The Sword of The Spirit

God equips us with spiritual armor for the spiritual battles we fight as Christians. He gives us defensive weapons so that we are not overcome by the dark forces of evil. We are clothed with a belt of truth and a breastplate of His righteousness. Our feet are readied with the gospel of peace, and we carry a shield of faith. We protect ourselves further with a helmet of salvation.

The one offensive weapon we are given in the epic war between good and evil is the sword of the Spirit— the Word. Reflect on how Jesus used the Word when He was attacked by Satan in the wilderness of the desert. The account is recorded in chapter 4 of both the books of Matthew and Luke. Satan thought it would be easy to tempt Jesus and trap Him when He was physically weak and vulnerable. Recall that Jesus had secluded Himself in the wilderness for 40 days to devote Himself to fasting and prayer. Although Jesus was physically running on empty, His spiritual state was supercharged. Jesus countered every offer Satan proposed to Him with scripture. Satan made no advances in the battle that day. The Bible tells us he fled at the Lord's Word and decided to try again at a better time.

God’s Word is astoundingly powerful! In the beginning was the Word. God spoke the universe into existence. The Bible tells us that the Word is like a double-edged sword, living and effective, penetrating even between soul and spirit, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart. God tells us to speak His Word to our children in the morning and the evening and in all of our comings and goings. His Word lights our path as we journey through this world. His Word is truth; when we speak it, it is not an empty promise— it accomplishes what God intends. Faith blossoms when we listen to God’s Word. When Jesus returns to earth one day, He will rule with the sword of the spirit— the Word. The Bible tells us that heaven and earth will one day pass away, but His Word will remain forever. I could go on and on! Just read the Bible, and you will undoubtedly encounter the wonders of the Word in your studies!

Be on guard. Put on your spiritual armor and fill up your spiritual tank with an abundance of scripture because Satan does not give up. He will be by at an opportune moment. Use Jesus as your role model. When you are attacking sin and the demons of evil, speak scripture into the situation. The Word of the Lord is our sword— our weapon of choice.