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

So we have a spiritual sort sort not forged in human animals or tempered in earthly fires ashore. That is divine origin, a powerful, effective, amazing, incomparable source in the hand of not ready to face the enemy now consider a fight where the stakes are much higher. The spiritual battles that you face as a Christian. Imagine fighting the enemy of your soul without the most effective weapon God provides. That is what's happening if you're not using the sword of the Spirit the word of God. Biblical truth is a defensive help and is also the offense of force that you need to deal with spiritual attacks. In fact, it's the most powerful piece of the believer's armor. That's John MacArthur's current study here on Grace to you and now here's John was in the Bible in your life as a weapon.

No question about it so well, 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 to clarity of the whole counsel of God.

Why you want to teach him how to use the store you want to give him the whole thing so that they would be able to use it effectively.

So we have a spiritual sort sort not forged in human animals or tempered in earthly fires ashore. That is, divine origin, a powerful, effective, amazing weapon incomparable Maximus in the hand of the believer so powerful that nothing can withstand it, and nothing can over power. The word then is our weapon in its powerful. It's 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 to 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 there 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 its assists in ways their life in the balance of the authority of the word of God to show them the factor or reality of their symbols. 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 and the growth is so powerful it takes an infantile person and makes a mature, this is a powerful thing.

This is what we've holding her hand. The sword of the Spirit nomination to head the sword is a weapon is both defensive and offense.

Let's talk about its defensive capability never seen anybody use a sword, you know, the sword is used as much to Perry a blow as it is to inflict a person who uses a sword uses it. Along with that part which covers his hand to defend himself against the blows of his enemy, and the way you use the word of God defensively is really critical.

Satan comes to attack you with his temptation comes to attack you with his with his assaults and you can literally Perry is blows with the proper use of the word of God. For example we see our Lord, don't we. In Matthew chapter 4 Luke chapter 4 and Satan comes to them three times and Satan attacks him with three direct temptation number one is to don't trust God makes those in the red. Don't wait for God to supply your needs. Grab it on your own. And Jesus comes back and told Scripture exactly related to that temptation out of Deuteronomy Satan comes a second time and says furthermore I will attempt you now to trust God where you have no business trusting… The temple and church and uses another Scripture from Deuteronomy exactly dealing with that temptation.

Third time bow down to me uses another Scripture exactly dealing with that temptation. In other words precisely he uses the trier of the word. He doesn't flail around indiscriminately.

He uses it precisely to deal with exactly the temptation that Satan Shiite lesson.

You have to be able to defend yourself at whatever angle the temptation comes and there are Christians who own Bibles and they sat in churches and the bidding classes and even read it but they don't really know the principles and so they can't stop the attack at one point or another and I will always discover that Satan will find out where you don't have that information that's where it started. Use the Bible as a defensive weapon, learn how to apply the specifics of the word of God to the specifics of temptation goes to further notice at the end of verse 17 it says the sword of the Spirit is the word of God. The term word here is not like us La Goss is a term meaning word speaks of a broad or general reference the word of God. The general idea is the word Raima and it means a specific statement isn't talking about abroad. Now it's time for a specific state, the sword of the Spirit is the specific statement of God and if you don't know what God specifically says about that temptation.

You can't deal with so that you must learn to know the total of the word of God so that you know the specifics. That's why want to teach you the Bible out of this region. Scripture tell three stories and send your way. What I try to do is teach you the principles in the text because the principle is the specific statement that God wants you to understand so you can put it in your reservoir to use against Satan. Listen blogger, you must learn the principles of the word of God. That's why you have to study to show yourself approved to God your member those in Revelation 12, who overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. You will overcome Satan when you know word and you could give testimony to it. So, in the sense of defending ourselves. We are dependent on our knowledge of the word of God and the reason so many Christians fall temptation is because it is know how God's word deals with that is not equipped with the sword you have it equip yourself with its proper use. Secondly, it's an offense of knowledge to think of it this way. I use the word of God in my life to defend myself against Satan's attacks. Whenever Satan hits me with discouragement. I think of verses that relate to that at American communities. What Bible verses do you use when you get sorrowful and I get an answer as Christie said, why want to know what Bible verses you used when when you when you want to renew your commitment he was asking the right question. Do you defend yourself against sorrow and defend yourself against discouragement to defend yourself against a lack of commitment against the temptation to the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh or the pride of life.

