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Armor of God: The Sword of the Spirit

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We have learned, up to now, that Truth, Righteousness, Readiness that come from the Gospel of Peace, Faith, and Salvation will all, if used, bring us a more victorious life. Is there anything else we might need?

Again we look to Paul’s list of God’s Armor in Ephesians 6. Paul reminds us to take our swords along with us—the Sword of the Spirit—which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

You might have noticed that, up to this point, all of our armor has been defensive armor. We have been instructed to wear each piece for our protection. Now we are introduced to a piece that is not only defensive but can also be offensive. Not only will we stand our ground, but, with the Sword, we will have the ability to gain ground! We will push back and even defeat our Adversary while advancing the front line.

It is for this reason we must remember to carry the sword with us and not an alternative instead. Satan has long substituted the sword with the White Flag of Fables. He suggests that it is great for defense. He encourages us to give up on knowing truth; quit caring what God really says; believe what you want to believe. This is most useful when the enemy is closing in: if waved high in the air, they stop attacking. Of course, we all should know that forfeiting is automatic loss. The alternate offered by man is almost entirely for offense. It is the Brass Knuckles of Doctrine. Man suggests that most will not readily accept your “truth,” so you might need a little more “muscle” to convince. In other words, if others are hesitant to accept your beliefs, beat it into them. This is extremely effective against other soldiers who have no armor but, unfortunately, has no effect on our enemy. Thus, once again, man’s substitution also falls short.

None of these will do. Paul says we need the Sword of the Spirit—God’s Word. And not just select portions of it. Every verse is power-filled. Every Book is dangerous to our Adversary—in both the New and the Old Testaments. All of it is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). Hebrews 4:12, says, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Nothing can match it. Nothing can stand against it.

God’s Word is powerful! It renews lives (1 Peter 1:22), it heals pain (Ps. 107:20), it frees captives (John 8:32), it brings light (Ps. 119:130), it produces faith (Rom. 10:17), and it makes us wise unto salvation (2 Tim. 3:15). It is also profitable “for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16, KJV). In addition, in verse 17, we are told that it will also make us complete, or perfect, “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” God’s Word is alive and powerful, correcting and instructing, and it can keep us completely equipped for everything in our path!

This is also why we are counseled in 2 Timothy 2:15 to, “Study to show thyself approved unto God.” We need to be able to correctly handle such a sharp and potentially dangerous item. This means we actually have to read it. This also means that no one can study for you. You shouldn’t simply accept what pastors say, just because they say it—every pastor, including me. You should only accept a teaching after you have studied it in the Bible yourself and made sure the teaching is sound. Study to show yourself approved. Nobody can practice the sword for you. If you want to properly use the Word, you have to study it. And the more you study, the more you will become proficient.

Unfortunately, many will not study, or choose to misuse God’s word to suit their desires. This is why it can be so dangerous. Even though God’s Word is devastating for Satanic forces, it is too often used on each other (see Paul’s warning in 2 Timothy 2:23, 24). Discussing Bible truths together in order to learn is one thing, but we have a tendency to argue with others about what we think God really meant, and only end up injuring each other. Some may call it sparring, but it is too often destructive. We have made it an art to take the God-ordained offensive weapon meant for our Adversary, and use it against a fellow disciple, or worse, on someone searching for God! We should be ashamed! “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” (Ephesians 6:12).

Friends, we might not be experiencing victory with God’s word because we are using it against the wrong group. We may actually be giving Satan the victory. The Bible should never be used against another child of God. It is only properly used and successful when used against the dark powers of Satan’s forces. Only then, can we too experience victory through its awesome power.

God’s word is powerful, sharper than any two edged sword. It is meant to fight sin and the powers of darkness. With it we can conquer new territory for Christ. We can force the enemy to retreat—healing and freeing more souls for Heaven. So, we must study the scriptures and become approved by God as triumphant users of His Word, having many victories for His name. Let us not quarrel amongst ourselves using the Bible to beat each other up. But let us hold up our swords and attack Satan’s strongholds. This Word will complete us as a soldier. With it we will become thoroughly equipped for battle.

We are able to stand our ground with our armor; now, let us start gaining ground with the Sword of God’s Word!

Armor of God: The Belt of Truth

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For the last several blogs, I have been writing about the battles and trials in our life. And we have learned that it is only through trusting in God that we are able to stand victorious afterward. We also learned that God offers us armor for protection during this conflict (Ephesians 6:13). In today’s blog, we will begin looking at this armor. If we continued to verse 14, we’d find what God counsels us to put on first: the Belt of Truth.

Why would we put a belt on first? To understand why, we have to know what the belt is used for. Today we wear a belt for (typically) one reason: to keep our pants up! However, Paul did not write this thinking about the belts we wear today. He was visualizing the belts the Roman soldier wore as a part of their armor.

