Is your Sword Appropriate for a Dress Code which Requires Full Armor?

Here we are at Post 7 in the Full Armor series and finally, we come to an offensive weapon. God commanded us to take up 6 measures of defense before giving us our only 1 for offense. And, as it turns out, this offense is all His. He has already weighed it, waged it, and won. We have no reason to be picking fights with evil. Our part is simply to remind the enemy that he has been defeated. And to do that, we need our sword.

^{Photo by Maria Pop on Pexels.com}

Is your outfit appropriate for a dress code which requires full armor? The Sword of the Spirit…

“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 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.”

Ephesians 6:11-13

“Stand firm then…
Take… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.“

Ephesians 6:17b

Have you ever dealt with a tropical centipede? These are the things nightmares are made of! I’m not sure if they bite or sting, or both, but it hurts! You do not want to antagonize one.

^{Tropical Centipede: Do not touch!}

These creepers are almost impossible to squish. I’ve tried flushing them, or putting them through the garbage disposal, only to find them crawling out back out of the drains, banged up and angry. The best way to kill them is to cut them in half. And even then, both halves will run away, unaware they have been doomed. If you contain them in a receptacle together, the halves will turn on each other and the centipede will effectively kill itself.

^{Photo by Susanne Jutzeler on Pexels.com}

What does this have to do with the full armor in God’s dress code for us? Well, our enemy is wily, and our own attempts at besting him simply aggravate him and motivate him to come at us again. He wants to get into our heads and make us feel inferior, when we actually have the upper hand.

“…because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.”

1 John 4:4b

If we ever need reminding, the English language has helped by wrapping the strategy into the weapon. Sword. We use the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. We remind Satan of what the Bible says about His defeat – how Jesus laid down His life and purchased our pardon with His blood. In His resurrection, Jesus sealed the fate of His vanquished foe. With God’s word, we cut the devil down and leave him with nowhere to turn but on himself, the same way we deal with the centipede.

^{Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com}

We train by sharpening our knowledge of God’s word. Under the protection of our helmet of salvation, we commit scripture to memory and hone our ability to communicate it effectively. We do not head out swinging at random, but we use our sword with precision, as prompted by the Spirit of God.

“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.”

Hebrews 4:12

^{Photo by Jerome Ramos 🇵🇭 on Unsplash}

God’s word declares victory for those who have accepted its authority. It claims our freedom from the law of sin and death. With it, we remind our enemy where he stands in relation to our Commander. The sword of the spirit, which is the word of God, is insurmountable.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death… in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Romans 8:1,2,4

How is your battle-preparedness right now? Is your Belt of Truth securely buckled? Is your Breastplate of Righteousness in place? Are your Feet Fitted with Readiness to share the Gospel? Have you taken up your Shield of Faith? Have you accepted your Helmet of Salvation? Is your Sword in hand? Is your outfit appropriate for a dress code which requires full armor?

Next up: The Posture of Prayer!

If you’d like to read the Introduction for this series, click here.