MEMORY VERSE: Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Ephesians 6:11
BIBLE PASSAGES: Ephesians 6:10-17; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
INTRODUCTION
The devil the adversary of mankind has since inception has set himself against all humanity using various schemes and weapons for pulling down man since his fall 1 Peter 5:8. So potent is the devil’s weaponry that he makes easy prey and captives of ignorant people who fall for the many tricks of the devil Isaiah 49:24-26. To this end, believers cannot afford to be unacquainted with and unguarded by their spiritual armoury to stand against schemes of the devil. Without putting on the whole armour of God, we are easy prey for the devil. In this study, we will focus on one part of that armoury that believers have at their disposal, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God Ephesians 6:17.
OUTLINES
- THE BATTLE LINES HAVE BEEN DRAWN
- THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD OF GOD AS A WEAPON OF WARFARE
- WIELDING THE (S)WORD AS A WEAPON OF WARFARE
THE BATTLE LINES HAVE BEEN DRAWN
For us today, this strategy of the devil remains the same. Satan is relentless in his goal of setting believers against God’s will thus subjecting them to a lifetime of temptation, persecution, and the worship of self-Genesis 3:15(NASB); Ezekiel 28:16-19. Just as armies of the world do not go into battle without proper knowledge of the enemy they will confront, the believer cannot afford to be ignorant of the enemy that duels for their soul round the clock. For this reason, the Bible urges, lest Satan takes
advantage of us, we should not be ignorant of his schemes or wiles 2 Corinthians 2:11. If as believers, we are familiar with the devil’s tactics we can overcome them and be more than conquerors every time we are confronted. However, the believer failing to be acquainted with the dev and his tactics will struggle to grow into the fullness of Christlikeness.
THE EFFICACY OF THE WORD OF GOD AS A WEAPON OF WARFARE
Today, believers are confronted by an experienced adversary with centuries of experience using tricks and schemes to make mankind fall All Glory to God who has given us superior resources to overcome the devil always, a few of these will be discussed here.
- The Author: God is the author of the Word, He is omnipotent-unlimited in power Ephesians 1:19. His Word is indeed mighty and powerful exudes superseding greatness over all things and always destroys the devil’s schemes against His children Isaiah 55:11. You might want to pray: O LORD, open my eyes that I may see and know the reassuring power in your Word 2 Kings 6:15-17.
- Spiritual Intelligence: The Word of God reveals Spiritual Intelligence about the devil’s tactics which is one of the most treasured assets in warfare 2 Corinthians 2:11. The Bible says the secret things belong to the Lord who will make those secrets available to His children as we read in Scripture Deuteronomy 29:29. Divinely inspired strategies fo victory can be found on the pages of scriptures as revealed by the Ho Spirit Joshua 6:1-6; 20-21; Judges 7:13-23; 1 Samuel 30:1-8. God who made such intelligence available to men and women we read about the Bible will surely make such available to His children today.
- Superior Armoury: God’s Word as a weapon of warfare can dwa the devil’s weapons in all superiority. Just as the snake from Moses staff consumed those of Pharoh’s magicians, when we confront the devil in battle, we can be assured that God’s Word consumes the devi weapons. God seeks only people who will wield His Superior Armour to victory notwithstanding the opposition confronting them at any time Judges 8:10; 2 Kings 19:35-37. God’s Word is a ‘Sword’; but not that a Gladiator! It is not the sword of an entertainer. It is the SWORD, and cuts. Hebrews 4:12 ESV.
WIELDING THE (S)WORD AS A WEAPON OF WARFARE
If we will be victorious against the devil, we must know how to wield God’s Word during warfare. God never relies on the mastery of trained soldiers and their physical weapons for His battles. Unlike a physical sword. God’s Word is the sword of the Spirit requiring requisite spiritual training for its use. Therefore, we need to recognise the devotions that make the heart ready to wield the sword of the Spirit, which is God’s Word. Each of us must develop a personal longing like David to receive God’s counsel Psalm 16:7.
It is no wonder that in choosing David as king, God in turn shows His unrelenting and unchanging requirement for a heart that has cultivated a devotion to obeying His Word during even in the most trivial of daily circumstances 1 Samuel 16:7. This heart requirement is crucial to wielding God’s Word in warfare. In Christ, we find the complete example of total submission to divine will John. 6:38. Only a resolute heart that is devoted and has learnt to treasure God’s instructions can make this statement.
So, what is the state of your heart? Is it hardened or like a stony heart that God’s Word can’t take root? Is it a thorny heart? Or do you have a good heart? Matthew 13:23
Whatever the state of your heart now, God’s promise is to give you a new heart if you sincerely desire this Ezekiel 36:26-27. Therefore, let us assume a perpetual state of soberness and vigilance, constantly seeking to “lay aside every weight” (whether it be thorns or stones or hardness) “…which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” Hebrews 12:1; 1 Pet. 5:8.
CONCLUSION
The life of the believer is not always a smooth experience. Our battle in this world is a spiritual one. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, we learn to engage the Holy Spirit in our daily battles when we learn to engage God’s Word for our day-to-day living. Ephesians 6:10-11.
FURTHER READING: Mon: 2 Corinthians 2:11. Tue: Ephesians 1:4.
Wed: Deuteronomy 20:1. Thurs: 2 Thessalonians 3:3. Fri: 2 Corinthians 10:4-5. Sat: 1 Peter 5:8. Sun: Psalm 18:39