“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13, 17, NIV).
In this series of writings, we have looked at what Paul refers to as the “…armor of God…” (Ephesians 6:13, NIV). We’ve discussed “…the belt of truth… (v. 14)”, “…the breastplate of righteousness…” (v. 14), “…feet fitted with the gospel…”(v. 15), “…the shield of faith…” (v. 16), and “…the helmet of salvation (v. 17). The Christian stands equipped and opposed to the Enemy with each of these powerful pieces of equipment.
Today’s piece of armor is “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (v. 17). We are not meant to be only on the defensive side of things. Filled with the very Spirit of God and armed with God’s holy Word, we not only stand against the Devil, but we attack him. We cut to the heart of injustice. We strike where there is poverty and need. We stand tall with the weak and marginalized people in our society. We seek to destroy all that is evil.
God’s Spirit, who lives in us, is alive and potent. Paul once shared that “…the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power…’ (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV). Further, God gives us his Word which will constantly keep Satan reeling. We have the truth on our side which includes the Gospel message of God’s love for us. We are declared righteous and are saved because of what Christ has done for us. Our faith makes us strong. We stand already victorious in the face of Satan and evil. So, battle on, protected by and armed with the armor of our God.
Chuck Kralik, Author 