You know how to go against those@user defensively. What about the office.

This is the exciting. I'm glad it's both, as I live my whole life just trying to be defense accurate. So every once in a while I get offense and that's why love you preach because when I preach and I don't have time very temptation. I don't mess with that. I got my offense of sword going all and try to do is whack away some of the jungle and Satan's King acids excite every time I think the gospel in unsaved salt I see myself of the sword, whack, and through his dominion every time somebody is redeemed.

ICS 1/2 cup through his dark you stand up and proclaim the word of God you teach it to your children, you talk about your friend. You say on the job you talk with other students at school about it or are you stand upon the likeness of preach and you have in your hand the word of God as an offensive weapon and you're cutting your way through Satan's kingdom. I looked it to be interviewed by somebody who is confused about a certain thing in our society and say this is what God said to see and attack the system with the sword of the Spirit. I love to be able to stand against the opposition say this is what God's truth has to say. Satan knows the word is effective three tries to stop look at Matthew 13. Satan will do anything to silence those who preach the word you do anything to try to undo what they do you remember the parable Jesus told about the sower and the seed. Jesus went out of the house and set by the seaside great multitudes were gathered under him and he went to a boat. He sat in the multitude was on the surety smoking to give them a parable about a sower went forth to so we sold some of the seed fell by the wayside and the files came and devoured some fell on stony places, they didn't have much earth, and they sprang up because it had no deepness of earth when the sun was up, they were scorched because it had no root they withered away in some fell among thorns and the thorns sprang up and choked them other seeds fell into good ground and brought forth fruit, some hundred fold. Some 60 fold some thirtyfold with ears to hear. I'm here now.

Later on in verses 19 and following. He describes the answer to what this means. The sower is the preacher or anybody who has the word of God. The seed is the word of God.

You go out sowing the seed is in a sense you're using your sword, what is the result. You let your sword to barren things are going to happen. Verse eight says what defines good ground boy fruits going to come for the hundredfold 60 fold thirtyfold, so Satan knows it can do this so Satan is busy trying to make sure it doesn't. So when you saw it and it falls.

For example, in verse four on the wayside. Immediately, the files, devouring seems to me that this is reference to Satan's demonic host. Somehow they move in and snatch the word away so that the person is forgotten what he heard somebody come and hear the word maybe you talk tomorrow I preach whatever the Galway and the just forget about Satan just snatches it out of their mind the other hand, verse five says some of it falls on stony places and what happens doesn't have much earth. And so it springs up for little while there is no deepness of earth the sun comes up burns at. It has no root it withers away.

Later on in the chapter. Our Lord says this has to do with persecution.

Somebody comes on as is Boyd on this Christianity is interesting I'm hearing what you say about this Bible truth and Satan will bring into their life trouble and they'll say boy God, you're not such a good guy after all. No bailout walk away from under the pressure of persecution or tribulation or whatever.

And finally, some of it falls among thorns and the thorns sprang up and choked our Lord says that's the kind of people commonly believe for little while but the deceitfulness of riches, they are not willing to say no to the evil system they want the world and so they walk away from the word, but the point that I want to see is that Satan is busy, whether by twisting the perspective back to the world by bringing the heat to bear on their life by snatching it away so I don't remember what he wants to stop the sowing of the sea. Why because he know is that if it finds good ground and produce and that's what's exciting fight, and believe the word of God produce I could preach understatement but so fantastic that you can know that when you go out the word of God will never return void, but will always accomplish what I please. This is a powerful word. Beloved so powerful. The Bible says it converts the soul. No word of man can route the spiritual hosts of wicked only the word of God. And so it is defensive as we know to defend ourselves is offensive as we go out to conquer Satan's dark kingdom, and again now remind you that when you use the word of God. Ostensibly, it has to be specific.

