Daily devotional, October 12, 2023 Sword of the Spirit
"For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
One of the most recognized weapons of war is the sword. But did you know that during medieval times, it is not as common on the battlefield because it takes a lot of training to use it, and so it is reserved for the noblest of men? Likewise, it needs sharpening after every battle, and so the knight has to go to a bladesmith who makes sure that his sword is sharp enough for the next encounter.
As Christians, we too are equipped with swords — the “Sword of the Spirit” that is. In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul encouraged the church there to put on the full armor of God in order to resist the devil’s schemes and to “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 10:17).”
By being knowledgeable of God’s word, we can decipher good and evil. We can easily spot Satan’s lies, which otherwise could have caused moral and spiritual damage in our life. “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4)
But knowledge is not enough, like knights, we should also train ourselves to follow and live the Word so that we can effectively use it in protecting our souls. We can do this by intentionally meditating on scripture day after day. Psalm 1:3-5 says “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.”
And just like the warrior that lives by the sword, we Christians are to live by the Word of God. Deuteronomy 8:3 says “And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.”
Intentionally seeking the Lord is important, and like fighting knights, we regularly need help from trained people and church leaders to sharpen our sword of spirit. By going to church, regularly attending bible study groups, and having fellowship with other with other believers we get to fine tune and refresh our weapon of war.
Knowing the word of God will indeed bring us to paths of righteousness, as only through it shall we know absolute truths and absolute morality.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on Ephesians 6:10-18 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Do you currently possess the “sword of the spirit?” If no, what are your plans to have it and if yes, how do you sharpen it?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, I praise and thank you for equipping us with the Sword of Spirit, which is your word. Allow us to fully take hold of it so that we can be protected from evil, and get to live a life that is pleasing to you. Amen.