Can you imagine a soldier in Bible times carefully putting on each piece of armor to protect himself and then going into battle without a weapon? That would be suicidal! While David could go up against Goliath without wearing Saul’s armor, he had to take his weapon! While the other pieces of armor were necessary to protect the soldier from the enemy’s attacks, they could not kill the enemy. Only the sword could do that. The soldier without a sword wouldn’t last a minute if the enemy got close enough for hand to hand combat. In Ephesians chapter six, the Apostle Paul informs us that we are in a spiritual battle. He says in verses 10-12: “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.”What’s critical is that you and I are prepared for spiritual battles. We need armor. Paul continues in Ephesians 6 verse 13: “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.”Paul talks about the various pieces of battle field armor God gives us.  But there is one piece of equipment that is absolutely essential to winning spiritual battles.  In fact, unless you use this piece of equipment you will not be victorious in your life.  You will not be able to resist temptation.  You will not be able to rise above discouragement.  Without this equipment you will sink into defeat, which is right where Satan wants you to be.  What is this equipment?  Paul called it the “sword of the spirit.”  Which is the Word of God.  The Bible.  God’s Word is our only offensive weapon. I must become skillful in my ability to use this sword in spiritual battles.How is God’s Word a weapon for fighting spiritual battles?The Roman soldier’s sword was about two feet long and it was designed to be used in hand-to-hand combat.  It had to be easily accessible and ready to use, plus the soldier had to train to become skillful and proficient in using it.  The sword was the only strategic weapon that could be used when the enemy was close, so these soldiers spent hours with it in their hands.  They were familiar with it.  They worked on their tactical ability to use the sword.  It became second nature.If we are not familiar with the Word, if we haven’t prepared, if we haven’t trained, we shouldn’t be surprised that we were not victorious in the spiritual battle.The Bible is your sword.  Use it and you can fight against the forces of evil.   When we rely on what the Bible says, we are not standing in our own strength, but in His.  We are not relying on our own wisdom, but on God’s.Today’s Challenge: How do we use God’s Word as an effective weapon in spiritual warfare? It must become a part of our daily lives. It is our daily bread. We must hear it, read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it, and obey it.

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