Sword of the Spirit

Read

Ephesians 6:17 “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.”

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is active and alive. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

Think

The sword used by Roman soldiers was a short sword known as a gladius; and in the hands of a skilled man, it was a dangerous weapon. It became known as the sword that conquered the world. It was sharpened on both sides, making it lethal against an unarmored foe. The sharpened point enabled it to pierce armor. It also served as a warning to the enemy when waved in the air.

The remaining  pieces of armor are meant to help us stand our ground and not retreat, but the Word of God helps us advance and puts Satan on the defense. Paul describes the Word of God, along with prayer, as how the disciple of Jesus goes from merely standing firm to moving forward and pushing the forces of darkness back. When we read the Bible, God will bring passages and verses to our minds that will meet our needs and counteract the conditions of our lives. We “stab” the devil with scripture! We just need to pick it up and deploy our weapons!

Apply

Read the Bible today. Set aside five minutes and spend time in his Word, asking him to speak to you through it. Challenge yourself to put your phone down and go “old school.” Get a journal and a Bible and write down what God says to you as you read and pray.

Pray

Jesus, I will pick up my sword today and read your Word. Thank you for not leaving me empty-handed in this world but providing me with this  powerful weapon. Give me wisdom as I open it and bring scripture back to my memory when the enemy comes against me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.