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.

Holy Scripture Under Attack

There is right now a full frontal attack on the inerrancy and infallibility of the Bible going on within our Lord’s Church and you had best know how to deal with it. A particularly vulgar offensive against the proper use of the Holy Scriptures was launched when the very divisive Emergent Church movement arrived inside the Trojan Horse of new evangelicalism. What the enemy of men’s souls is doing here is simply bringing back neo-orthodox views of the Bible and wedding it to the old social gospel of the cult of liberal theology. It's all a part of Satan’s laying the groundwork for the One World religion of some “pie-in-the-sky” New Age brotherhood of man where all religions–if they aren’t synthesized into one–will at least co-exist peacefully in this alleged century of “inter-spirituality.” Men and women, can’t you see that the only way this could ever happen is for the Devil to undermine people’s faith in the veracity of God’s Word in the Bible? And in order to make this happen he has to get you to lay down your only offensive weapon against him – the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).

You may say: “Oh, you’re just being an alarmist and spouting some kind of antiquated fundamentalist world-view.” Certainly I am sounding an alarm as that’s my job, but I do not write from the position of a Fundamentalist; no, they’ve been too busy criticizing me because I don’t use the King James Bible only. They would be better served however, as they are soon to find out from the Lord, to stop attacking a brother who is at least taking his stand, and to begin learning how to defend that King James Bible from the growing horde in the Emergent Church who are currently being taught to reinterpret–or worse yet–to even ignore what it says in regard to the actual Christian mission here in twenty first century postmodern pagan America. Know this, these pernicious parasites are right now infesting your churches and seminaries, just as their liberal forbears once did. Are you old enough to remember what happened to the Congregational Church; the Methodist Church; the Lutheran church, and even to large sections of the Presbyterian Church?

Here’s one quick example of these wolves in sheep's clothing at work from Velvet Elvis: Repainting The Christian Faith, a recent book by Emergent Church pastor Rob Bell. And notice that the writings from these men almost without exception will contain the prefix “re,” as in this case where we are being informed of the alleged need to “repaint” (read: redefine) the historic orthodox Christian faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3, NKJV). It is critical to note here that the Bible clearly tells us that the saints already had this faith right in the first century, so there never has been a need to reinterpret/redefine or come emerging with what Christ Himself instructed His Own Apostles to teach in the first place. Yet in Velvet Elvis Bell begins the undermining of the biblical texts when he writes:

Notice what Jesus says in the book of Matthew, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” What he is doing here is significant. He is giving his followers the authority to make new interpretaitons of the Bible. He is giving them permission to say, “Hey, we think we missed it before on that verse, and we've recently come to the concluison that this is actually what it means.” (p.050, emphasis his)

Could you possibly be any more off base than this; and Bell is pastor of Mars Hill, “one of the fastest growing churches in America” (back cover). Taken in context, the keys of the kingdom (Bell’s reference is Matthew 16:19; 18:18) has nothing whatever to do with the texts of Holy Scripture, but rather with the authority that the true Christian has when preaching the Gospel to someone. If a person repents and accepts the Good News, the Christian, as an ambassador of Christ Jesus (see–2 Corinthians 5:20), can pronounce them forgiven (“loosed”) of their sins on God's behalf. Conversely, if someone refuses to accept the Gospel, the Christian must remind them that they remain (“bound”) in their sins. So as a pastor in a professed Christian church Bell should know better, and he is clearly wrong when he says: “When you hear people say they are going to tell you what the Bible means, it’s not true. They are telling you what they think it means...I'm actually giving you my opinion, my interpretation of what it says” (p.054, emphasis his).

