A soldier went to battle with no training, when he drew his sword he did not know how to use it to defend against the blows from the enemy’s attack. How quickly that soldier was defeated! If only he had taken the time to learn how to use his sword he could have defended himself against the enemy.
Learning how to apply God’s word is so important, not only to nourish and help us grow in Christ, but also to defend against our enemy the devil. After all the word is called the sword of the Spirit in Ephesians, and when I use the phrase word I of course mean scripture (the bible).
It is important to note that when Jesus Christ was tempted by the devil He did not rebuke the devil with His own authority but rather with the authority of God’s written word. Jesus’ answer—”it is written”. We must not only know what the bible says, living a life that reflects that teaching, but we must also learn how biblical verses apply in moments of temptation or spiritual oppression and attack. When it comes to dealing with spiritual attacks, a reply from scripture will always gain a swift result!
God’s word is provided for our benefit and blessing and for our safeguard and defence. We are provided with the answers to life's challenges and the responses to moment of darkness and discouragement. When we fell as if our world is becoming darker and less easy to see our way through, put the light on, the word of God that is our light, our counsel and our response to the powers of darkness. Let’s make sure that this year we learn how to use the sword of the Spirit well and see God’s victory and blessing in our lives.
