwise. So then, is wielding the sword of the spirit limited to our personal war against the laws of the devil? Not at all. It can also be a powerful and effective weapon in ministry and deliverance. So whether in evangelism, ministry, the defense of the gospel, or confronting false prophets, apostles, teachers, and shepherds within the church, the sword of the spirit is the one offensive weapon with which we are to fight the good fight of faith. And speaking of false prophets, apostles, teachers, and shepherds, let's look at the word of God as judgment. You see, one day God may very well call upon you or me to speak his word of prophecy or even judgment. Whether within the church or before kings, that is also what Paul meant by taking up the sword of the Spirit. Now I know this isn't a popular topic in modern Christian culture and ministry. In fact, it's often dismissed as unloving and even unchristlike. Well, brother, nothing can be further from the truth. Think about it. The Bible itself is full of passages that declare God's judgments to be holy, wonderful, righteous, and true. King David, among many others, knew this and rejoiced in it, as did Paul, the other apostles, and of course Christ Himself. How can anyone who truly loves him say otherwise? Let God be true and every man a liar. And speaking of judgment, let's look at the Hebrew prophets. While they often did speak of God's love, faithfulness, and mercy, all of them, in one way or another also proclaimed God's judgment, sometimes very severely, not only against Israel, but also against nations, kings, priests, shepherds, and even individuals. I tell you the truth. Those who truly know and love the Lord love his judgments. And that's not just the Old Testament. John the Baptist, the Apostles, and Christ Himself also proclaim the Word of God as judgment, again, not only against Israel, but against nations, kings, priests, shepherds, and individuals, and we, as bloodbought saints, are to walk as they walked. For example, the Bible commands us to judge not only those who claim to be apostles, prophets, teachers, and shepherds, but also those who claim to be our brothers, sisters in the Lord, but live like devils. Christ also said that in the last days, some of us will be brought before kings and rulers for his name's sake. Now let's look at this passage, as it is a great example of what it will look like to take the Ramal Word of God and wield it prophetically as the sword of the Spirit. From Luke chapter 21. You will be brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake, but it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony. Therefore, settle it in your hearts not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. Notice how Christ said that He will give us a mouth and wisdom that none of our adversaries will be able to contradict and resist. Brother, that's the Rhema Word of God. And in our hands, that same Rhema Word of God will be the sword of the Spirit wielded, has prophetic judgment, as it is written. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. And let's not forget the two witnesses. These two prophets will not only prophesy, but they will also speak God's fiery judgment on their enemies. That's the New Testament, brother. And God says it must happen that way. And in its fullest and ultimate sense, Christ himself said his own spoken word will be God's final judgment on those who reject him. And now another word of caution is in order. It is absolutely true that Paul and the other apostles cast out demons and unclean spirits in the name of Jesus. It's also true that both he and Peter used their authority as apostles to speak God's judgment against believers who lied to the Holy Spirit, tried to buy the gift of God, lived in open sin, and even against enemies of the gospel like Elemus the Sorcerer. There was and still is a place for this in the body of Christ. However, Paul did not mean running around decreeing this, declaring that, taking authority over cities and nations, or anything of the sort. That's neither biblical Christianity nor the Word of God, and I assure you the devil knows it. Neither did he mean running around commanding angels, rebuking the devil, or otherwise speaking evil of spiritual entities and dignitaries we know almost nothing about. That's not only highly dangerous, but according to both Peter and Jude, it's a really bad idea. So then, how does all this relate to the sword of the Spirit? Great question. And of course, we don't have to look any further than the Bible itself for the answer. There we see God's word of judgment variously described as fire, a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces, the rod of his mouth, the breath of his mouth, and you guessed it, a sword. Isaiah, for example, powerfully used this imagery when he wrote, He has made my mouth like a sharp sword. In the shadow of his hand he has hidden me, and made me a polished shaft. In his quiver, he has hidden me. That, brother, is God's true prophetic word of judgment, and it is identical to the sword of the spirit Paul spoke of in Ephesians chapter 6. Do you see how marvelously cohesive the New Testament is with the Hebrew Scriptures? Why would we expect anything else? Same God, same spirit, same Messiah, same word, same judgment, and yes, the very same weapon. Let's now turn to the book of Revelation, where we see the word of judgment spoken by Christ also described as a sword, not just once, but four times. We'll start with John's description of the risen Christ in chapter one. He had in his right hand seven stars. Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and his countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. Let me point out that the sharp two-edged sword John described is the same word or judgment of God the writer of Hebrews described as living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Now, turning to chapter two, we then see Christ's warning to the church at Pergamos. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly, and I will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. The sword of his mouth is again Christ's word of judgment against those in the church who hold to the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. And finally, let's look at the vision John saw of Christ's return at the end of the age from chapter 19. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations. Now, this, of course, is Christ's spoken word of judgment against the nations of the earth. And a few verses later we also see the fearsome result of his spoken word of judgment against the kings of the earth and their armies who had gathered together to make war against him. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse. Make no mistake, this is the sword of the Spirit in its fullest and ultimate expression. It is the same word of God by which the worlds were spoken into existence, and it is the same living word of God that we are to wield as the sword of the Spirit in His name and in the power of His might. With it we can stand against the wiles of the devil, pull down strongholds, cast down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. And by the grace of God, after having done all, to stand. This is the true sword of the Spirit and the true grace of God in which we are to stand. As it is written. Pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. If this is your first time tuning in, please be sure to like, share, comment, subscribe, and ring the bell so you can be notified whenever we post new episodes. If you like what you've heard today, please also leave a review wherever you're listening to this podcast. Tell us what you loved about this episode, how it may have helped or encouraged you, or you can simply leave a comment about any other topics you'd love to hear us cover in the future. Finally, remember to always keep your lamps trimmed, lit, and full of oil. Show him and see you next time.