Understanding The Armor of God by Stella Ashworth | Page 18

CHAPTER SIX
Sword of the Spirit
“And take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Ephesians 6:17
The Roman sword, or gladius, was crafted of iron. Blacksmiths hardened the iron by coating the red-hot sword blade
with coal dust, thus forming a hard carbon coating on the blade. Sword handles were made of iron, ivory, bone, or
wood.
The Romans used their swords both offensively and defensively. Used in a defensive manner, the sword, along with the
other armor pieces, enabled the soldier to deflect the enemy's blows. As an offensive weapon, the sword was used to
attack and counter-attack an enemy until the weapon seriously wounded or killed the assailant. In battle, rows of
Roman soldiers pressed back their enemies one step at a time by alternating a forward thrust of the shield with a
forward plunge of the sword.
The sword of the Spirit, like the Roman gladius, can also help us to conquer all our enemies, including that most
difficult one, our entrenched human weaknesses.
Hebrews 4:12-13
“ 2 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul
and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Our sword won’t stay sharp on its own. We must continually sharpen it with regular and focused Bible Study.
Paul defines the sword of the Spirit as the “word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).
The Word of God is even sharper than the gladius! It is capable of piercing to the deepest levels of one’s heart and
attitude, and it is also a tool of discernment in the hands of the skilled user.
Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated how valuable it is to be grounded in the words of the Bible when He was attacked
by Satan during a time of extreme physical weakness due to His fasting.
Matthew 4:1-3
“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty
nights, He was hungry. 3 The tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become
bread.”
Satan knew full well that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, but he prefaces each of his attacks by saying, “If You are the
Son of God”. He wanted to pull Christ away from His dependence upon the Father and the realization that He was
there to do the Father’s will. Each time Jesus used the Scriptures to defend against and refute Satan’s ploys.
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