This kind of unbiblical reasoning may impress the young people in the latest edition of the same old “me” generation, but it is a horribly skewed way of thinking from someone who allegedly has been called as a pastor-teacher in Christ's Church. For here we have nothing more than an example of this truth, the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine...They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4). The myth here being that no one can ever really know what “truth” is so we need to be open to everyone’s opinions. It’s a core doctrine in the burgeoning philosophy of postmodernism, but it has no place in the supernatural life of the regenerated Christian because God the Holy Spirit Who lives in us is the Spirit of Truth (see–John 16:7-15). Bell then reveals the root of his problem finding God’s wisdom when he writes: “as one of my favorite writers, Anne Lamott, put it, 'Everybody thinks their opinion is the right one'” (ibid.). I suggest that “pastor” Bell would be a whole lot wiser to spend more time acquainting himself with biblical hermeneutics and the teachings of the many great preachers of the Gospel who have preceded him than the mercurial musings of a foul-mouthed heathen like Anne Lamott.

“Instant” Christianity

Dr. Walter Martin is being proved right when he said: “Don’t be right too early in the game because no one will remember.” I’m well aware that many read these kinds of warnings and just scoff as they set themselves up to be used as pawns in the Devil’s schemes. But this doesn't change the fact that there is a New Downgrade No-Controversy going on right now within the Evangelical church as leaders continue to ignore the obvious warning signs of the Holy Spirit withdrawing His power as more and more of them come under the spell of the man-centered purpose driven life of “instant” Christianity. Sure, we've got it all figured out, here’s all you have to do: Read a little book, hold a few meetings where you tell the people how easy it is to be a Christian, and how much fun it is being a follower of Jesus and – “presto!” You get a fully functioning New Testament church that actually lives in peace with all other religions! And why can’t you see the neo-orthodox (at best) Emergent Church for the satanic deception that it is? How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? (Psalm 4:2)

Why it’s all so easy, it makes you wonder how those bumbling Apostles messed it up so badly that each one of them except John ended up being brutally murdered; that’s not to mention that Jesus of Nazareth got Himself crucified. Do you seriously think anyone’s going to trouble to crucify everyone’s favorite church grower Rick Warren? Or how about smiling Joel Osteen who is leading people to believe that the LORD God Almighty–Creator of Heaven and earth–simply exists for nothing more than to make your dreams come true. Or how about Emergent Church spokesman Brian McLaren who says that Christianity should “seek to encourage the growth of the good wheat in all religions” and then we just have to leave “it for God to sort it all out as only God can do” (A Generous Orthodoxy, p.255). How cool is that; we don’t even have to preach Christ crucified anymore to be a “missional” Christian! Well I have news for this whole seeker sensitive “don’t you just love us Christians” bandwagon, it went off-track a long time ago and there is little to no convicting power of God the Holy Spirit left in the shallow and hollow Evangelical church today to truly convert anyone.

I wonder if we even remember Him anymore; the Spirit of Truth Who convicts the world of sin and then regenerates those who place their complete trust by God’s grace alone–through faith alone–in Christ alone? Do you still have a vague recollection of the true mission of our Lord’s coming into His earth; Christ's incredible sacrifice of Himself in the vicarious penal substitutionary atonement on the cross? You see, you aren’t hearing much about that in the Emergent Church because it’s this nasty little doctrine that will forever stand in the way of a global religion, as long as true preachers of God’s Word like myself are still breathing. The Emergent Church, readily borrowing corrupt pagan practices from the long apostate Church of Rome, is only falling right back in line with the insidious ecumenical movement hatched by their antichrist popes in the first place. Wicked and evil purveyors of their self-preserving doctrines of demons dancing to their father of lie’s discordant tune of bringing all religions together under one happy banner; but I tell you in the Spirit, this will never happen as long as there are still some of the Lord’s ministers left with the resolve to follow the stellar example of the true Christian witness set by the Apostle Paul who resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).