The belt that a Roman soldier wore had a slightly different use. Unlike our belts, their belt was the first part of the armor they put on. The reason: all other parts of the armor would tie into the belt. The belt held the armor in place so it wouldn’t be sliding every which way. In other words, without this belt—or band, or girdle, as some translations have it—the armor would get in the way and impair the soldier’s ability to fight. Wearing the belt freed the soldier from fighting the rest of his armor!

It should be no surprise that God calls us to put on Truth first. Because truth holds everything else in place—all the other pieces of armor would cause problems if we do not start with truth.

So our armor needs a belt, but which one? God counsels us to use His armor, but for those who don’t like to limit their choices, there are others to choose from. There are two other makers of armor, in case you didn’t know: Satan offers us an alternative and mankind has our own brand as well. Of course, Satan’s suggestion (deception) will only leave you open, weak, and defenseless—not a good choice if you ask me. And man’s choice (tradition) is merely for looks—it’s pretty, but useless.

Still, many choose these alternatives because God’s armor is not always the most comfortable—truth can get a little confining and painful (some translations do call it a girdle). However, God’s armor has been battle tested, and has a perfect success rate. More important though, Jesus tells us in John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” The Belt of Truth sets us free. It makes us free to fight the enemy, not the rest of the armor.

What is this truth that will set us free? John 17:17 says that God’s Word is truth. David said that God’s law is truth (Psalm 119:142). Basically, everything that comes from the mouth of God is truth. His words must be our foundation. Ultimately, as we search further, to the fulfillment of God’s law—to the living Word—we’ll find Jesus Christ. Jesus did say, “I Am the Truth.” It is in Jesus that we find freedom; it’s in Him we find victory. It is Jesus who holds all the rest of the armor together. We must start with the truth of God’s word, which will result in us knowing the real Truth: Jesus.

Here’s the big question, though: Are you wearing the Belt of Truth, or do you have on one of the alternatives? How can you tell? Here are three identifying marks that are the result of wearing the belt (found in 1 John).

First: if we are wearing the Belt of Truth, then we will walk in a new life away from the darkness (1 John 1:6). If you claim to have a relationship with Jesus, yet still want to live your life in ignorance, not trying to walk in the light of God’s truth, you are not wearing God’s belt. Those who walk in the light do not stop in the comfortable shade of the past (shade is still darkness). We are to keep following until there is no darkness left. So, as long as God leads us further into truth, we keep following.

Second: if we are properly wearing the Belt of Truth, then we will recognize our weakness and confess our sinfulness (1 John 1:8). If you believe you have no sins or weaknesses—if you have become perfect—then you are wearing your belt too loose. And if this is the case, you will end up tripping—falling on your face, overcome by the reality of your sins. The truth will help you to see yourself correctly, which will lead you to the source of your salvation: Jesus.

Third: if we are truly wearing the Belt of Truth, then we will obey that Truth (1 John 2:4). If you claim that God is your Leader, yet you don’t obey Him, then you are wearing the wrong belt. Deception and tradition are the substitutions for full obedience. If complete loving obedience to God is not a priority, then you have bought your armor from the wrong army, and will be easily defeated.

You see, if we want to be left standing at the end, we must put on the Belt of Truth. So, we start with the Bible—the truth of God’s word. This is the base of our armor. Others may have already encouraged you to read your Bible, and I hope you are. However, I would suggest you take it one step further: buckle up. Strap in. Do not merely read the Bible like some novel or textbook, but seek Jesus in its words. Then, when you’ve found Him, wrap yourself in the freedom of His truth as tight as you can. Let nothing, and I repeat nothing, replace it in your life. Let God’s Word be the first and only place you go for truth. Make it the sole source of your understanding of God and salvation and it will be the beginning of your victories. God’s word will not falter. It will not fail. So, we hold on tight. May God’s Truth be our first, and only foundation!

The Perfection Trap

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Many dream of the Perfect Church. In this dream, the greeters are always smiling and genuinely happy. There’s a distinct absence of gossip, criticism and no judgmental glance is found. Teens never check their smartphones and babies never cry. The praise team is always in in tune, always in agreement of the songs, and every song is your favorite. The Pastor is always interesting and has the perfect combination of life-changing theology and church appropriate comedy—all in 15 minutes or less! He also knows the answers to every Biblical question and is always available, never tired, and always smiling.

Yeah, right. Reality hits and we know there’s no such thing as the perfect church. We all have been victims of gossip, criticism and judgment. We make mistakes. Our churches are often more empty than full. Pastors don’t always smile, are often on the verge of burn-out, and (I’ll be honest) there are plenty of questions we can’t answer.

