TCH MINI-STUDY 34
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT, WHICH IS THE WORD OF GOD
To the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the
faithful in Christ Jesus, the apostle Paul wrote, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put
on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood,
but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high
places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to
stand. Stand therefore, having your loins [lower abdominal and hip area] girt [encircling the hip and lower abdomen] about with truth,
and having on the breastplate [the chest area] of righteousness; And your feet [the feet] shod [to put on sandals] with the preparation
of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield [protects the entire front of the body] of faith, wherewith ye shall be able
to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet [protects the head] of salvation, and the sword [primary instrument
of warfare and death held in the hand] of the Spirit [the spirit or soul of man, and not the Holy Spirit], which is the word [rhema:
i.e, the movement and operation of the Holy Spirit upon the spirit of man] of God (Ephesians 6:10-17).
Within these verses, Paul
refers to the seven major areas or parts of the human being that are pertinent to conducting warfare: the hip area, the chest area,
the feet, the entire trunk area of the body [especially the front], the head area, the hand area, and the spirit [spiritual] part
of the individual.
Paul also implies the function of each area: the lower gut and hip area concern digestion, waste elimination,
mobility, and reproduction, the chest area concerns the heart [blood] and lungs [air] essential for life, the feet which concern how
we stand and our walk in life, the frontal trunk and chest area concerns all major organs for functioning, health, and life, the head
concerns the brain which is associated with thinking and emotions, the hand concerns what we touch and hold, and the spirit or soul
concerns the determination of our temporal and eternal spiritual relationships with God and man.
Lastly, Paul mentions the specific
instrument of warfare concerning each area of our life: truth protects our strength and vital life functions, righteousness protects
our major life support systems essential for life, the gospel of peace protects and determines our walk in life, faith protects and
preserves our whole being, salvation protects and determines our thinking and emotions, and the moving and operation of the Holy Spirit,
conducts spiritual warfare within and for our own spirit and life.
Many misinterpret verse 17 for two reasons: one, because the
word Spirit is capitalized, Spirit is usually interpreted as referring to the Holy Spirit. We know, though, that this word Spirit could
not be a reference to the Holy Spirit since Paul is talking about the parts of the human body of the believer. To interpret the word
"Spirit" as the Holy Spirit, as the text suggests, rather than "spirit" as consistent interpretation would suggest, is to suddently
change the flow of Paul's point. If we change Spirit to spirit, meaning the spirit of man, the interpretation remains consistent and
makes sense. It is the Holy Spirit that conducts warfare for and with our human spirit [with a small s].
Two, the word word is
often incorrectly believed as referring to the bible; but in this verse, word is poorly translated from the Greek word rhema, which,
in new testament biblical context, refers to the movement and operation of the Holy Spirit, and not the bible, or "word." It is not
the "word", or bible, that interacts with the "spirit" of man, but the powerful speaking, movement and actions of the Holy Spirit
of God.
The word sword is translated from the Greek word machaira, which refers to the major implement of fighting, battle, or
warfare. Verse 17 can be interpreted to mean that the sword, the major implement for the conducting of spiritual warfare within our
own human spirit, is the powerful and life changing operation of the Holy Spirit, not the bible. The implement of spiritual warfare,
the sword of man's spirit, is in fact the Holy Spirit, who gives believers in Christ victory in the spiritual realm.
For more
on the interpretation of the Greek word rhema, read THE CHISTIAN HERALD article entitled Faith Cometh By Hearing.
THE CHRISTIAN HERALD
A
Judeo-Christian Bible Study
HE BARE THE SIN OF MANY
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before
him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty
that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were
our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities:
the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned
every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened
not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living:
for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because
he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when
thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall
prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant
justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil
with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of
many, and made intercession for the transgressors"
(Isaiah 53:1-12).
GOD GAVE THEM UP TO VILE AFFECTIONS
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness
of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because
that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it
unto
them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made,
even his eternal
power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they
knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became
vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing
themselves to be wise,
they became fools, And changed the glory of the
uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds,
and fourfooted
beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them
up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their
own
bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and
worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who
is blessed for
ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even
their women did change the natural use into
that which is against nature:
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned
in their lust one toward another;
men with men working that which is
unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error
which was meet. And even as
they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things
which are not convenient;
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate,
deceit, malignity;
whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud,
boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding,
covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who
knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things
are worthy
of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them”
(Romans 1:18-32).
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I
will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded:
they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that
contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought. For I the LORD thy God will hold thy
right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee”
(Isaiah 41:10-13).
Hudson Taylor
Missionary To China
"Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he mightdeliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
(Galatians
1:3-5).
BORN AGAIN, NOT OF CORRUPTIBLE SEED, BUT OF INCORRUPTIBLE, BY THE WORD OF GOD
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed
with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but
was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that
your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love
of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible,
by the word [Greek, logos, a reference to Jesus Christ, and not the bible] of God, which liveth and abideth
for ever”
(1 Peter 1:18-23).