By Pastor Alex Ruelo
SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 6:10-18 says “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.”
If you will notice, the first few parts of the armor are all for protection. The belt, breastplate, sandals, shield and helmet are all for defense. God provided all the protection you can “wear” to defeat all the lies and temptations of the enemy. With the sword, you have to go on offensive mode. And the sword is not just any sword you can find. The sword is God Himself. John 1:1-3 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” The word is God. So the sword that Paul was talking about, the one you will yield and use to fight off the enemy is not just any word but God Himself. John was talking about Jesus Christ Himself, the Word that became flesh. Jesus Himself is your weapon.
Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” There are different kinds of swords. In the book of Ephesians, Paul was in prison while writing it. During those times, his enemies were wielding two-edged swords. But then again, the word of God is sharper than all of those, able to penetrate the deepest parts of one’s being. Some people will not believe the change that happens in you when the Word of God cuts through you like a double-edged sword.
On the other hand, if you give someone a sword and they do not know how to use it, they might hurt themselves and fail in their mission. It is the same with the Word of God. When put in the wrong hands, it can be used to destroy. Have you heard of Christians who use the Word of God out of context? They use it to judge and condemn. There is a proper way to yield the sword and a proper way to use it. You have to stop using God’s word out of context because when you do, you put yourselves in danger.
How do you use the Word of God?
Depend on the sword like your life depends on it. - Psalms 119:11, 33-40 says, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Teach me, Lord, the way of your decrees, that I may follow it to the end. Give me understanding, so that I may keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. How I long for your precepts! In your righteousness preserve my life.” Every word that David wrote was dependent on the sword, the Word of God, that was eminent in his life. Many people take the Word of God for granted. You read the Bible and memorize verses but do not take it to heart. The sword of a soldier is an extension of their body. It never leaves their side and is exactly what they need. They know the movements and techniques they need to wield it like it was a part of them. The Word of God needs to be so into you that you cannot breathe without it. It needs to be part of your life. Do not be a Sunday Christian. Make sure that people know you are a one when you walk into a room.
Destroy the enemy with the sword. - Matthew 4: “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. “Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.” Did you see how Jesus and satan were answering each other with scriptures? If the Word of God is not a part of your life, then the devil is better with it than you. God gave you wisdom to do the right ting. But it is also the same wisdom that the enemy uses for you to fail. The problem with religious people is that they know so much thinking they will sin no more. The Word of God must be taken to heart. Go on offensive mode.
Don’t drop the sword. - Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Put on the armor of God so that you will still be standing when the enemy comes. The battle will not be over until you are here on earth. And the only way you can keep on standing is when you are fully protected with the armor of God. Once you drop your sword, you are done. At war, when the enemy drops his sword, that is a sign of surrender. In life, when you let go of the Word of God, that means you are also done. In battle, soldiers are known to tie their sword to their hand so that they will never drop it. Even when they are hurt, they still try to fight off the enemy. You cannot drop your sword. You cannot let go of the Word of God. In court, you cannot file a case with hearsay evidence. First hand information is needed to win. When you have the Word of God, you are fool proof.
Decide to win. Do not be on the losing team. - John 5:24 says, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” This is a decision that you need to make. After everything that happens here on earth, when the day of the Lord comes, that is your victory. No. matter what happens, know that God wins. When you feel like the enemy is winning, it is not yet the end. Do not ever think that you have lost. Life may be difficult - your family may be falling apart and your husband might have left you, you might not have a job and they might not be food on the table. But at the end of the day, you will stand before God shouting victory.
2 Timothy 3:14-17 says, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Use God’s word to equip the saints. Use God’s word to attack Satan. Use God’s word to claim your victory
Commentaires