The True Gospel Is Hidden

The Bible flatly contradicts the ignominious idea espoused by Brian McLaren in A Generous Orthodoxy, his book of Christian compromise, that Christians are a people who have “a sacred text and one believed to be inspired, not dictated, and who believe that God spoke in various times to various cultures” (p.253, emphasis his). Watch out for this type of non-reasoning because this is only a part of the enemy’s strategy of sowing confusion. McLaren is a master at creating “straw men” and then attacking them with what appears to be skillful reasoning. Couched within these misleading words is simply the reemergence of the neo-orthodox views about Scripture that were already taught by Karl Barth. I’ll show you; when McLaren uses the term “inspired” and sets it up in opposition to “dictated” he means to say: The text of the Bible becomes inspired only as the Holy Spirit illuminates it to a particular individual, and it is then interpreted by how he/she may feel God is speaking to them through it at a given moment. We have already seen this in the example of Emergent Church pastor Rob Bell above. And you need to know that the true historic orthodox Christian Church has never taught that the Scriptures were dictated in the first place (see–2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

This fatally flawed view of the Bible as espoused by McLaren and his Emergent Church deceivers actually springs from eastern mysticism as it becomes married to the philosophy of existentialism consistent with that taught by Soren Kierkegaard; and keep an eye out for the constant criticism of “western” thinking, as well as for the names of Barth and Kierkergaard in the writings of Emergent Church leaders. The truth is, as is the case with any of the non-Christian cults there has to be a reason for their existence, that they have “rediscovered” the true ways of the Christian faith, or there would be no reason for them to even be. In the Emergent Church adherents are told of a “shift” in popular culture and so now there is a supposed need to reexamine the way the Bible is used in the “missional” preaching of the gospel of inclusive love allegedly taught by Jesus. It’s a masterful stroke by Satan sown among the ruggedly individualistic (read: arrogant) culture we find here in the United States in particular. Throw out the concept of absolute truth, change the way people will then view the unchanging Word of God, throw in some eastern mystic “experiencing” God, and Americans will flock in droves to this individual “worshipping God my own way” religion.

However all this rehashing of liberal theology and Walter Rauschenbusch’s social gospel flies in the face of the repeated warnings in the Bible of the spiritual war the born again Christian is undoubtedly engaged in. Of many texts we can consider, let’s look at 2 Corinthians 4:2-4 where the true children of the living God – have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. You’ll notice immediately that this doesn’t square at all with the idea that it is wrong to “show disapproval of divergent beliefs by withholding love and acceptance” as McLaren teaches on pg. 257 of A Generous Orthodoxy. Again he creates a strawman by suggesting that to attack the demonic belief system of any false religion is “withholding love and acceptance.” Of course the true Christian accepts the right that others have to practice their religion, but the most loving thing I can do for them–based on the absolute truth of a literal Hell that awaits their rejection of Christ–is to tell them that the “god” they wroship is actually a demon.

The deficiency here–which has eternal consequences–in the non-reasoning of the Emergent Church is that the Bible they think they are following quite clearly informs us in the above passage that 1) the Christian is not to mishandle the Holy Scriptures as this severely schismatic movement within Evangelicalism does and withhold the truth from the deceived, 2) the true Gospel of God’s Christ is actually hidden from unbelievers to begin with, and 3) Satan has blinded the minds of them which believe not, and apparently the leaders within the Emergent Church as well–not to mention spiritually obtuse Evangelicals all too willing to give these schismatic sheep a covering in the Church to sow the confusion of their father the Devil. Ratcheting up the rhetoric am I; I think not, for the time has arrived in this growing apostasy for true Christians to be strong enough in their faith to take this Bible they profess to believe at face value. What do you suppose Jesus said this for – “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters” (Matthew 12:30). Does that really sound to you like there’s any middle ground that one can ever so carefully straddle?

Christian Warfare

Since the scope of this work is to establish from the Holy Scriptures that the Bible is indeed a weapon–it is a sad indictment on this age of tepid tolerance that this must even be reestablished–we turn specifically to the topic of the spiritual war the true Christian is thrust into when he is regenerated by God the Holy Spirit. A little later on in the Book of 2 Corinthians, chapter 10, we read – For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (vv.3-5). This really doesn’t look very much like the One World religion of eastern mysticism that we are hearing championed even from within more and more of NAE president Ted Haggard's optimistic new evangelical ecumenical kingdom does it?

