If you are in a battle, Jesus wants you to know he's already declared you winner. Dr. Tony Evans says the fight may be fierce, but the outcome has already been decided. You wrestle against principalities and powers, but you do not wrestle from defeat. You wrestle from victory.
This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. There's more to life's struggles than meets the eye. Dr. Evans says many of our battles are really spiritual in nature, and the only way to win is to fight with spiritual weapons.
Today, he'll explain how God's Word equips us for victory in the invisible war that shapes our visible reality. Let's join him in Ephesians chapter 6. He says in verse 17, and take up the helmet of salvation. And it is the second half of this verse, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The context of chapter 6 is about a spiritual battle.
He has said in verse 12, for we struggle not against flesh and blood, that's other people. But against rulers, powers, and world forces of this darkness, against spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. He says that your battle in life. It's not against people. It is against a whole nother realm.
That influences people, the spiritual realm, which he calls here heavenly places. Heavenly places simply means the spiritual realm, the invisible unseen realm that influences and that causes what takes place in the visible realm in which you and I live. His concern is that we do not miss this invisible realm. This heavenly places realm where our blessings are located. Satan's goal is to rip you off of spiritual blessings.
His goal is to keep you from participating and enjoying the provision of God. His activity in the form of a snake cut Adam and Eve off from enjoying the pleasures of the garden. It cut them off from experiencing what God's will was for their lives because of his ability. to deceive them Away from God. When God redeemed you, he...
was seeking to escort you back into the garden. Satan's goal is to keep us from getting there.
So that you do not get to realize the will of God for your life. Satan has ripped a lot of us off. Been ripping us off for years. In Christ, you'll do a refund. In Christ, you will do a return.
on everything he's ripped you off on. The question is, how do we get that? Paul says that he wants us to stand firm. He says it a number of times. He says it in verse 11.
Stand firm. He says that at the end of verse 13, stand firm. He says at the end of verse 14, stand firm. What he's saying is that when you came to Christ, you came to victory. You do not wrestle, you wrestle against principalities and powers, but you do not wrestle From defeat, you wrestle from victory.
Because the Bible is clear. that Jesus Christ defeated the evil one on the cross. He is defeated. Question is, well, if he's defeated, somebody's hitting me. And the way I'm being punched, it doesn't feel like I'm being hit by a defeated person.
Yeah. We have any fans of pro wrestling.
Okay. Fundamentally, wrestling is entertainment.
Now, I hope you understand. That the winner is selected before the match.
Okay. It has been predetermined who's going to win what. They have decided that.
So no matter how bad a guy is being beat. In the ring. He knows. When this is over, I win. Because the victory has been predetermined in advance.
So even though they are in a battle Yeah. The one who has been predetermined to win is fighting from victory, not for victory. Because it's already been determined. how this thing is going.
So they're in a battle, but they're in a battle they have already won. Not a battle they're seeking to win. If you are in a battle... Jesus wants you to know he's already declared you winner. Because you are in a battle.
that has been predetermined that you would win. But you're still in the battle. He wants you to have this stand-firm mindset because you understand that you're fighting from victory. And not for victory. But you see, if you don't understand that, then you don't have the right mindset in the battle.
Because you have gotten the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
So help you, God. It's something about truth that changes your ability to function. The Bible wants you to know Satan may have something stuck in your back. But it's not the ultimate weapon. because victory has already been achieved.
He then goes through the The various armor of God. that we have been told to put on. truth and righteousness and Your feet shy of the gospel and faith. Then it comes to verse 17. But the helmet of salvation.
And then crosses over to our focus today. The sword of the spirit. And he says, and what I'm talking about is the word of God. After listing the weapons. He comes to the only offensive weapon in the group.
The only thing you use Two. A pack back. He calls the word of God the sword of the spirit. First of all, the word sword. There are a number of words for sword in the New Testament.
That referred to what a Roman soldier would use in battle, because that's his mindset. The Roman soldier, he uses the armor of God. The Sun! That most of us would relate to. Is the sword that comes out of the sheath from the belt around the Roman soldier's waist?
He would reach in and he would lift it out. And if you ever notice, those are huge swords. These swords were used sometimes, they were so heavy, you had to swing them with both hands, flailing about. to hit the object that you're fighting against or the person. who you're fighting against.
But that's not the word used here for sword. There's another word for sword in the New Testament. And it's from a Greek word that referred to a dagger. A dagger six to eighteen inches. That would be drawn not out of this long sheaf, but sometimes just stuck down in the belt and lifted out.
The sword was used for Flailing about. The dagger was used for precision. It was this word that was used of Peter when they came to arrest Jesus. And it says, and Peter took out his sword and cut off the servant's ear. It wasn't because he missed.
