February 20 2026

Friday February 20

A Specific Word for a Specific Battle

Ephesians 6:17

“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

Today we're continuing to look at Ephesians 6:17. Yesterday, we looked at how the Lord Jesus Christ used the Word of God when He was tempted by the devil. Every temptation Jesus answered with the words, “It is written.” We need to know the Word of God. We need to be able to answer Satan’s accusations and temptations with the Word of God as well. But we also need to remember something very important: Satan can quote Scripture too. He twists it. Even when Jesus was being tempted, Satan was quoting the Word of God. In Luke 4:10, Satan said, “For it is written.”

Understand this clearly: Satan did not quote God’s Word completely. And he did not quote it correctly or in its proper context. My friend, Satan is not afraid when you quote Scripture—especially if you do not understand it. He is not intimidated when you use verses out of context, perhaps just to make yourself feel better about what you are doing.

Over the years, as a pastor, I have seen many people do exactly that when they were confronted with some sin in their life. They would say, “It must be okay, because the Bible says….” I’ll never forget in my early days as a pastor I was asked to meet with a family late one night and talk to the wife who was committing adultery. When we lovingly confronted her, she actually said, “God said in the Bible that you’re supposed to love everybody. I love my husband, and I love this other person too.” Wow! You almost can’t imagine how can someone quote Scripture out of context like that and come up with such a conclusion? But it literally happened. That is why we must learn to use the Word of God carefully, rightly, and accurately.

That is also why Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to show yourself approved unto God, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” That is very important. Again, Paul says in Ephesians 6:17, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Make sure you rightly know it and correctly apply it!

There is something else very powerful in this verse. When Paul speaks of “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God,” he is referring to a specific word for a specific battle. This is an important point to understand. In Ephesians 6:17, Paul does not use the Greek word logos, which often refers to the Word of God in general. Instead, he uses the word rhema, which refers to a specific saying, a particular word spoken for a particular situation. Why is that important? Because when Satan attacks you, you do not just need general Bible knowledge. You need specific truth for specific lies.

For example, when Satan says, “God doesn’t love you,” you can answer with Romans 5:8: “But God commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Or you might answer with 1 John 4:9–10: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Quote that Scripture back when the devil says God does not love you.

When Satan says, “You’ve gone too far,” answer with 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When Satan says, “You’re not really saved,” answer with John 10:28, where Jesus said, “I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” Your salvation is not based on what you do. It is based on what Jesus has already done for you.

One passage that I memorized as a brand-new Christian, when Satan attacked me with that very lie, was Romans 8:35–39. The Apostle Paul wrote: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: ‘For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.’ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

My friend, make sure you use a specific Word to answer a specific attack of Satan. When you do, you are taking up the sword of the Spirit exactly as God intended—and He will protect you in that moment.

God bless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.