In ancient civilizations, swords were a standard wartime weapon; perhaps that’s why the apostle Paul depicted the Scriptures as a sword when he wrote to the church at Ephesus. He wanted the Ephesians to associate the Word of God with a lethal weapon they could use when attacked by the devil. Of course, unsupported intimidations don’t frighten the enemy, but when a Spirit-filled believer proclaims and stands on the Word—the devil is threatened.
17 [T]he sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (Ephesians 6:17b)
The devil knows the Word fluently.
In Matthew 4:1-11, we see the value and confidence Jesus placed on the Word when He was on His forty-day fast in the wilderness. Every time the devil tempted Jesus using scriptures, the Lord unequivocally responded, “It is written. . .”
However, it isn’t enough to cite Scriptures for the enemy to take us seriously; the Word must be spoken—from a heart that is in right standing with God. (See 2 Corinthians 5:21.) The prayers of the righteous availeth much (James 5:16). Please don’t be deceived; the devil knows when words are backed by heaven—or not.
A sword mounted on a wall is useless in combat.
Yet, to model Jesus’ actions and receive His results, we must know what is written. Thus, we must be lifelong learners of God’s Word by studying, meditating, praying, and respectfully applying it to our everyday lives. I like to say, chew and digest the Word. We can’t pick and choose the easily digestible parts; we must be obedient to what’s written about any situation we find ourselves in; making it routine to base life’s circumstances and decision-making practices on the Scriptures. Then, as a result of an obedient life, we are empowered when the devil strikes; therefore, by faith, we can strike back and say:
It is Written . . . !
© 2022
See you next time on Paulette Talks Faith.