Actually the weapons of our warfare seems more consistent with what our Lord told us in Matthew 11:12 – From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. I can guarantee you that if you truly are a Christian your reaction to this Truth will be a nod of ascent as your heart begins to beat harder within your chest as the Holy Spirit urges you on into the fray. Well, maybe our problem is in the translation of those Scriptures in 2 Corinthians 10. Let’s look at them again in one of the alleged “New Age” Bible translations. Here’s the same passage in the New American Standard Bible – For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Oops, it still says the same thing. So maybe the problem isn’t actually with these “modern” translations at all; maybe the real problem is the pathetic fear of conflict that too many modern Christians have, so it’s easier just to “preach to the choir” instead.

You might fool yourself, but you certainly are not fooling the Lord you say you serve. And pastor, you might claim you are in line with the great preachers of the past but the modern Evangelical message is far from that of men like C.H. Spurgeon, the “prince of preachers” almost universally claimed. Consider this from his sermon The Sword Of The Spirit based on the text of Ephesians 6:17 I quoted earlier – And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

To be a Christian is to be a warrior. The good soldier of Jesus Christ must not expect to find ease in this world: it is a battle-field. Neither must he reckon upon the friendship of the world; for that would be enmity against God. His occupation is war. As he puts on piece by piece of the panoply provided for him, he may wisely say to himself, “This warns me of danger; this prepares me for warfare; this prophesies opposition.”

Difficulties meet us even in standing our ground; for the apostle, two or three times, bids us – “Stand.” In the rush of the fight, men are apt to be carried off their legs [or today planted at their TV sets]. If they can keep their footing, they will be victorious; but if they are borne down by the rush of their adversaries [weak-willed men like Brian McLaren and Rick Warren and Ted Haggard], everything is lost. You are to put on the heavenly armor in order that you may stand; and you will need it to maintain that position in which your Captain has placed you. If even to stand requires all this care, judge ye what the warfare must be! (The Unknown God, p.155)

The Sword Of The Spirit

Space allows the focus on just one item in this panoply of the Christian warrior – the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. There is absolutely no doubt whatever that this is the one offensive weapon that the soldier of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ has–the texts of Holy Scripture–the Word of God. O the slothful soldiers of the enemy’s army over in the camp of the Emergent Church don’t like it when we talk this way because they simply cannot refute this argument. Sure, they’ll tell the undiscerning Christian that the Bible nowhere claims to be the Word of God. So let’s explode this myth once and for all, shall we? John 10:34-35 – Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken.” 1) Christ Jesus of Nazareth–the eternal God Himself in human flesh–just called your Law the Word of God. 2)By quoting from the Book of Psalms, which begins the last group of writings in the Hebrew canon, the Master has now included the whole Bible in this teaching, and 3) Jesus then calls these Hebrew writings Scripture, and finally our Lord says that this Word of God cannot be broken – i.e. done away with.

Here we see incontrovertible evidence from the eyewitness deposition of the Apostle John that the Master Himself had what we today refer to as a “high view” of Scripture. And not only that, but we see yet another example from the perfect paradigm of Jesus of Nazareth–the Author and Finisher of the Christian Faith–as to the true Source for the Reformation principle of Sola Scriptura. The argument posed by deceitful Emergent Church leaders and their sorry compatriots in compromise that this idea was a sixteenth century invention is destroyed right here–among many other places in Holy Scripture. I cover this subject in more detail in my article Emergent Church: Biblical Authority. For our purposes here I just wish to clear up one more Emergent lie that is consistently perpetrated on the unsuspecting regarding the use of the Bible as a weapon, and this would be the erroneous view that Hebrews 4:12 of our text is only referring to Jesus Himself and not at all to the Bible. You see, for the deluded Emergent Church to continue to try and pass off their false teaching that the Bible nowhere refers to itself as the Word of God they are forced to “reinterpret” this verse.

