Doing Battle with the Sword

“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;” – Ephesians 6:14-18

The verses above are often referred to as the Armor of God. The verses tell us what we need to do battle in the spiritual realm where good and evil exist. We need the truth, we need righteousness, we need the peace of the Gospel of Christ, we need faith, and we need salvation. These elements pertain to our protection.

Only one weapon is mentioned in this text, and that is the Sword of the Spirit, God’s Holy Word. Evil can only be overcome by the word of God. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in Matthew 4, he didn’t try to manhandle Satan, although he could have. He didn’t send the angels to fight his battle, although he could have. He didn’t cause Satan to be mute and speechless, although he could have. Jesus simply spoke God’s word.

God’s word is the most powerful weapon we have, and yet, many of us never take it out of its sheath. There is power, and victory, to be gained by praying God’s word in times of struggle.

Do you have a child that will not obey?
Pray Isaiah 54:13, “All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children.” Pray Psalms 127:3, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” and Matthew 7:11, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”.

Do you have enemies that seek to destroy you?
Pray Deuteronomy 28:7, “The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.”

Do you have fears that overwhelm you?
Pray Proverbs 29:25, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”, or Psalms 112:7, “He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD".

Do you have financial hardships that are burdening you?
Pray Matthew 6:29-32, “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

God has given us these promises to sustain us in battle. Other problems can come our way, but God has given us the words to fight in every circumstance. There are no battles in which the word of God will not cause us to be victorious. If there were, He would have given additional weapons in the Armor of God.

Friends, praying God’s word can change your life. It can enable you to overcome the problems that life brings your way, increase your faith and strengthen your relationship with God. The Bible is your sword, your battling iron. Don’t leave it in the sheath. Keep it polished and ever present.