Verse of the day: Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God;
The last piece of God’s armor listed for us is the
sword of the Spirit. A soldier’s armor was never complete unless he had a
sword. The sword was usually a two-edged dagger styled weapon. Although last on
the list, it is of utmost importance. The Apostle Paul makes sure to clearly
state that this sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. No Christian,
regardless of who he/she is, can survive in spiritual warfare without a good
handle on the Word of God. This is why we are commanded not just to read the
Word, but to study it, divide it (2 Tim 2:15). The study of God’s Word, along
with prayer, should be the priority of the Christian. It is one of the greatest
defenses we have against Satan and his demons. Jesus set the example for us in
Matthew 4. Human reasoning, logic, philosophy, and man’s wisdom will always
fall short as a defense against temptation or spiritual opposition (lies and
false doctrines). Satan can outwit us and was created full of wisdom (Ez
28:11-13); therefore, the only thing he cannot defend against or defeat is the truth
of the Word of God. It is the Word of God that gives us the strategy to
overcome the enemy, and it has everything to do with our submission, in
humility, to God, and drawing near to Him, so that He can fight the battle for
us (Jm 4:7-8; 1 Pt 5:6-9). What many of us do not realize is that when we study
and memorize God’s Word, and the occasion arises that we need to draw from that
knowledge, and it does come to memory for us to use, it is not really us who is
fighting the fight. The Apostle is clear to tell us that it is the sword of the
Spirit; therefore, it is the Spirit that is fighting the fight, because He is
the One bringing it back to memory (Lk 12:11-13; Jn 14:25-26; 16:13-15). Too
often we get prideful because we can quote Scripture, and far too many Christians
have a head full of Bible verses that are doing them no good, because they do
not or have not learned how to apply it properly (Jm 1:22-24). The Word of God
is also described as a double edged sword (Heb 4:12). It can cut deep into the
soul of man, bringing conviction to the hardest of hearts (Acts 2:37). There is
not one of us who could readily admit that at some time in our lives, if we
have truly sought God, that His Word did not cut deep into our hearts when He
was dealing with us; and if we received it with the right attitude and motivation,
as painful as it might have been, the end result was healing and a deeper
intimacy with God. This is where we must be careful in how we wield that sword
of the Spirit. In the hands of God it brings healing, but in our hands, under
the influence of our wisdom and selfish motivation it can cause great damage.
It can cause people to go away from the Lord because of our attitude and how we
have misinterpreted it (and the devil loves to use us that way). We can cause
greater pain in the life of another brother/sister if, in our pious zeal, we misuse
it in our attempt to correct and rebuke. We must speak the truth in love with
the intent to reconcile that person to Christ. Just like a scalpel in an
untrained hand can cause damage or death, it can also heal in the hand of a
skilled surgeon; so is the Word of God. This is the reason we must allow the
Great Physician to be the One to handle it for us and put His hand over ours
when we are wielding it. Sadly, if we are not careful, Satan can disarm us and
turn it on us (he is no stranger to the Word). It behooves us, as God’s
children, that we carefully study the Word, allowing it to guide us into God’s
truth. Far too many approach the Word of God looking to prove what they believe
is true, rather than read the Word with an open mind and heart, and letting it
tell us what it true. When what we believe contradicts what we find in God’s
Word, we must submit to that truth and change our thinking. To neglect the Word
of God is to go onto the battlefield each day unprepared to defend ourselves or
support a brother/sister that we might encounter that day who needs
encouragement from God. I have met far too many who cannot even share the
basics of salvation with another. How then do we advance in the battle for
other men’s souls? How do we lead others (family, friends, co-workers, and the
like) to Christ if we cannot explain our faith? Each time we fail in this,
because we have failed to pick up our sword and learned how to effectively
wield it, we give Satan the victory. It is not enough to pray for our loved
ones and others to be saved, if we are not prepared, ourselves, to be the ones
that God uses. I dare not ask how many are reading this devotional now that
have not yet invested some quiet time studying God’s Word already. I pray that
this will motivate you to begin to separate that time as a priority in your
life, if you are not already doing that. The sword of the Spirit is indestructible,
and powerful. It can be used for good; for healing, for encouragement, for
defense against the falsehood and lies of the enemy, but if improperly used can
cause great damage for the cause of Christ. It is God’s Word that will guide us
through every encounter we face on a daily basis (Ps 119:104-106). Let us be
diligent to always hang it on our belt of truth so that it will be available
for the Spirit to use when we find ourselves on the frontline fighting for our
lives or someone else’s.
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