The Word is Our Weapon

Yesterday, Kristi explained the armor of God and challenged us to be Battle Ready because the stakes are so high and our families are at risk.

Today, we’re going to examine the Sword of the Spirit.

An unseen battle rages on around us. It’s a battle for the souls of those who do not know Christ. It’s a war against the faith of those who do. But the battle is not only going on around us – Romans 7:21-24 tells us that it wars within us, as well.

In 2 Timothy 2:3-4, Paul compares the Christian life to that of a soldier in a war as he calls us to endure hardships as a good soldier. And the best way to become skilled in our line of duty is to learn from the Master.

In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus shows us how to wield the Word of God as weapon when the enemy comes against us. When you read through these verses you find that the enemy waited until Jesus was at His weakest point physically before he tried to tempt Him.

He didn’t try to tempt Jesus with food when He had only been without food for a day or two. He lurked behind the scenes until he thought He could catch Jesus in a moment of weakness and then he pounced. That’s how he operates…attacking us when we’re weak.

Jesus met each fiery dart with the Word of God.

He was tested in the same three areas we are: (1 John 2:16)

The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

For Christians, the invisible battle that rages on around and in us is designed for our destruction. The destruction of our faith, our testimonies, our influence and ultimately our effectiveness. Winning each battle requires diligence. It’s not an easy win when the enemy, the world and our own flesh fight so hard to raise their banner of victory over different areas of our lives.

Let’s take a look at some of the packages our attacks come wrapped in:

• Wrapped in what we think are our biggest needs (After 40 days without food, Jesus’ need for food was real – but He knew that real sustenance comes from the Word of God)
• Wrapped in religion (When the enemy tempted Jesus, he misrepresented the Word of God. He tried to attack Him at the core of His belief system. But Jesus rebuked him with what the Word of God really said)
• Wrapped in a shiny “You Deserve This” package (The enemy tried to tempt Jesus with power and possessions, yet he was foolishly offering Jesus something He already owned)

Today, I want to encourage you to arm yourself well. Yes…God has given us His Word, but it is our responsibility to read it, to study it, to memorize it, to meditate on it and to really know it.

Good soldiers keep their blades sharp and are always ready for battle. Are you? Do you have some sharpening to do? Which tool do you need to use to sharpen your blade…studying, memorizing, meditating or all three?