This week, we have been looking at different pieces of the armor of God, which the apostle Paul writes about in Ephesians 6. So far, all of the pieces of God's armor that we have looked at are defensive weapons. In fact, there is only one piece of God’s armor that is an offensive weapon: the Bible, which Paul calls the “sword of the Spirit.”
As Paul finishes naming the parts of the armor of God, he finally names the offensive piece of armor that God gives His people. He writes, “Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (verse 17). According to Paul in this passage of Scripture, the Bible is our weapon against the enemy and his schemes. The author of Hebrews talks about Scripture this way: “The word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Hebrews 4:12). Make no mistake, the word of God is the offensive weapon we have access to in order to fight against the enemy. The Bible is no ordinary book. It is alive. It is powerful. It helps us fight against the enemy and the spiritual battles taking place all around us.
We have an offensive weapon to fight against the enemy and his tactics against us and other Christ followers. When the enemy throws lies at us, we can fight back with Scripture. When the enemy tempts us, we can use Scripture to remind us of how Christ has called us to live. When we meditate on Scripture, we set our minds and hearts on Christ. The question is, are you picking up your weapon? Are you constantly reading, reflecting on, and memorizing His Word? May each one of us be people dedicated to knowing God’s word and fighting against the enemy. We have a powerful weapon in the Bible. Let’s sharpen our swords and be prepared to fight in the spiritual battle taking place around us.
One of the best ways to know and understand God’s word is by memorizing Scripture. Read the verses listed in the Going Deeper section below. Then, pick one verse to memorize. Let the verse you memorize take place in your heart and mind so that you can actively fight against the devil and his schemes by speaking the truth of Scripture against his lies.
1God’s promise of entering his rest still stands, so we ought to tremble with fear that some of you might fail to experience it. 2 For this good news—that God has prepared this rest—has been announced to us just as it was to them. But it did them no good because they didn’t share the faith of those who listened to God. 3 For only we who believe can enter his rest. As for the others, God said,
“In my anger I took an oath:
‘They will never enter my place of rest,’”
even though this rest has been ready since he made the world. 4 We know it is ready because of the place in the Scriptures where it mentions the seventh day: “On the seventh day God rested from all his work.” 5 But in the other passage God said, “They will never enter my place of rest.”
6 So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. 7 So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted:
“Today when you hear his voice,
don’t harden your hearts.”
8 Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. 9 So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. 10 For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. 11 So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall.
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.
14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. 16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.
