Qualified to use the Sword of the Spirit

Qualified to use the Sword of the Spirit

The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, can save a man, Rom.1:16, but it can also kill a man, 2Cor.3:6. If a believer does not use the sword correctly, it can do great harm to those on the receiving end.

Did you notice that in Eph.6:13-18, the sword is the sixth item on the list for a soldier to take up. It is the offensive weapon in the midst of the defensive armour, which is to be put on first. In context and in application, the believer is to be familiar with his armour first, before he goes for the sword. Before he wields the swords, he is to first gird himself with truth, which is the knowledge of the Word. Thereafter, he is to stand straight with righteousness, which is to apply that truth, resulting in a proclamation of the gospel, the exercising of faith, and abiding in that hope of salvation. It is only then, when that soldier is fully prepared, fully qualified, and thoroughly furnished, that the sword should be picked up. 

Consider what happened at the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane. Peter, who was not yet prepared and qualified, grabbed a sword and swung it around out of control, cutting off the ear of a servant of the high priest. Now consider this, how strange is it that he cut off the ear of a man. Out of all the appendages to aim for, why the ear? Well, consider this analogy. If you are not ready and qualified to use the sword of the Spirit, you'll end up damaging the hearing of a man. How can a man receive the word of the Lord to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth of God without the ability to hear, Rom.10:14. Using the sword without qualification can dull spiritual hearing and can lead men astray. In many cases it would take the supernatural power of God to get that man back to where he can receive the truth of God's Word again.

You see, the purpose of the sword is to destroy spiritual wickedness, not men. Did you notice that is it not the soldier’s sword. It is the sword that belongs to the Spirit. It is to be used when one is spiritually ready. Until then, one is to gird oneself with the truth and grow up in experience and competence first, until one is approved of God, not only use the sword, but more importantly, to use it in the rightly divided way, 2Tim2:15.