We all battle temptation and have problems. We can be grateful, though, that God has given us a WEAPON to CUT our struggles down to size. It’s the SWORD of the Spirit – the word of God!
Ephesians 6:11 -- "Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil."
And one piece of the armor of God is the Sword of the Spirit … also known as scripture. Perhaps the most perfect example of someone using the Sword of the Spirit was when Jesus went into the desert to fast for 40 days and 40 nights and be tempted by Satan. Satan started his work by tempting Jesus to satisfy his hunger by turning stone to bread. Satan finally gave Jesus the ultimate temptation … showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world promising them to Jesus if he would worship Satan. Each time Jesus was tempted he used scripture to beat Satan back. Here was Jesus’ final rebuke …
Matthew 4:10 -- "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve."
Just How Powerful Is God’s Word?
There is literally NO LIMIT to the power of God’s word. Remember, when He created our universe all He had to do was speak it into existence.
Genesis 1:3 -- "And God said, Let there be light: and there was light."
God does not need to raise a pinky to create. He simply utters a word. And ALL THAT POWER is available to you – for the Bible IS the word of God. To access this power, you just need to follow Jesus’ example and use scripture as a weapon against temptations and challenges.
How’s Your Memory?
One of the best ways to get the Sword of the Spirit working for you is to memorize God’s word. By memorizing scripture, you will have an ARSENAL ready whenever you need it. Here are a few quick hints to help you swing the Sword of the Spirit with authority:
-Start with Bible verses that relate directly to your life and your challenges
-Come up with a plan (ie. Write a Bible verse on an index card Monday morning and read it at mail time throughout the week.
-Say the verse you’re learning out loud. Remember, you remember the words of the songs that you sing out loud. So, recite the verses you’re learning.
-Write the Bible verse down. There was a reason the teacher had you write something on the blackboard 100 times. Writing helps cement information in your memory.
-Start with Bible verses that relate directly to your life and your challenges
-Come up with a plan (ie. Write a Bible verse on an index card Monday morning and read it at mail time throughout the week.
-Say the verse you’re learning out loud. Remember, you remember the words of the songs that you sing out loud. So, recite the verses you’re learning.
-Write the Bible verse down. There was a reason the teacher had you write something on the blackboard 100 times. Writing helps cement information in your memory.
Like a martial arts master, Jesus knew how “flip” every attack Satan threw by using the power of God’s word. And that same powerful weapon – the Sword of the Spirit – is available to you.
