"Swordmanship" - Dr. Vander Warner, Jr.

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"Swordmanship" - Dr. Vander Warner, Jr. BBC The year of the Bible 1/19/03
Swordmanship
Dr. Vander Warner, Jr.
Ephesians 6

The battles that matter most are spiritual ones and behind most visible ones are invisible ones….spiritual. Ep. 6:12

The battle dress is a composite picture of what Christ is to us in the battles of life. To put on the armor is to review all that Christ is to us everyday all the time.

Your weapon: "The sword of the "Spirit which is the Word of God."

1. This too is Christ, Christ made practically available to us through the sayings of His Word.
Some talk about commitment to Christ, but not the Scripture. You can't separate the two. Come to Christ; He sends you to Scripture. Read the Scripture they testify of Christ. We know Christ through the Bible, we understand the Bible through the knowledge of Christ. (2CO 3:13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away. 14 But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.)

That is why Paul in Col 3:16 says "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly." It is called the "word of Christ."

2. The verse…"the Sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…" This does not mean the Bible in general. It means the word in specifics.
"Logos" - is the word (in John 1) for the total utterance of God.
"hrema" - (hray' mah) - a specific saying of God - a special application to an immediate situation in our existence.

***Ever have a verse come alive for you in a flash - take on flesh and bones in a particular situation - settle your mind, and give direction, solution, and peace. Or in a thrust of Satan's "flaming darts" - of doubt - a verse became vivid in your mind that answered that doubt?

THAT IS THE "HREMA" OF GOD!!

"It is called the Sword of the Spirit because it is not only originated by Him as author of the Word but is recalled to mind by the Spirit and made powerful by Him in our lives."

3.It is our only offensive weapon. (Though useful for defense as well.) It defends and protects us, but is also pierces other hearts and destroys the lies of the Devil in others beside ourselves. We are to proclaim it. Not so much to defend it... **My mentor Dr. Carl Bates said, "You preachers can argue about it all you want to I am going to preach it and live it." There is a time to defend the faith, of course, but more often just lay it out there against the darkness, or bring it against the lies of our times and let it do its work.

HEB 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.

It has power within and of itself. "It is the power of God unto salvation to all that believe"….It is the power not related to or similar to but IS the power.

4. This is why the Scripture has been so continuously under attack.
The attack upon it is primarily designed to diminish its significance. Calling the gospel accounts of Jesus birth…"Christian myth…" Make the Word questionable…Destroy its authority. We become defenseless Spiritually. **There is that dastardly potential to "make it of none effect…." Mk 7:13

5. Know your weapon
How it works…."The purpose of the Word, these "sayings of God" - is to compel belief in the face of any distortion of truth." You see we get our logic for what we do from many sources: "World" -This is the way the unbelieving world does things. "Flesh" - This is our own Christless self patterned by other days, parents, emotional states, selfishness, etc. Devil - This would be supernatural evil impulses.

Add to that the fact that we are easily deceived and you can see the potential for delusion. Therefore the Word comes, "Trust in the Lord will all your heart (the decision making inner self, believe the truth as it is revealed and, "lean not unto your own understanding."

6. Use your weapon - in practical application.
a. It can modify behavior…James 1:20 "The anger of man does not work the righteousness of God…" That has stabilized me in many situations.
b. Ps. 37:8b "…fret not thyself in any way to do evil." That has sustained me when my flesh pushed me to retaliate when I have been seriously wronged - or those I love are being wronged or deceived!
c. So heed it - obey it when the Spirit brings it to mind.

7. The better you know it, i.e., the greater exposure there is to Scripture, the more the Spirit can use this mighty sword in our lives.
So give it regular, thoughtful, practical study. Be able at the end of a time of reading to personalize and practicalize something you've read.

8. The better you know it the more balanced will be your use of it.
It will keep you from supporting some "mean deed" with a verse from somewhere. **I remember the misguided soul who took me to court out of anger who said to me, "The law is good……and enter into his Courts with praise…" (She said that to me as I came down the corridor of the courthouse for trial on a $250,000 defamation of character suit against me….later adjudicated as a frivolous suit.)

 A verse of scripture used to support some mean deed is usually an isolated, non-integrated word which, when brought in relationship to other contextual truth does not really have the application being forced upon it.
 G. Campbell Morgan said, "Every dirty heresy has hung its filthy clothes on some peg of scripture!"
 In Matthew 4:7 Jesus and Satan….Satan asked Jesus to throw Himself down….Jesus replied, "Again it is written, you should not tempt the Lord your God." **Again it is written….That's Scripture balanced by Scripture.

Martin Luther was in a conversation with Satan who accused him of sin. Luther said, "Write them all down." Satan went diligently to work. When all the walls were covered, Luther, with a mighty thrust of the Sword of the Spirit gave him 1John 1:7 …the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin! And Satan went back to hell! That's swordsmanship!!