The hardware got into a conversation you didn't have any answers for the person because he didn't know what the Bible taught about a certain thing. What he also knows that while get into witnessing, but I'm afraid I don't have any answers some reason asked me a question was a which is in better safety. No will find out. But you know if you're going to be effective at communicating. You get to know the word so you can be instant in season and out of season right so you can give to every man.

It asks you a reason for the hope is with any so you have an answer.

Peterson we need to know the word of God. We just really don't know the word like because we don't know.

Like we should, we can defend ourselves and because we can use it as an offensive weapon all the more you know the word, the more you're going to march through Satan's kingdom because God's word has answered the truck right into the core of his lies. So we need to know the word illustration with often quoted Romans 1017.

This will faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God as a, later Dakota because that's the way the authorized version includes that is not what the where the Greek renders it all. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, that's so general you me to say. Saving faith can come from any part of the word of God.

You mean you can read a some verse out of the Bible of the metal adversities and faith become by hearing that no the Greek says faith comes by hearing a grandma, a specific statement about Christ. Chris doesn't come by generalities. It comes by specific statements about Christ and people can't get Satan was the year that Jesus Christ died and rose again the third day for their justification. There must be specific to the offensive use of the word specifics in the defense of use, and there's no sense in being victimized.

The tragedy of tragedy just for someone to be a Christian for a long time and not be able use this in comparables all that God has graciously given us still. But I'll tell you cannot pick my way around there not understand it. Listen to me don't give me that baloney don't tell me your understanding only give you the book he planted in your heart. The resident truth teacher and he'll teach it to you if you submit to his teaching not be able to plead ignorance works you want you can understand God will enable you to understand as much is you need to understand when the Internet top. I understand it, and I work hard at that. So that's if anything is ever good indicates that somebody will I ever ask what is in your life.

Just because your Bible doesn't mean you have assorted little Bible warehouse and not of the sword figure how to use defensively and often served. Jesus gives the pattern he said, what does the Scripture say that's our love life.

That's our approach temptation. That's our approach ministry next 17, but says the brands were more noble than the others because they searched the Scriptures.

That's true nobility biographer of Martin Luther writes this Luther was held in darkness by the devil. Even though I was a monk. He was trying to save himself by works, he was fasting and sweating and praying and yet he was miserable and unhappy and in constant bondage, superstitious Roman Catholic teaching held them captive, but he was delivered by the word of Scripture, the just shall live by faith. From that moment, he began to understand this word as he had never understood before and the better he understood it, the more he saw the errors taught by Rome. He saw the error of her practice and so became more intent on the reformation of the church.

He proceeded to do all in terms of expositions of Scriptures. The great doctors in the Roman church stood against him. He sometimes had to stand alone and meet them in close combat and invariably took his stand upon the Scripture. He maintained at the church is not above the Scripture the standard by which to judge even the church, he said, is the Scripture. And though I was but one man. At first, standing alone, he was able to fight the papal system and 12 centuries of tradition and he did it by taking up the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God was there never want to better reformation if one man hadn't been able to stand up against the error diets terrorists of the papal system and counter their arguments with the word of God are promising fathers in this country did precisely the same thing was one weapon which they use repeatedly. The Puritans did earlier positivism. You know, they decided that every Christian ought to have a Bible, why if you want a barley on the sword and it was Tyndall's vow that every plowman and every boy pulled the plow would be able to read and understand to safeguard against the encroachment of another period of dark ages. He said the way to make people strong is to give them the knowledge of the word of God, and it was that great anxiety for accurate knowledge of the Bible that led to reliable translation of the Scriptures into your language and learn we can thank God for those people. It is essential that the word of God be known as essential if were to win the battle. HP Barker was a master of illustration.

