true that 'faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by

the Word of God'.

We are therefore encouraged to persist in spite of

all opposition, for we are

using the effectual Word, the one instrument given

by God for the production

of faith, the word preached being the testimony of

God concerning His Son.

We have seen the operation of the effectual Word from the moment of new

-birth, up through the nourishment of the newborn babe, the engrafting of the

Word to the building up of the saint in the faith.  Parents, planters,

builders have been provided for.  Christian witness, however, has one further

activity which must not be forgotten.  Jude not only says 'Beloved, building

up yourselves on your most holy faith' (Jude 20), he says also 'Beloved ...

ye should earnestly contend for the faith' (Jude 3).  To Timothy, Paul gave a

charge that he might 'war a good warfare' (1 Tim. 1:18), declaring elsewhere

that 'we do not war after the flesh', 'the weapons of our warfare are not

carnal' (2 Cor. 10:3,4), even as he further explains that 'we wrestle not

against flesh and blood' (Eph. 6:12).  The believer who is engaged in this

spiritual warfare is provided with one weapon of offence and one only, 'The

sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God' (Eph. 6:17).  Protective

armour is varied, the loins are girt about with truth; the breastplate is

righteousness; the great shield behind which the believer is safe, is the

shield of faith; the helmet that protects his head is the helmet of

salvation, his feet also are shod with the preparation of the gospel of

peace, but one weapon and one only is provided.  That is a sword, the sword

of the Spirit, and that sword is nothing less than the Word of God.  The

Greek word for 'sword' is machaira, a compound of mache 'fighting', and airo

'to lift up'.  Although fighting is necessarily brought to mind whenever the

'sword' is mentioned in Greek, there is not one occurrence of mache

'fighting' or machomai 'fight' that is commanded in the New Testament,

whereas there is one very definite prohibition given: 'The servant of the

Lord must not strive, machomai' (2 Tim. 2:24).  One would expect in Ephesians

6 with the detailed description of the whole armour of God there provided,

that it would be impossible to avoid some reference to fighting, warfare or

some other military exercise.  Not only is this absence of all military

conflict true of Ephesians 6, but if we make a complete survey of all the

references to arms, armour, weapons, or soldiers, we shall find no use made

of military exercises.  As this may sound strange to some, let us go over the

ground together.

To Arm.

'Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the

flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind' (1 Pet.

'Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let

us put on the armour of light ... put ye on the Lord Jesus

Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the

lusts thereof' (Rom. 13:12 -14).

'By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour

of righteousness on the right hand and on the left' (2 Cor.

'For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the

flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but

mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)'

(2 Cor. 10:3,4).

The only passage that associates 'warfare' with 'armour' is this last

passage, 2 Corinthians 10:3,4, yet if the whole chapter is read, it will be