And take the helmet of salvation and the Sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17 NKJV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
When you think of a sword paired with fruit, you might think of it being used to cut fruit from the vine, but for Christians, carrying the Sword actually produces the fruit. When we carry the Sword of the Spirit in our hearts, we produce the fruit of the Spirit.
In Ephesians 6:10-18 Paul talks about the armor God provides that we must put on daily to survive in an evil, sin-filled world. The helmet of salvation protects our minds from evil thoughts and temptation. The Sword of the Spirit is the word of God. It is the only offensive weapon mentioned in this Scripture passage.
Interestingly many people have no desire to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit, they tend to be happy to exhibit the works of the flesh. These are mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21. They include adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions or strife, jealousies, wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and such things as these.
We are told in 2 Timothy 3:1-6 that this type of behavior or exhibiting the works of the flesh will be a widespread problem. This is caused because we live in a society where so many people think they are free to live however they so desire and still get to heaven. They believe that how they speak, behave and treat others doesn’t really matter.
If you desire an eternity in hell, it’s fine to think that way. This kind of thinking will certainly get you there. But if being thrown into a lake of fire (Revelation 20:14) and spending eternity where there is wailing, moaning and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12) isn’t your cup of tea, you might want to get into a good, solid relationship with your Lord and Savior through Bible study and prayer.
Hebrews 4:12 tells us the word of God is living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of the soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. If we study our bibles and know what God tells us through His word, we can defend against those who dispute His word. We can use it to protect us against evil and temptation. We will also exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. Our Bible study, prayer and close relationship with Jesus will shine through in this dark world.
If you want to spend eternity in a place where we walk on streets of gold, gates are made of pearl, walls are made of precious stone and the whole place is illuminated by God’s glory, then you will need to always carry the sword of the Spirit in order to produce the fruit of the Spirit.
When we are truly saved, we die to self and surrender our life to Christ. We put His ways and how He wants us to live above what we want. We trust that His will in our lives is better than our ideas and desires.
We devote ourselves to Him through Bible study and prayer. We serve Him and others and put ourselves last. In doing these things others see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in us. And who knows, they just might want some of that in their lives. We may just bring others to the Lord when they see our faithfulness and the peace and joy we have found in Him.
Study God’s word, have a good understanding of what He expects from you and what He will not tolerate. Live your life in a way that reflects His word. Grow in His word and allow it to produce fruit in your life for all to see. As my pastor often says, “We may be the only Bible some people will ever read.”
In a world filled with chaos and despair be the light that guides people to a place of peace that passes all understanding and never-ending joy.
Have a great day!