Ephesians 6:17b
(And take) … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
(And take) … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Until now, all of our armor pieces have had one thing in common, but now we come to a piece which has a slight difference. The armor we have explored thus far, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith and the helmet of salvation, are all what we could describe as defensive tools. The sword of the Spirit, also known as the Word of God, is both defensive and offensive.
All too often, we as Christians equate meekness with weakness, and allow the world to walk all over us. Defeat is rampant, sin continues to grow, and the Christian is silent. Our best and most effective weapon is, regrettably, the least used. That weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
God’s Word is unlike anything else, truly beyond description. In order for us to understand this most vital piece of God’s armor, we must think of a fencing match, or one of those old swashbuckling movies. The sword is capable of blocking an incoming attack, as well as inflicting its own injuries. Being able to use the sword in both these ways is essential to success.
For instance, you may be able to use a sword as an exclusively defensive weapon. You can block any attack that comes your way, but if you don’t know how to use it offensively, to use it to attack your enemy, the enemy will merely continue to harass you. Likewise, you can swing the sword in an efficient, deadly and powerful way, but if you don’t know how to use it to block, you will soon find yourself in bad shape.
Other comparable analogies might include a golfer who has a long drive but terrible putting skills; a baseball player who can catch almost anything, but has a very bad throwing arm; or a mechanic who can take an engine apart, but has no idea how to put it back together again. Each of these people have very developed and useful skills, but without the other side of the equation, their effectiveness is greatly limited.
When our adversary attacks us, hurling temptations, doubts and fears our way, we can use the Word of God to stand against them. This is exactly what we should do; however, we often find ourselves standing around, waiting for an assault, when we should be taking the attack to the enemy.
In today’s culture, Christians are sometimes described as exclusive, intolerant hypocrites or bigots. Perhaps this is one reason we are too often silent when we should be speaking up and standing our ground. This is not to imply that we should use God’s Word as a “big stick,” with which we strike others over the head. But it does mean that we should not be afraid to offensively use the Word.
Many people, friends and strangers alike, do not necessarily see things the way I do, but I believe if the Bible says it, we can stand upon it. The Bible is not just some collection of ancient stories or moral codes, but is a source of life and strength. Its lessons can provide a defense against the problems and trials of life, a sure foundation of what is right and wrong, and a guidebook for what the believer should stand for in this life.
As Christians, we should not look for a fight, but we must not be afraid to use the Word of God to take the fight to the enemy. Do not be content merely to take whatever is dished out to you. Instead, stand boldly and proclaim the truth of God’s Word. Truth is truth, whether it is accepted or not. When you stand up for the things of God, you will undoubtedly come under fire from all sides. But use the sword of the Spirit to defend yourself. Know what the Bible has to say, and allow the Spirit to reveal its meaning to you.
The Word of God is described as being sharper than a two-edged sword. A double-edged sword cuts coming and going, but like all the other pieces of armor, it is only effective if it is used. Your only hope of surviving the relentless attacks of Satan against your life is to stay in the Word and stand on that Word. That means to find out what it says, then do what it says.
The Lord did not create us to be defeated, but to be victorious.
NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:18
© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.
All too often, we as Christians equate meekness with weakness, and allow the world to walk all over us. Defeat is rampant, sin continues to grow, and the Christian is silent. Our best and most effective weapon is, regrettably, the least used. That weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
God’s Word is unlike anything else, truly beyond description. In order for us to understand this most vital piece of God’s armor, we must think of a fencing match, or one of those old swashbuckling movies. The sword is capable of blocking an incoming attack, as well as inflicting its own injuries. Being able to use the sword in both these ways is essential to success.
For instance, you may be able to use a sword as an exclusively defensive weapon. You can block any attack that comes your way, but if you don’t know how to use it offensively, to use it to attack your enemy, the enemy will merely continue to harass you. Likewise, you can swing the sword in an efficient, deadly and powerful way, but if you don’t know how to use it to block, you will soon find yourself in bad shape.
Other comparable analogies might include a golfer who has a long drive but terrible putting skills; a baseball player who can catch almost anything, but has a very bad throwing arm; or a mechanic who can take an engine apart, but has no idea how to put it back together again. Each of these people have very developed and useful skills, but without the other side of the equation, their effectiveness is greatly limited.
When our adversary attacks us, hurling temptations, doubts and fears our way, we can use the Word of God to stand against them. This is exactly what we should do; however, we often find ourselves standing around, waiting for an assault, when we should be taking the attack to the enemy.
In today’s culture, Christians are sometimes described as exclusive, intolerant hypocrites or bigots. Perhaps this is one reason we are too often silent when we should be speaking up and standing our ground. This is not to imply that we should use God’s Word as a “big stick,” with which we strike others over the head. But it does mean that we should not be afraid to offensively use the Word.
Many people, friends and strangers alike, do not necessarily see things the way I do, but I believe if the Bible says it, we can stand upon it. The Bible is not just some collection of ancient stories or moral codes, but is a source of life and strength. Its lessons can provide a defense against the problems and trials of life, a sure foundation of what is right and wrong, and a guidebook for what the believer should stand for in this life.
As Christians, we should not look for a fight, but we must not be afraid to use the Word of God to take the fight to the enemy. Do not be content merely to take whatever is dished out to you. Instead, stand boldly and proclaim the truth of God’s Word. Truth is truth, whether it is accepted or not. When you stand up for the things of God, you will undoubtedly come under fire from all sides. But use the sword of the Spirit to defend yourself. Know what the Bible has to say, and allow the Spirit to reveal its meaning to you.
The Word of God is described as being sharper than a two-edged sword. A double-edged sword cuts coming and going, but like all the other pieces of armor, it is only effective if it is used. Your only hope of surviving the relentless attacks of Satan against your life is to stay in the Word and stand on that Word. That means to find out what it says, then do what it says.
The Lord did not create us to be defeated, but to be victorious.
NEXT TIME: Ephesians 6:18
© 2006, Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press. All rights reserved. All material printed on this site is protected by the copyright law of the United States. It may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of Chris Keeton and Soulscape Press, obtainable by writing to soulscape@alltel.net. Altering or removing any trademark, copyright or other notice from copies of the content is not permitted. Any and all portions of material copied from the Soulscape Blog must be properly attributed to Chris Keeton and Soulscape, and cited with original blog web address.
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