We have pointed out that the sword is the only aspect of the armor that is for offensive warfare; that is, it is the only item of God’s armor used for attacking the enemy. Perhaps you are wondering what this has to do with our subjective experience of the killing power of the word. If we would understand this, we must see that in spiritual warfare we must deal not only with the objective enemy, but even the more with the subjective adversary. Satan is not only the enemy outside us; he is also the adversary inside us. Today we face a greater problem with the inward adversary than with the outward enemy. The attacks of the enemy from without are not as serious as those of the adversary from within. To deal with this inward adversary we need to experience the killing power of the word. Yes, the enemy is outside us, but his elements are within our very being. Because the enemy’s elements are within us, we need the killing power of the word to be applied to our being subjectively. Since the enemy has injected himself into our being, what we need is for the killing power of the word to be applied to us to deal with the elements of the enemy within us.
If you consider your spiritual experience, you will realize that much of the enemy’s attack upon you comes from within. Most of the flaming darts come not from the enemy without, but from the adversary within. If you go into seclusion, you will discover that flaming darts will attack you inwardly. By this we see that we must face the adversary as well as the enemy. In our experience we eventually come to realize that the most difficult foe is the self. The self is our worst enemy. Many times we are tempted, not by an objective enemy, but by the self, our own inner being.
Because the self is the greatest enemy, we need to experience the killing power of God’s word. As we pray-read, we are nourished on the one hand, but certain elements are killed on the other hand. Perhaps you are troubled by doubts, hatred, jealousy, pride, or selfishness. Do you realize that these things can be killed through pray-reading the word? The more we take in the word with its killing power, the more our pride and all the negative elements within us are put to death. By pray-reading, the inward adversary is slain. After a time of pray-reading the word, we may discover that the adversary who was attacking us has disappeared. In a very practical sense, he has been slain by the word we have taken into us.
Do not think that the battlefield for the spiritual warfare is outside us. The battlefield is within us; in particular it is in our mind. All the elements of the adversary can be found in the mind. The way to slay them is to pray-read the word. As we pray-read God’s word, the elements of the adversary within our mind will be killed one by one. In this way we shall gain the victory.
Christians today are often very vague or general about matters. They may talk about such things as oneness, holiness, love, or the Lord’s coming. But much of the time they are not definite or specific. It is impossible to pin them down. The situation among us in the Lord’s recovery must be different. We need to be definite and specific in our experience with the Lord. Many of us can testify that when we pray-read the word, we are pinned down by the Lord. For instance, a brother who is having a problem with his wife may pray-read Paul’s word about husbands loving their wives. The more he pray-reads this verse, the more he senses that love for his wife is imparted into him in a practical way that swallows up the negative element of his problem.
As those who are in the Lord’s recovery, we need to be practical. We should not simply have a lot of theories, but we need a way to put theory into practice. Pray-reading is a practical way to kill the negative elements within us. The more we take the word of God by means of all prayer in spirit, the more the negative things within us will be put to death. Thus, pray-reading is not only feasting; it is also a way of fighting. As we pray-read the word, the battle is raging as the negative elements in our being are slain. Eventually, the self, the worst foe of all, will be put to death. When the negative things in us are killed through pray-reading, the Lord is victorious. Because He is victorious, we are victorious also.
My concern in this message is not to present Ephesians 6 in a mere objective way. Instead, it is to help you experience Christ subjectively as all the aspects of the armor, especially as the sword of the Spirit. We have pointed out again and again that pray-reading is the way to kill the adversary within us. Every day and in every kind of situation, you should pray-read. Whenever you are troubled by something negative within you, take the word of God by means of prayer in spirit. As you do this, the negative element will be killed.
In Ephesians 5 the word is for nourishment that leads to the beautifying of the Bride. But in Ephesians 6 the word is for killing that enables the church as the corporate warrior to engage in spiritual warfare. Through the killing word, the adversary within us is slain. Sometimes we gain the victory over the enemy objectively, but we are defeated by the adversary subjectively. Although we may rejoice that the enemy outwardly is fleeing, we are still troubled by the adversary within us who remains. For this reason, we should be more concerned for the hidden adversary within us. Let us kill the adversary by pray-reading the word.
As we consider all these messages on the book of Ephesians, we need to thank the Lord that we are in His recovery. What a blessing it is to be in the Lord’s recovery! Day by day, we enjoy inner satisfaction as we go forward under His blessing. The Lord will be victorious, He will gain all the ground within us, and He will prepare the way for His coming back.