And just happened to hit the ear. When you pulled that out, it was for a precision cut. In other words, you had in mind what you wanted to hit. And you hit it. It was precision.
It was like a Doctor using a scalpel. In an operation, it was designed for precision. When he speaks about put on truth, he's talking about the general use of the Bible, the whole of the text. But when he calls the sword of the spirit It was used for close hand-to-hand combat. In other words, he's saying you need the sword of the spirit when the devil's up in your grill.
It's just a hand-to-hand combat when you're face to face with the enemy. The enemy is all up in your stuff. He's all up in your business. He's close. He's all up on you.
Have you ever had the devil all up on you? Not on you, but on you. Just all up on you. You can't shake him. You can't get rid of him.
He's just all up on you. He's everywhere around you. At that point, you need this sword. He calls it the sword of the spirit. Because it's the sword that the spirit uses for this kind of.
Close-up conflict and close-up battle. Where you are facing a specific thing at a specific time about a specific problem. That's Too big for you to handle. You need the Dagger of the spirit. It is the Spirit's dagger because it is what the Spirit uses.
To wage. Face-to-face battle when you are in a close-up conflict in the war zone. Your ability to use this sword at that time will determine how you fare in this round. Dr. Evans says, victory in spiritual warfare isn't just about having the right weapon, it's about knowing how to use it when it counts.
More on that in just a moment. Hey, ladies, it's time to gather your friends, small group, or all the women of your church for a soul-fulfilling, faith-awakening time with the Lord. Join us virtually for the Desperate for Jesus Conference this July 25th and 26th. Get ready to worship and hear powerful teaching from Crystal Hearst, Priscilla Shire, and their special guests. Don't miss this chance to be refreshed as you grow spiritually.
Hurry over to DFJConference.com to register for the live simulcast. That's DFJConference.com. Before we return to the second part of today's message, I want to let you know that this lesson is just one installment in Dr. Evans' powerful series, The Benefits of Scripture. Across six eye-opening messages, you'll discover how the Bible brings clarity, direction, freedom, and spiritual strength into our everyday lives.
And for just a few more days now, we are offering the full audio collection as our thank you gift, along with an added bonus when you support the ministry of the alternative. And that added bonus is your personal copy of the Tony Evans Bible Commentary, a valuable tool that covers the entire Bible with clear, practical insights you can understand and apply as you grow in your daily relationship with God. This special offer ends on Monday, so don't wait. Visit tonyevans.org to make your request or call our resource team anytime at 1-800-800-32-22. I'll share that contact information again after part two of today's message.
Here's Dr. Evans once more. You put A tennis racket. in the hands of Serena Williams. And you've got somebody who can use it with precision.
You put a golf club in the hands of Tiger Woods. Precision. You put a basketball in the hands of Michael Jordan. You don't just have somebody shooting baskets, you have somebody who can hit with precision. What makes these people and those in other sports Reach this level is that they function with a level of precision.
When he talks about the sword of the spirit, he's not talking about your general having a Bible. You could have a Bible factory, but not have a sword. Because now his discussion is the use of the Bible for precision. That's why he says The sword of the spirit, this is what the spirit uses. When you get a believer.
who is under the control of the Spirit. who knows how to handle the sword. There's no battle or round that they can't win. Which is the word of God? We need to talk about the word word.
One main word is the Bible is called the logos. That is the embodiment of the expression of God. But that's not the word word here. The word here is the word rhama. The word rhema is a reference to specific statements.
in the Bible. Not the Bible in general, but specific statements from the Bible used as needed in a particular time regarding a particular battle where you need to make a particular stab. Until the logos becomes the Rhema. You won't see the power. Until the Bible in general.
The big sword. can become the sharp dagger. You won't see its power. The word word here. was used of and utterance.
This word word is used In a verse we looked at a number of times in our discussion, Hebrews 4:12. For the word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, cutting into the dividing of soul and spirit and joint and marrow. That word there is also rhema. It says that the word of God is so sharp that when specifically applied to a specific situation in a precise way, it is so absolutely sharp. can get between Bone And marrow.
Do you understand what that means? To get between bone and marrow, when marrow is in the bone, you have to be precision at the most intricate way. It says that the Bible is so sharp, it can distinguish between the soul and the spirit. Do you understand that the soul and the spirit are dynamically connected to one another? He says, if you ever learn to use this book, as a precision weapon.
Not just general, I believe the Bible. But Let me give you this verse. At this time, for this problem in this way, because I'm a Slice you up. Anybody ever heard here been cut by a piece of paper? That's one of the most miserable cuts.
Cause paper can cut you And you don't know you cut people be laughing at you. You bleeding and want to know where that came from. People that just sliced you up. He says the word of God when it's rhema Specific utterances Let you experience the power of the Spirit. Because it's the sword that the spirit wields.
