The Sword of the Spirit
Preserved but no longer current.
The Word of God (Eph. vi, 17). To put to the sword. To slay. Your tongue is a double-edged sword. Whatever you say wounds; your argument cuts both ways. The allusion is to the double- edged sword out of the mouth of the Son of Man — one edge to condemn, and the other to save (Rev. i, 16).
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Sword of the Spirit” mean?
The Word of God (Eph. vi, 17). To put to the sword. To slay. Your tongue is a double-edged sword. Whatever you say wounds; your argument cuts both ways. The allusion is to the double- edged sword out of the mouth of the Son of Man — one edge to condemn, and the other to save (Rev. i, 16).
Is “The Sword of the Spirit” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.