Grab the Sword of the Spirit and start praying in the Spirit. It’s the final episode of the series and time to finish suiting up for spiritual warfare. Listen as Richaél Lucero reveals what St. Paul meant by Word of God.* And how to use it for both defense and offense. You’ll also learn how prayer in the Spirit binds and animates the whole armor of God. Plus how to actually do it. *Hint: it’s not only the bible.

This series combines a bible study on the armor of God and spiritual warfare. Each episode goes over one of seven pieces of armor. This is armor piece number one. 

SHOW NOTES

Episodes referenced

The Deposit of Faith and Obtaining the Glory of God

Scriptures referenced

The seven pieces of armor that make up the armor of God.

Stand therefore, having girded your loins with [the belt of] truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace;besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Ephesians 6:14-18

The sixth and seventh piece of armor.

…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication.

Ephesians 6:17-18

The Word of God is not just the bible. (Also Jesus and apostolic tradition.)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

Praise of God is an offensive weapon against the enemy.

Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands…

Psalm 149:6

Praise of God can only be done through the Holy Spirit.

…and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:3

Teachings synonymous to the armor of God—all requiring prayer in the Spirit.

…take off the old self [Adam] with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self [Christ], which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator.

Colossians 3:9-10

…put on the armor of light.

Romans 13

quotes referenced

God became man that man could become like God.

St. Athanasius

Jesus tells St. Catherine of Siena how we love perfectly, according to his design.

“I require that you should love Me with the same love with which I love you. This indeed you cannot do, because I loved you without being loved. All the love which you have for Me you owe to Me, so that it is not of grace that you love Me, but because you ought to do so.While I love you of grace, and not because I owe you My love. Therefore to Me, in person, you cannot repay the love which I require of you, and I have placed you in the midst of your fellows, that you may do to them that which you cannot do to Me,that is to say, that you may love your neighbor of free grace, without expecting any return from him, and what you do to him, I count as done to Me …

St. Catherine of Siena, The Dialog

Jesus tells St. Catherine of Siena how we can tell if we are loving perfectly.

Do you know how the imperfection of spiritual love for the creature is shown? It is shown when the lover feels pain if it appears to him that the object of his love does not satisfy or return his love, or when he sees the beloved one’s conversation turned aside from him, or himself deprived of consolation, another loved more than he. In these and in many other ways can it be seen that his neighborly love is still imperfect, and that, though his love was originally drawn from Me, the Fountain of all love, he took the vessel out of the water, in order to drink from it.

St. Catherine of Siena, The Dialog

Jesus tells St. Catherine of Siena the reason we love imperfectly.

…the root of [our] self-love has not been properly dug out.

St. Catherine of Siena, The Dialog

A cool quote by St. Jerusalem celebrating life in the Spirit.

Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs. And again, The grace of the Lord Jesus, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, Lecture 17