We come now to our only offensive weapon and the final piece of armor mentioned in Ephesians chapter 6—the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
It is that which God has spoken, His Word, the Bible. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. It is the wisdom of God and the power of God. It commends itself to the reason and conscience. It has the power not only of truth but of divine truth. In opposition to all error, to all false philosophy, to all false principles of morality, to all the fallacies of vice, to all the suggestions of the devil, the sole, simple, and sufficient answer is the Word of God. The Word of God puts to flight all the powers of darkness.
The power of God’s Word is accessible for the individual Christian as well as for the Church collectively. All of our triumphs over sin and error are effected by the Word of God. So long as we use the Word of God and rely on it alone, we go on conquering; but when anything else, be it reason, science, tradition, or the commandments of men is allowed to take its place or to share its office, then the Church, or the Christian, is at the mercy of the adversary. (Hodge, Charles. Ephesians [Carlisle, PA; Banner of Truth, 1998], p. 287).
The Bible Is the Sword of the Spirit
The Bible is the sword of the Spirit. What does a sword do? A sword enables one to protect himself, or to move offensively against a foe. The Word of God is the weapon the Holy Spirit uses to protect the church, defeat God’s foes, and advance His kingdom.
That’s why Satan, being the wise strategist that he is, directs his attack at the Word of God. Satan has successfully defeated much of the church by knocking the sword from the church’s hand. He’s attacked the Bible! Many Christians have lost confidence in the Bible, and have become, in effect, soldiers without weapons. What does a soldier do when he doesn’t have a weapon? He runs!
Assurance of Victory
And that’s the tragic story of much of the church today; it’s running! Instead of moving forward, the church is backpedaling. Instead of boldly proclaiming the eternal Word of the living God, much of the church is cowering in fear and uncertainty. Instead of standing steadfastly upon the truth of the Bible, many in the church are putting their trust in human wisdom and seeking acceptance from the sworn enemies of Christ. Paul says that we are to take up and hold fast the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Only then are we assured victory.