What Shape is Your Sword In?
“…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17
The more you desire to follow Jesus, the more your faith will be challenged and attacked. These challenges and attacks can come from the circumstances of your life and the people around you, but they also come more intensely and more fully from the unseen heavenly realms.
The Bible calls this spiritual warfare. In Ephesians 6:11-12 the Apostle Paul admonishes us to prepare for these attacks: “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
He describes the armor of God in verses 14-17: “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Notice that all of this armor is defensive in nature except for the last one, the sword, which is designed for both defense and offense. In Paul’s day it would have been unthinkable for a soldier to enter the battle with an ill-prepared sword, one that is dull and tarnished and rusty. No, the battle-ready soldier would take great care of his sword to ensure that it was sharp and shiny and comfortable in the hand.
Paul says the sword represents the word of God. Are you fluent in the word of God, ready to use it to both defend yourself and to take new ground against the enemy?
What kind of shape is your sword in? Is it dull and tarnished from neglect, or is it shiny and sharp and ready to fight the good fight?
Having begun as a guest speaker in 2005, Dan was appointed Interim Pastor in 2008 and has been serving Maple Root Baptist ever since. As a small group leader and Chaplin for the Connecticut Tigers, Dan has a heart for the lost and the God that saves them.