One day he described himself looking out a window and watching a garden full of plants and flowers and he said I saw three things in the garden first. I saw a butterfly. The butterfly was beautiful and it would alight on a flower it would flutter to another flower would flutter to another flower only for a second or to what extent it would move on touches many lovely blossoms as it could derived absolutely no benefit from any so I watched a little longer out my window and there came a botanist in the botanist had a big notebook under his arm in a great big magnifying glass in the botanist would lead over certain flowers. He would look for a long time and they would write notes in his notebook. He was there for hours writing notes close them stuck them under his arm doctors magnifying glass in his pocket walked away and then he said the third thing I noticed was a B just a little be at the B would light on the flower and it was sink down deep into the flour and it would extract all the pollinator cherry and when an empty every time it came out full, and HP Barker said, so it is with people who approach the Bible there is a just slaughter from lovely sermons, a lovely sermon from class to class fluttering here fluttering there bringing nothing and gaining nothing but a nice feeling. Then there are the spiritual botanist to take notes trying to make sure that all of our warnings are correct, but I don't have the capacity to draw anything out of the flowers. It's pure academics and there are the spirits of bees who draw out of every precious flower all but is there to make the money that makes them so blessed to those around which are you a conflict from class to class Bible study Bible study seminar to seminar book to book flipping your little pretty wings never change.

Or you can be a botanist. Some of you have enough notebooks to sink a small battleship Lake and BB coming in empty and going out full and turning it into the honey makes life sweet witchery disorders. There is available using you can comprehend every concept there you can fathom every principal there and yet I wonder whether you're a B drawing out of it all. It's there and using it as a weapon to win the victory. It's all yours in Jesus Christ 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 build truthfulness. She is our righteousness, our breastplate, he is our peace.

His faithfulness makes our faith reality she 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 castoff soon 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 summing 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 will God draw us away from being complacent about your book. Save us from different shills or usefulness. Enjoy Vegas people of the word. Your Jesus. This is grace to you with John MacArthur thanks for tuning in today.

John's current study is an in-depth look at the believers armor of John with all this talk about Satan's power and tactics. I think for some people that can be discouraging, but as you keep reminding us in this study. No matter what Satan does the Lord's purposes cannot be thwarted and we hear stories every day about how God is working out his purpose in the lives of believers throughout the world. You have a couple of those stories in front of you. So take a minute and encourage our listeners with those that I think just to preface that the letters because they come from all over the world. There are people who think that you have to do something with the word of God to twisted into the cultural milieu that you're trying to talk to her to her or like I be able access, people's understanding that is not our experience right I just teach the Bible and all over the globe. People respond to it. For example, here's a letter from a grace I have benefited from your book strange fire. I grew up in a charismatic church and it's hard to convince my brother and father leave the practices of the church, but reading strange fire with them. Help them to come out of the many lies into freedom, and they run in the knowledge of the word. I continue to benefit from grace to use numerous resources and I know many here in Kenya who have benefited the encourager labor is not in vain in Kenya. Well, here's a letter from Indonesia nation, very hostile toward Christianity and the church for the past six years. The Lord has been blessing me tremendously through grace to you. It was during the hardest years of my life, my wife divorced me, my family was falling apart that I began listening intensely to your preaching and preaching of the word God use you to strengthen me sustained me, restore me and make me a slave of Christ on very very grateful lately. My 12-year-old son has also been listening to sermons in my heart greatly rejoices in witnessing what the Spirit is done in him through your ministry. May the master keep you faithful and fruitful for his glory signed grew no one from Indonesia and we get letters like that from many many countries. When we do live stream on Sundays. There are hundred and 30 nations. The tune into that lifestream of our Sunday services so the word of God does reach the world. Biblical truth is universally understood because the Holy Spirit places it into the heart and into the understanding as he designs were committed to bring God's word to people throughout the world through radio, television, the website books, MP3 CDs, the MacArthur study Bible every way we can. And of course through daily grace to radio and when you support grace to you through your prayers and gifts you're helping us reach people across the world you help them come to Christ grow in their understanding and application of his word. So thank you for being a partner with us in unleashing God's truth one verse at a time. Yes, thank you friend at there is no way we could take John's teaching to places like Kenya and Indonesia.

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