The Sword of the Spirit:

The Word of God

Ephesians 6:16-18
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Hebrews 4:12-13
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

Luke 11:28
He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

(Make sure the kids know the difference between
offensive & defensive weapons before beginning)


The Sword of the Spirit, a.k.a. the Word of God, is a powerful weapon. It is an offensive weapon as well as a defensive weapon. Jesus used it as a defensive weapon when he was tempted by satan in the desert during his forty days and nights there. Yet later he used it many, many times as an offensive weapon to bring the will of God to pass and gain victory over darkness. Just a spoken word. No physical force. Just a spoken word. God's word.

To some, words may seem like such a little thing. The old "sticks and stones" addage tells us that words are of little value. They don't mean much. Yet the word of God is all-powerful, and is the weapon that the Holy Spirit has chosen to give us to fight the enemy with. Sometimes we forget that we have it, and we leave it sheathed, relying on our own understanding and intelligence instead.

But that is not God's intention for this weapon of great power and force. Wielded by a true follower of Jesus, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, it is a weapon made to conquer darkness and bring the will of God to pass.

Of all the armor weapons mentioned in Ephesians, it is the only offensive piece of equipment given to you. The other pieces of armor protect you from the enemy's fiery darts, but cannot themselves do battle for you. But the Sword of the Spirit was given for you to use. It is a weapon of such power in the right hands that there is no doubt that the person wielding it WILL HAVE VICTORY!

The questions you need to ask yourself are: Am I the right hands? Am I a true follower of Jesus? Am I familiar enough with the Sword that I can use it correctly? Just as a soldier needs to have knowledge of his M-16 weapon in order to use it right, you need to become familiar with and have a knowledge of your weapon, The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Reading God's Word for you in the Bible and hearing God's Word spoken to you through the prophetic word will help you to become familiar with your weapon.