Yet, here we are. God still has a use for us—even in our imperfection. This amazes me. Why does God settle with working with us while we are so imperfect? Imagine how much more God could do with us if we didn’t have this struggle with sin! How much more valuable we could be! At least we think we would be. (We seem to forget the whole “His strength is made perfect in our weakness” thing!)

I have struggled with this way of thinking for a long time—into this trap of “perfectionism.” We have become snagged in a state of mind that was authored by our adversary. It comes in the form of a teaching, floating around in Christianity for some time now, that says that you are to become perfect, just like God, here on this earth. Unfortunately, this teaching is not Biblical—it is a lie. [Remember the foundation of Satan’s lies to Eve: “you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5).]

Yes, we are called to live differently. God desires to remove us from a life of sin and bring us to godly living. But this is not perfectionism. The most persistent misconception about heaven is the notion that it will be inhabited by people who deserve to be there. Satan has fooled us into thinking that we will be deserving of Heaven by the time we get there. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, the thought of our own goodness might actually keep us out of heaven!

Consider John’s warnings of this attitude in his first letter. These warnings are found in the “ifs” of 1 John 1. The first “if” is in verse 6: “If we claim to have fellowship with him [God] and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.” Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking we are alright simply because we know “the Man upstairs.” Yet, if God reveals truth to you and you don’t care to follow it, then you are not truly in a relationship with Him. It makes sense: How can you claim to be close to God if you are walking as far from Him as possible? You cannot truly spend time with God and not be changed.

Fortunately John offers an alternative: walk in the light as God reveals it (verse 7). If we do this instead, we get different results. According to John, following the counsel of God (walking in the light) results in improved relationships with each other (we have fellowship with each other) and improved relationship with Him (cleansed of sins). Thus, if we can be fooled into thinking that we can be a disciple with out any change in our lives, we will be robbed of better relationships with each other and God!

This can often lead to the next lie: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (verse 8). But, wait. Isn’t it our goal to be sinless? What if we reach it? Couldn’t we claim it then? It would appear not. But again, it makes sense: how can imperfect people know when perfection is achieved?

The man who wrote so much about salvation by Grace—Paul—never considered himself having achieved this “no-sin” state of perfection: “The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Timothy 1:15). Of course, in the presence of the holiness of Jesus, the depth of our sin is more realized. One might think that Paul would have been doing pretty good in the area of perfection. But according to what he says in Philippians 3:12–14, he doesn’t claim to have reached perfection, but is pressing on to the finish line (the reward Jesus brings to those who follow Him). If Paul couldn’t claim it—after several missionary trips, having visions, accepted as an Apostle, starting many churches, and writing scripture—who can? The problem is that, in our desire to be free from sin, we want to imagine the day when we live with out sin on our own. Yet that day will never come.

But this is what makes the alternative in 1 John 1:9 even better: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Confession is owning up to something. It is the opposite of verse 8. Instead of claiming to be sinless, John says we should admit that we are sinners—own up to it. When we do, we can be forgiven and cleansed from all unrighteousness. What a wonderful God! Yet, can you see how perfectionism can trap us? If I think I can become pure in action and thought, I wouldn’t need someone to keep forgiving me. My ability to achieve perfection on earth removes my need for a Savior!

Which leads to the third lie: “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us” (verse 10). Wow. Whereas verse 8 was claiming to have sin under control, verse 10 imagines that we have no sins to confess—basically, we have never sinned. When we believe this way, we are actually calling God a liar! (“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”—Romans 3:23.) This is the attitude that says, “I’ve never really been that bad.” Yet, if this is the case, why continue to be a Christian? If you’re that great, why do you need Christ?

This is why Paul said, “Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3). God’s grace is not meant to make us arrogant. Giving us victories in our lives is not to make us trust more in ourselves! Our enemy would love for us to forget the source of our victories. By focusing on our own perfection, we can actually lose sight of God.

The lessons of the Bible have never been about humans achieving perfection. They have always been about learning to trust and follow God. Even the patriarchs of the Old Testament, known for their faith, were not perfected. Hebrews 11:39, 40 says that they had not received the promise yet, “that apart from us they should not be made perfect.” Because perfection wasn’t their goal—living in God was. As Paul says in Philippians 1:6, “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” God’s doing the work, and if He’s the One working, He’ll know when we’re finished.

This does not mean that we should purposely go on sinning. John makes this clear: “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1).

Yes, we are sinners. The good news is that when we do slip and fall we have Someone to help us up—Jesus! You see, perfection is not supposed to be our goal, holding on to Jesus is! This one goal should consume us! Because of this, I want to be less focused on my current level of “perfection” and more focused on my hope in Jesus Christ! He will finish the work—we just need to stay in His hands so we can make it to the finish line.