We detonate their argument in this way: Hebrews 4:12 reads – 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. There are those within the Emergent Church who would also say that they have trouble with the logic of calling Jesus of Nazareth “the living Word of God” because words on paper aren’t really alive. Well, either way their speculations get sliced up by the double-edged Sword of the Word of God here. If they say this refers to the Holy Scriptures themselves they will be forced to admit the Bible does call itself the Word of God; if they wiggle like jell-o in the opposite direction and say this is a reference to Jesus, then they have to admit that He is the living Word of God. When the truth is God the Holy Spirit is speaking with a dual meaning here as proof that both the Bible itself–and the Word Who became flesh–are in view in this verse. Hence we see the living reality of the two-edged Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

Although I differ with his conclusion that Christ is not also in view here, Dr. Leon Morris’ comment on Hebrews 4:12 is helpful in annihilating what seems to be a pet argument in the Emergent Church, the mistaken idea that this verse is not speaking about the Bible itself, because this position is patently clear:

"The word of God" means anything that God utters and particularly the word that came through Jesus Christ. He is called "the Word" in John 1:1, but that is not the thought here (though there have been exegetes who have taken this line). The comparison with a sharp sword and its penetration into human personality shows that it is not the incarnate Word that is in mind. "Living and active" shows that there is a dynamic quality about God's revelation. It does things. Specifically it penetrates and, in this capacity, is likened to a "double-edged sword" (for the sword, cf. Isa 49:2; Eph 6:17; Rev 19:15; and for the double-edged idea, cf. Rev 1:16; 2:12) (Hebrews, The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, CD Rom).

Jamieson-Faucett-Brown then add the compelling and convincing argument: “The personal Word, to whom some refer the passage, is not here meant: for He is not the sword, but has the sword.” So this is why the NIV is to be preferred as it follows this line of reasoning adding “it” to the text to smooth out the rendering into English. When Hebrews 4:12 is then referenced along with Ephesians 6:10-17, which describes the panoply of the Roman soldier and then urges us to take the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, it becomes clear that God the Holy Spirit is in actuality reminding us to use the Bible–the Word of God–as a weapon. Now can you see even more reason that Satan, who is powerless before the Holy Scriptures which are living and active, and sharper than any double-edged sword of man’s emergent a-logic, would wish you to lay this weapon down?

Dr. A. Skevington Wood supplies us with a little interesting insight into this double-edged sword:

Two more items of the panoply remain. The shield has to be fixed in place before the helmet (perikephalaia), since the handle could not pass over it… The Christian shares the divine equipment. "Take" is really receive or accept (dexasthe). The previous items were laid out for the soldier to pick up. The helmet and sword would be handed him by an attendant or by his armorbearer. The verb is appropriate to the "givenness" of salvation. It is "a present deliverance from sin to be consummated in eternity by complete deliverance from every kind of evil" (Beet, p. 373). In 1 Thessalonians 5:8 the helmet is identified with the hope of full salvation. This may well be the inference here (Eph 1:18).

The final weapon is the sword, for there is no mention of the spear or pilium which was the regular offensive armament of the Roman hoplite. Some have conjectured that Paul did not refer to it because he was taking his personal guard as a model and such a weapon would not be needed indoors. For whatever reason, Paul ignores it and concentrates on the gladius (Gr., machaira) or short two-edged cut-and-thrust sword wielded by the heavily armed legionary, as distinct from the rhomphaia or large Thracian broadsword. The Christian's only weapon of offence is "the sword of the Spirit," either as supplied by the Spirit (like "the full armor of God" in vv. 11, 13), or as used by the Spirit, though these may be complementary rather than alternative ideas. "The word of God" (rhema theou) is the divine utterance or speech ("the words that come from God" NEB). This is not the usual expression, which is ho logos tou theou. In Isaiah 11:4 the Messiah is portrayed as one who strikes the ruthless with the rod (sebet, a sceptre) of his mouth, i.e., by the authoritative impact of what he says. Elsewhere in Scripture, speech is compared to a sword.

But what is this utterance of God? Some identify it with the recorded word of Scripture in the OT. Some take it to be remembered sayings of Jesus or apostolic dicta eventually to be incorporated into the NT. Many think it is the gospel (v. 15), which is the power of God (Rom 1:16). Others regard it as words given by the Spirit to meet the critical need of the moment, or as prayer in which the Spirit speaks through the Christian (v. 18). Allan concludes that the best interpretation is probably the most obvious: "As Jesus used the words of Scripture to repulse the tempter, so must the Christian the words the Spirit has inspired to drive away Satan" (p. 138). It is significant that in Matthew's temptation narrative Jesus himself (quoting Deut 8:3) refers to "every word [rhema] that comes from the mouth of God" (Matt 4:4) and employs relevant Scriptures to defeat the devil's stratagems.

