When we read in Eph 6 the command to "put on" the armor of the Lord, the only offensive weapon included is the "Sword of the Spirit which is the Word (rhema) of God."
First off, the sWord of the Spirit --
One of the values of the KJV is that 400 years ago, English still had a plural "you". Nowadays, the word "you" can be singular ("I love you, dear") or plural ("I love all of you"). In the KJV, whenever you run into the word "ye", it's plural.
That's fantastic. There are lots of familiar passages which we tend to think of as applying to "me in the singular" which, in fact, are written to the Body of Christ in plural. Like in 1Cor 3.16: "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" This verse often is interpreted as referring just to an individual Christian but in fact addresses, "Don't you know that all of you are the temple"
Anyway, in Eph 6.11, Paul wrote, "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand"
The "armor of God" is not worn by this Christian or that Christian" it is worn by the Body of Christ: "Put on God's armor so that you all can withstand" for we wrestle not against flesh and blood" take the whole armor that ye (or, "you all") may be able to withstand"
Point one: The Armor of God is to be worn by the Body of Christ" not simply an individual here or an individual there. When an individual Christian is overly focused on whether or he or she is "wearing God's armor", the real issue is lost. We all are to be building up everyone, the whole Body into wearing the Armor of God.
Point two: Who wields the sWord of the Spirit which is the Word of God"?
Why -- the Body of Christ wields the sWord of the Spirit which is the rhema of God!
And that explains why KingdomScribes is committed to equipping all Believers everywhere to focus on accurately and profoundly hearing the Living Word of God every day...becoming able to live prophetically in the Word AND the Spirit. It's because the sWord of the Spirit is to be wielded by the Body of Christ" and not just an occasional member of it here and there!
Second, the sWord of the LORD --
We find the sWord of the LORD over in Judges 7.18ff in the story of Gideon. In fact, it's called, "the sWord of the LORD (Jehovah) and of Gideon (which means "hewer" or "one who chops down" -- his sWord "chopped down" the Midianites!)
This passage is going to add weight to the question, "Who's wielding God's sWord?" Gideon has thousands of warriors who came to his call, but God sent all but 300 of them back home. Gideon (strengthened by a prophetic Word from his enemies") gave each of the 300 soldiers a clay pitcher hiding a flaming torch, and a trumpet. He told them to surround the enemy whose camp lay in the bottom of a small valley. With the enemy completely encircled, Gideon gave the signal, every soldier broke his clay pitcher at the same moment exposing its light, and blew his trumpet.
Let's look at that verse: "The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, "?A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!'" (Judges 7.20)
Notice their weapons were three: (1) a clay jar holding a candle; (2) a trumpet; and (3) the sWord of the LORD and of Gideon.
Also notice that the verse specifies which hands held which weapon: The "torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets"
Which hand held their swords? Left or right? Let's see" if the left held a jar and the right held a trumpet (Scripture's pretty clear there") then you'd have to say that neither hand held a sword.
The sWord of the LORD was wielded by God.
Question: Who wields the sWord of the LORD in your life? Is it in your left hand or your right? (If it is, better put it down and pick up your lamp and trumpet")
Let's take this seriously. It's not a trivial matter. Many people consider the Bible to be their "sword" and they use it according to their own inclinations. They use it to "slice and dice" their brothers and sisters in the Lord. Have you ever listened to a "christian" who quotes a Bible verse in order to lay some sort of judgment on another? "Well, you know the Bible says that to avoid all appearance of evil" and what you're doing sure looks evil to me!!!"
Ever meet other "christians" whose "Bible study" consists of sitting around arguing with each other? Or delightedly bringing up old proof texts about how the congregation across town is following the doctrines of demons?
Many "christians" act as if the Bible in their hands is their own, personal possession -- to be used according to their private inclinations. In Peter's second letter (2.20), he said:
"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."
The point here is simple: Prophecy is not the property of human beings"it came from God and therefore is God's.
How does this affect a Kingdom Scribe? A Kingdom Scribe learns things from God -- in fact (according to Jesus) he "stores away" the truths he's learned. Then at a later day, he brings the old things out but when the Wind of the Spirit blows on them, they're made new (Fresh Bread!)
But the Kingdom Scribe never loses sight of the fact that the Word of God is God's. It came from God by the Wind of the Holy Spirit, and when we look at it today, we have to look at it in the Wind of the Holy Spirit. If we look at it with mere natural minds -- examine, analyze and categorize it -- it's a dead letter that kills instead of bringing Life.
When you open the Bible, what counts isn't how many degrees you have after your name nor how many books you've written about Jesus; it doesn't matter how many sermons you've preached or how many Sunday School classes you've sat through.
When you open the Bible, what counts is whether or not the Wind of the Spirit blows the sWord of God into the impenetrable and hidden depths of your heart, cutting apart the flesh from the spiritual.
One last point from Gideon: The soldiers held weapons in both hands -- left and right -- they still managed to "wield" the sWord of the LORD.
How?
They shouted. The sWord was in their mouths! And the sWord of God which is the rhema of God will come out of the Body of Christ" when His Word is in our mouths.
Doesn't this make you think of Jesus?
Re 1:16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.
Re 2:16 Repent therefore! Otherwise, I will soon come to you and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
Re 19:15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.
Re 19:21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
Jesus is the One Who wields the sWord of the Spirit -- but when any Believer puts the rhema of God in their mouths, Jesus takes that Word and goes to war with it!
Emil & Michele Swift
Em&M Ministries
KingdomScribes.net
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