Sword of the Spirit

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

The Power of God's Word

The word of God is living and active! Wow, these are some powerful words right here. God's word has the ability to change lives and bring people out of darkness.
 
God said let there be light and just like that there was! Boom! Light! He spoke everything into being by using His words. He put those words into a book for us. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

I think it is interesting that God's word is compared to a sword and coined the Sword of the Spirit. In the armor of God, it is the only offensive weapon listed. This is because the word of God has the capacity to defeat the lies of the enemy, slice through strongholds, trials and temptations in your life.
 
God's Word is sharp and it cuts deeply, to the very core of our being. You cannot read God's Word or hear it preached without getting cut in the conscience and rethinking your lifestyle choices a bit. Ever go to church or Wesley and the message is exactly what you need to hear? That's because it is… God is speaking directly to you.

One of the primary ways God speaks to us is through His word. It is living and active because the Holy Spirit is living and active. We must equip ourselves with God's word.  If a soldier doesn't know how to use his sword, it will not be helpful when the battle comes. Therefore, he practices technique daily so he will be ready for battle. To train yourself in the word looks like memorizing scripture, applying it to your life, knowing the power of the Holy Spirit and understanding what Christ did on the cross for you!

The bible says, "your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (Psalm 119:105). These days we call that a GPS. Our GPS will guide us and provide us with the best path to take. If we don't use our GPS, we risk missing our turn, running into troubles (traffic and road work), or getting completely lost and losing our way.
 
Importance of Scripture in our Life

Isaiah 40:8 says, "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of God stands forever."
 
God's word is true and never changes. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. In a world of uncertainty and where it seems harder and harder to find the truth and know what is right, we can rest in the fact that God's word is right and true. Nothing anyone says can change that.

The word empowers us to live the way God called us to and gives us the ability to discern good from evil. The devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He is always trying to knock you down, take your attention away from God, and steer you off of God's path for you. It is imperative we know the internal battle we face. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 says, "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." We cannot take down the devil's schemes without knowing God's word.
 
How can you stand firm in your faith if you don't know what your faith stands for?

We fight by combating the lies of devil with the truth of Bible. In Matthew 4, Jesus showed us what that looks like. He quotes scripture back at Satan. Satan tries to twist the bible for his own advantage but since Jesus's has a thorough knowledge of scriptures, He is able to stand His ground and fight the lies of the enemy.
 
"If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Jesus answered [Satan], "It is written: 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:

"'He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test." Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' - Matthew 4:3-10

In this spiritual battle between Jesus and Satan, we can see how important it is to keep the sword of the spirit sharp and ready for battle. After every temptation, Jesus replies with "It is written." He stood firm in the only thing he knew would take down the devil… the Sword of the Spirit. What a masterful example of how to use the Sword of the Spirit! We need to be in the word constantly otherwise we will began believing the lies the devil feeds us.  Here are a few examples.

Me: It is impossible
God: All things are possible through me (Luke 18:27)
Me: I am anxious
God: I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28)
Me: Nobody loves me
God: I have loved you with everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3)
Me: I am always worried
God: Cast all your cares on me (1 Peter 5:7)
Me: I feel alone
God: I will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5)
Me: I can't break free of this sin
God: I will give you freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17)
Me: I can't figure things out
God: I will direct your steps (Proverbs 3:6)
Me: My life has no purpose or direction
God: I have a plan for you. To prosper you not to harm you. To give you a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)
Me: I always feel shame and guilt
God: There is no condemnation for those in me (Romans 8:1)
My grace is sufficient for you (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
Me: I am not smart enough
God: I will give you wisdom (1 Cor 1:30)
Me: I am afraid
God: The Lord is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid of (Psalm 27:1)
Me: I am not good enough
God: You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139)

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

If you do not know scripture, you will have no defense against these lies and many other lies the devil may try and throw at you. All His promises are yes and amen.  There is freedom in Christ to break every chain! To fight your battles, be fully trained in the knowledge, wisdom, and truth of God's word.

Author | Kyle Pickett