So Man Your Weapon

In the Spirit I encourage you to learn how to use the Bible as a weapon, this one piece of equipment that the true Christian warrior for the absolute Truth of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ has in which to cut forward through the various deceptions which are soon to grow (see–2 Thessalonians 2:9-11). Whether the Church is here or not doesn’t matter at this point in our discussion because this apostasy, and the falling away of the Evangelical church, make it painfully obvious that many deceptions have already come. And you will really need to know your Bible in this age of universalism or you too will succumb to deceptions like the Emergent Church who have turned their ears away from the truth and turned aside to myths. The Sword of the Spirit judges this truth – Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us (1 John 2:18-19).

I close now with these inspiring and challenging words concerning Ephesians 6:17 from a real Christian warrior, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, that still speak mightily to our timid generation today:

It is clear from our text that our defense and our conquest must be obtained by sheer fighting. Many try compromise; but if you are a true Christian, you can never do this business well. The language of deceit fits not a holy tongue. The adversary is the father of lies, and those that are with him understand the art of equivocation; but saints abhor it. If we discuss terms of peace, and attempt to gain something by policy, we have entered upon a course from which we shall return in disgrace. We have no order from our Captain to patch up a truce, and get as good terms as we can. We are not sent out to offer concessions. It is said that if we yield a little, perhaps the world will yield a little also, and good may come of it. If we are not too strict and narrow, perhaps sin will kindly consent to be more decent. Our association with it will prevent its being so barefaced and atrocious. If we are not narrow-minded, our broad doctrine will go down with the world, and those on the other side will not be so greedy of error as they now are. No such thing. Assuredly this is not the order which our Captain has issued. When peace is to be made, He will make it Himself, or He will tell us how to behave to that end; but at present our orders are very different.

Beloved, the Spirit of God has war with the Amalek of evil and error from generation to generation. He will spare none of the evils which now pollute the nations; His Sword will never be quiet till all these Canaanites are destroyed. The Holy Spirit glorifies Christ not only by what He reveals, but also by what He overturns. The strife may be weary, but it will be carried on from age to age, till the Lord Jesus shall appear; for ever shall the Spirit of God espouse the cause of love against hate, of truth against error, of holiness against sin, of Christ against Satan. He will win the day, and those who are with Him shall in His might be more than conquerors. The Holy Spirit has proclaimed war, and wields a two-edged Sword…He neither uses philosophy, nor science, nor rhetoric. In contending against the powers of darkness, "The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God." "It is written" is His master-stroke. Words which God has spoken by holy men of old, and has caused to be recorded on the sacred page—these are the battle-axe and weapons of war of His Spirit.

The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit; but IT IS ALSO TO BE OUR SWORD. The use of the Sword is needful for attack…In our case, the best method of defense is an attack…in war it is often safer to assail than defend. Carry the warfare into the enemy's territory. Be trying to win from the adversary, and he will not win so much from you… If we had fought the devil more in the world, he might never have been able to invade the church so terribly as he has done. Attack with the sword, for it is your calling, and thus will you best defend yourself… If you want to stand, draw the sword, and smite your doubts. How fiercely unbelief assails! Here comes a doubt as to your election. Pierce it through with the Word. Anon comes a doubt as to the precious blood. Cleave it from head to foot with the assurance of the Word that the blood of Jesus cleanseth us from all sin. Here comes another doubt, and yet another. As quick as arm can move, drive texts of Scripture through every new fallacy, every new denial of truth, and spit the whole of them upon the rapier of the Word. It will be for your good to kill these doubts outright. Do not play with them, but fight them in real earnest. You will find that temptations also will come in hordes. Meet them with the precepts of sacred Writ, and slay even the desire of evil by the Spirit's application of the Holy Word. (http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/2201.htm)