By Tammy Phillips
May 2, 2020
And take …the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: -Ephesians 6:17
The sixth piece of the armor of God, is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Paul compares our spiritual sword to a Roman soldier’s sword. However, according to Rick Renner’s “Dressed to Kill,” Roman soldiers had five different swords to choose from when they went to battle. The word for sword mentioned in Ephesians 6:17 is the Greek word machaira. Renner says: “Of all the swords available, this machaira sword was the most dangerous of all. Although the other swords were deadly, this one was a terror to the imagination! This sword was not only intended to kill, but to completely rip an enemy’s insides to shreds. It was a weapon of murder.”
Paul tells us that the sword of the Spirt is the word of God. We immediately think the “word of God” in Ephesians 6:17 is the written word, the Bible. The Greek word for the written word is logos. Logos is the Greek word used in Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
However, logos is not used in Ephesians 6:17. The Greek word rhema is used instead. The translation of rhema is an utterance on a matter or topic spoken clearly and vividly. It is derived from the Greek word rheo which means pour forth. It is the idea of God pouring into us and speaking a clear word, scripture, or an encouragement into our spirit. A rhema is like an “Aha!” or an “Oh, I get it!” moment. It is like a light bulb being turned on in the darkness. Light pours into the room and there is no more darkness. It is like God putting a lightsaber into our hand. He enlightens us and empowers us to battle with the rhema.
I am not a big Star Wars fan, but I do like the lightsaber the Jedi used to fight the dark side. “The lightsaber is the weapon of a Jedi. It can be used to cut through, blast doors or enemies alike. Using the “Force,” a Jedi can predict and deflect incoming blaster bolts and reflect them.” (https://www.starwars.com/databank/lightsaber) God is our Force. He empowers our sword. Think of it likes this: our SWORD is our Spirit WORD that God gives us to deflect incoming blasts of fear, offense, temptation, worry or sickness from the enemy. He empowers us to resist and destroy the enemy’s plans against us. He literally takes His logos, the written word, and pours into our spirit. He reveals to us the meaning of his logos and it becomes rhema for us to fight our battle. His word (logos) made alive and poured into our spirit becomes his word(rhema), our Spirit WORD or SWORD. Jesus, our example, used the logos as his rhema or his sword, against the devil when he was tempted in the dessert.
The Holy Spirit can speak just a word or phrase into our spirit’s, and it can be a rhema. When this happens, I go to God’s written word to get the rhema or what God is trying to pour into me from that word. For the past few years, God has given me a word for the year, for example: WAIT, COMPLETE, BE BRAVE. God drops this rhema to help me fight my battles throughout the year. This year my rhema word, my SWORD, is RESOLUTE: having a fixed purpose; unwavering, immovable, determined; hence, bold; firm; steady; constant in pursuing a purpose. The written word of God is the primary source that brings the rhema to life and gives power to my SWORD:
I will stand (be resolute) upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make [it] plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. (Habakkuk 2:1-2)
This year my sword of the spirit, empowers me stand and write the word to you. When I think, “Why me Lord?” When I think, “I don’t want to write nor stand,” I take out my sword. I come against the enemy of my soul and say: “I am resolute, and I will write the vision according to Habakkuk 2!”
I enCOURAGE you to get in the logos, the Bible to get the rhema, your SWORD to slay the attacks of the enemy. He gives us a SWORD for every attack. We just have to use what he has already given, or we have to go get a fresh sword from him. He will always give us the light to chase away the darkness.
Complete in Him 