One of history’s most famous swords is the Excalibur, which supposedly helped King Arthur unite Britons and fight its staunchest enemies. Based on the story, the sword may have magical powers, and only King Arthur was able to draw it from a stone.
Our real hero, Jesus Christ, also has a weapon of choice when it comes to defeating the enemy. When He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, He used the word of God to pounce through its arguments.
“Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.” Matthew 4:8-11
In the course of 40 days in the wilderness, Satan tempted Jesus three times, even quoting God’s word. Our Lord and Savior however was consistent in using the Word of the Lord to fight the devil.
“Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:5-7
And so as followers of Jesus, we are called to delight in God’s word (Psalm 1:2), meditate on it (Joshua 1:8), and use it as our spiritual compass (Psalm 119:105). We are to be nourished with it, and live by it. Such is what Jesus underscored when the enemy tempted Him to turn stones into bread in the midst of His 40 day fast.
“And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”’ Matthew 4:2-4
In his letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul encouraged the early believers to put on the whole armour of God and use His words as the Sword of the Spirit. This message is applicable even for us, present-day Christians because now, more than ever our souls are attacked on all sides by the enemy through spoken word, ungodly actions, and worldly messages perpetrated through social media.
“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,” Ephesians 6:16-18
So how do we use God’s word as the “Sword of the Spirit”? Well, let’s look to Jesus’ example in the wilderness. Each time the enemy plants a lie in our head that aims to discourage us, tempt us to sin, shame us, remind us of our past mistakes that the Lord has already forgiven, we should think of the things the Lord has said to us and promised us through the Bible.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
We should not accept the enemy’s whispers as truths, instead we shun it. We ought to choose to saturate our mind with God’s truth. So, how do we do that? Well, we can do the following:
- We read God’s word everyday, and reflect on it.
- We listen intently to church sermons, taking notes if needed.
- We endeavor to learn God’s word and truth alongside other people who are also seeking Jesus Christ. We can do this by joining bible study groups.
- We memorise bible verses, especially those that clearly speak to us.
- We call it to mind when we pray, and dare claim it before God when we need to.
- We sing worship songs even on regular days.
When we saturate our lives with God’s word, we get to remember it in times we need it most. When we are scared, when we are anxious, when we feel like we are in an emotional turmoil, when we are in pain, we can hold on to God’s word for comfort and hope. Besides, there really is no other way to learn more about God than reading and holding on to His words. The more we get to know Him, the more we will trust in His divine character.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” Hebrews 4:12
Another helpful practical exercise that we can do to use God’s word as a Sword of the Spirit is to write a table of God’s truth.
In a clean piece of paper or a page in a journal, draw three columns. In the first column, write your fears, anxieties, or whatever things that are troubling you. Include in there the lies satan whispers in your head that make you feel shame, regret, resentment and bitterness.
On the second column, write if the item is an absolute truth or a lie. On the third column, write down a Bible truth, or a promise of God that could counter that lie, fear, anxiety, or trouble in your mind.
Try to memorize the Bible passages on the third column so that each time you are bothered with the thoughts, you can reread the table or recite the verses. When you cannot sleep because you cannot shake off your fear or anxiety, turn your mind into those truths God wants you to know and hold on to.
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to
ponder on Matthew 4:1-11 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: What do you think of when your mind and heart are filled with worries, anxieties and fears? How can a strong relationship with God and knowledge of His word calm you?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for giving us your life-giving words. Thank you that we can find nourishment through it. Please give us the grace to seek it day after day, so that we can be guided and strengthened by it. Amen.