The spirit, of course, is the spirit of the Logos. But when it comes to use, he's the spirit of the Rhama. Where divine authority is given and expressed. Rhema has to do with the specific parts of the Bible that you're using. Not simply generally believing.
in the Bible. He says the Bible is the sword that the Spirit uses, which is the rhema of God, the specific use of scriptures. It is the use. Of specific Truths. To specific scenarios that let you see specific.
Ow. To know the Bible is important generally. for the purpose of using it specifically. The reason why you want to learn the Bible generally It's so that you can use it specifically. The reason why so many Christians are general Christians is they don't use it specifically when they're faced with hand-to-hand combat.
When you went to take your driver's test, you went to Take the written exam. But that was not enough. They didn't Got in the car with you. to see whether what you knew on paper. You could produce on the road.
And everybody was nervous the first time when you had to park. Because they got those things there you can't knock it over. Man, you can talk on the paper all you want about how far you should be from the curb. and all that kind of stuff. But it is your ability to use it.
They get you your license. Unfortunately, we do not have people who. or reading it, learning it, hearing it, also using it. And therefore they do not see its ability to Cut. Sharply.
Let's again review Jesus's Rhema use of the word. Jesus' Rhema use of the word. Matthew chapter 4. Jesus has come off of a great victory. God has said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
In verse 17 of chapter 3. Then, somebody say then. Yes. Then after he come off the mountain He's in trouble. Because he was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Now watch this. Is Jesus in God's will? Jesus is perfectly in God's will. And God leads Jesus. To meet the devil.
So you gotta think about that for a minute. He's perfectly in God's will. He's the eternal Son of God. He just comes off of a celebration. This is my beloved son, in whom I'm well pleased.
God says, I'm pleased with you. And then we're told the Spirit. Led Jesus into the wilderness.
So you got the Trinity working together, the Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness for the purpose. A battle. What the devil? Dr. Tony Evans, reminding us that even Jesus faced spiritual battles, but he faced them armed with the truth of God's Word, and that same power is available to us today.
Okay. Tony will return with a closing thought in just a moment. Before he does, though, don't forget to request your copy of this six-part series called The Benefits of Scripture. The audio collection comes as instantly downloadable digital files, as well as in either a CD album or USB flash drive, and includes full-length versions of all the messages in this series, including plenty of material we won't have time to present on the broadcast. And as a special bonus, we'll also include the Tony Evans Bible Commentary, a powerful companion resource that helps you explore every passage in the Bible with clear, practical insights you can apply to your everyday life.
Both are yours with our thanks when you make a donation to support the work of the alternative. But this is one of the last days we'll be offering these two powerful resources together.
So visit us right away at tonyevans.org, where you'll find all the details right on the homepage. Or call our 24-hour resource request line. at 1-800-800-3222. Again, that's tonyevans.org or call 1-800-800-3222.
Okay. It's easy to feel strong when there's no pressure on you. But Dr. Evans says real spiritual strength only shows up when life pushes back. On Monday, he takes us to the wilderness with Jesus to show how the written word of God can anchor us when temptation hits hardest.
Right now, though, he's back with these closing words. You don't know how good you are until you're being opposed. You can talk a good game all you want. For example, I am a tremendous basketball player. Yeah.
Um Just Good. I am particularly good when I'm playing by myself. When I'm playing by myself. There is no one better. One day, one day.
Number of years ago. Mark Aguire came over to my house. And uh We'd spent some time talking. And I don't know what got into me. But I said I want to play you one-on-one.
I want to take you right now. He said, okay. But You my past and everything, but I want to know Am I supposed to like go light? What am I supposed to play? Because I don't want to be coming up after no sermon.
So I need to know what my parameters are here. Oh, I said, no, no, no, I want you to play. I want you to play. And I do wanted to come up in a sermon. But what I want to come up in the sermon is How this NBA All-Star player Came over to his pastor's house.
and got broke down. Back.
So so I said, yeah, come on over.
So we went out behind my house. Had the basketball ready to go and He said, you take it out.
Okay. I think that was the only time I got the hole onto the ball. All of a sudden, I wasn't good anymore. Because It's a lot different. Shooting a ball.
When nobody's in your face. Compared to having six foot six worth of superstar in your face when you're trying to. At one time I went up, he caught the ball as I was going up.
Okay. He caught the ball while I was going up. wrapped the ball under his arm and dunked it without ever coming down. I said, no, you didn't do that. He said, Oh, would you like to see it again?
I said, No, thank you. Because really the test of how good you are. is when you're being opposed.
So it's one thing for God the Father to say, you are the Son of God. It's another thing for him to demonstrate it when they oppose.
