The Sword Of The Spirit – Dr.
Neil Anderson
Ephesians 6:17
And take... the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God
The Word of God is the only
offensive weapon mentioned in the list of armor. Since Paul used rhema instead
of logos for "word" in Ephesians 6:17, I believe Paul is referring to
the spoken Word of God. We are to defend ourselves against the evil one by
speaking aloud God's Word.
Why is it so important to speak
God's Word in addition to believing it and thinking it? Because Satan is a
created being, and he doesn't perfectly know what you're thinking. By observing
you, he can pretty well tell what you are thinking, just as any student of
human behavior can. And it isn't difficult for him to know what you're thinking
if he put the thought in. But he doesn't know what you're going to do before
you do it. He can put thoughts into your mind, and he will know whether you buy
his lie by how you behave.
Satan can try to influence you
by planting thoughts in your head, but he can't read your thoughts. If you're
going to resist Satan, you must do so verbally so he can understand you and be
put to flight.
You can communicate with God in
your mind and spirit because He knows the thoughts and intents of your heart
(Hebrews 4:12). Your unspoken communion with God is your private sanctuary;
Satan cannot eavesdrop on you. But by the same token, if you only tell Satan
with your thoughts to leave, he won't leave because he is under no obligation
to obey your thoughts. You must defeat Satan by speaking out. The good news is
that most direct attacks occur at night or when you are alone.
One night I woke up absolutely
terrified for no apparent reason, and I knew it was an attack from Satan.
Without lifting my head from the pillow, I applied the two-step remedy
suggested in James 4:7. In the sanctuary of my heart, I submitted to God. Then
I was able to resist Satan with one spoken word--Jesus--and the fear was
instantly and totally gone. I went back to sleep in complete peace.
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