The Armor of God
Sword of the Spirit
Today, Pastor John completes our series on The Armor of God. During this series, we discovered that the pieces of armor a Roman soldier would wear are metaphors the Apostle Paul uses to communicate powerful truths. This armor allows us to defend ourselves with the strength God provides when the evil one spiritually attacks us and how to offensively fight to win the battle with the armor God provides and ultimately offers us through Jesus. Our last piece is called the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Ephesians 6:17
17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
For Adult Homes and Groups
1. Describe a time in your life when God’s Word came alive or helped you through a difficult time you were facing. Was it a specific verse or section of Scripture?
2. Read Ephesians 6:17; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:21; Proverbs 30:5; Isaiah 40:8. Why is Scripture described as a sword? In light of all these promises given to us about the potential and power of God’s Word, why do so few people make it a priority to “hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it”?
3. Do you recall how Jesus used Scripture to defend himself against Satan’s temptations? If not, read Matthew 4:1-11. How does Jesus’ temptation and response differ from Eve’s response to Satan in the garden (Genesis 3)?
4. Share with the group what daily devotions and Bible readings have been most helpful to you. Discuss some of the challenges of daily bible reading. Is your daily time with God a “have to” or a “want to” (law or Gospel)? What part of the Gospel might you or others be missing?
For Families with Kids
1. Read Ephesians 6:10-20. This week's focus is on the Sword of the Spirit and prayer (vv. 17 b- 20). What is the Sword of the Spirit, and why is it called a sword?
2. Why is it important to read and share the Bible?
3. Read Matthew 4:1-11. How did Jesus use the Sword of the Spirit to fight off the devil? How can we follow this example?
4. Make it a family goal to increase your Bible reading time by 10 minutes each day for the month of April. At the end of the month, write down and share how increasing this time has strengthened your faith.
Series Information
On Sundays in the season of Lent, our message will focus on the whole armor of God, where Apostle Paul paints a powerful picture of the Christian life as a spiritual battle, calling believers to stand firm against the forces of evil by putting on the full armor of God. It reminds us that, as followers of Jesus Christ, we are engaged in a daily struggle, not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual powers of darkness. Each piece of armor - the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, wrapped in protective prayer - equips believers to resist the enemy's schemes and remain steadfast in their faith. Understanding and applying this spiritual armor is crucial for living a victorious Christian life in a world filled with deception, temptation, and opposition.