You really can't expect to wield God's Word as a sword without first knowing your sword. It follows then, that to become a spiritual warrior, proficient in using the Bible deftly in spiritual warfare, we must study it - get to know it intimately - and personally apply what we learn.
First of all, do you have a sword? If not, your top priority right now is to find a good Bible and take ownership. Mark it as yours. Put it where you can see and reach it easily every day. Choose a block of time which you will guard and devote to reading your Bible, and thinking about it, and praying about what you read.
If you really expect God to speak to you through His Word, you must be resolved to obey whatever it tells you. Come to it each day expecting God to meet you there, and tell you something. Sometimes it will comfort you, sometimes it will confront you about something that needs to change in your life, or some sin lurking in your heart. Sometimes you will read of a person who obeyed God, and it will be a great example to you. Other times you will read of someone who deliberately disobeyed God, and that will also be a lesson to you. All this is part of knowing your sword. It must become alive and effective in your own life before you can wield it on behalf of anyone else's life.
There will be tests of your obedience and faith. God will allow situations to arise in your life where you have a chance to prove whether you really will trust and obey Him, or if you just said the words to that effect. Your obedience confirms your love.
If you are a parent and your son or daughter does not obey you, do you believe them if they say they love you? No, disobedience is a sign of rebellion. That is true of us before our Heavenly Father too. He cannot confide in, and work with a rebellious son or daughter.
Of course, to know how to obey God, we need to read His Word with a listening mind and heart. Otherwise, how will we know His commands? It's not enough to just own and put our name in our Bible, we must treat it as God's living Word to us personally, and listen for His firm, loving commands to us personally.
There are passages that apply to just the people of Israel, and some to the Church Universal - Christ's Body, and many that apply to all living human beings. There is only one interpretion, but many applications of a Bible passage. We must learn not to read out of context, but to recognize that often God can speak to us through any passage. His Word is as alive and powerful as God is Himself!
As we read, with a heart ready to obey, God's Holy Spirit will make some passages or verses come alive to us, and our spirit will KNOW that He is directing those words to us personally at that time. We recognize the command - will we obey right away?
Jerome Hines was once asked by a friend how he could be certain that the guidance he received was from God and not just his own thoughts? Jereme told him, that before he acted, he did three checks on anything that appeared to be inner guidance.
First, does it run contrary to God's Word?
Secondly, are my own desires getting in the way?
Third, am I ready to act on any alternatives if God so instructs me?
Now, of course. I don't mean I hear an actual sound. His voice is simply a thought in my thoughts, but one that stands out from them with a conviction my own thoughts never have.
I can tell many stories - as can others - of how I heard God's will in my spirit, and when I obeyed, something unique and special happened to confirm it. It all starts with knowing your sword, and being ready to obey, when God's Spirit speaks to your spirit something that does not clash with His Word, and when you are humble enough to do whatever lowly task the Lord gives. Or brave enough to do the bold and challenging task too.
Swords are for conquering the enemy. Just displaying your sword doesn't accomplish anything.
How did Jesus use the Sword of God's Word in the desert? He quoted the Bible verses that contained the truth or principle which refuted Satan's temptations. This is a key example for us. Does a certain temptation come to you over and over again? Find the truth that God says against that, and a promise He gives for victory in Jesus, and then boldly recite those passages to Satan and anyone who is the means of temptation. Show that you have greater regard for God's words and will over that matter than you do for the lure in the temptation. Claim and proclaim the victory Jesus purchased for you with His blood.
The Devil may have gained a foothold in your life, because of some lie of his you believed, or something you did in the past that was sin. He keeps blackmailing you with that. But you can repent, find the appropriate Bible verses and quote them earnestly to Satan to inform him that you are renouncing your faith in that lie, and that you are openly confessing the sin. In that you are pinning Satan with God's Sword, His Word. Satan will flee as fast as he can squirm out from under the Sword!
Peter once made a suggestion to Jesus to avoid the cross. Jesus saw immediately that it was an idea from Satan, so He retorted - to the Devil in Peter - "Out of my sight, Satan!" You may have to do that too when close friends make suggestions that are not Scripturally sound. If you can answer with a Biblical truth to counter that suggestion, you have made another scoring thrust, all because of knowing your Sword.
Pray to God, but when in spiritual battle you may have to speak God's Word to the enemy. (Often it is our own weak spirit that needs to hear God's commands and promises spoken aloud with ringing conviction). Whether you realized it or not, when you quote Scripture, you are knowing your Sword and using it.