The Sword of the Spirit

Read: Hebrews 4:11-13

. . . and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Eph. 6:17)

On a parody news website, a facetious article reported that a congressional study had concluded the sword is mightier than the pen after all. On second thought, maybe it wasn’t such a parody?

We are accustomed to thinking of the sword as an offensive weapon, but I’d like to suggest that the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, is best used as a defensive weapon. The Bible is easily used and abused to score points against an opponent rather than in sincerity and truth with humility. How many people, to our shame, have been driven away from the church by self-righteous Christians spouting proof texts to support their own particular prejudice? The word of God is “sharper than any two-edged sword,” and if we cut with it, it should be as a scalpel is used—to heal, not to kill.

But a better reason to treat the word as a defensive weapon is because that’s how our Lord used it in his own battle against the spiritual hosts of wickedness. When he was tempted in the desert he parried the offensive thrusts of the Scripture-quoting devil three different times by using the word of God as his only defense.

Alcoholics Anonymous, it is said, is a program of attraction, not promotion. The same should be true of the church. When Christians rightly use the word of God people will be attracted to Christ rather than driven from him.

As you pray, thank God for the gift of his word and affirm: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).