LEARNING DAILY

Ephesians 6:17, Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

The last of the armor of God being taught at NorthRock Church is the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God. Today’s speaker was Pastor Danny Rivers. He began by reminding the people, “when we are told to ‘stand firm’, we fight from the victory Jesus Christ has already won for us at the cross.” He continued, “Putting on God’s armor points to Jesus; we put on the spiritual armor when we pray” (Ephesians 6:18-20). We pick up this spiritual sword when we read/study/meditate on God’s Word! Granddaughter Audrey wrote in her notes, “Spiritual warfare is often very personal. The sword the soldier carried was more of a dagger meant to be used in close combat.”

How important is reading God’s Word? Deuteronomy 8:3 tells us, “He [God] humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”. Believers remain faithful and maintain their character (remember Joseph) when they walk the narrow way reading/studying/meditating on the Word of God. 2 Samuel 22:321 tells us, “As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless; …”. It is extremely necessary for the Believer to know the Word of God! The devil used the lie, “Did God really say?” The devil tries to get Believers to doubt God’s Word and to get Believers to believe it is not necessary to read the Word of God daily. That’s a lie and Believer do not believe it. Get into God’s Word so you can know the trick of the enemy when it comes!

Here is what happens when the Believer reads/studies/meditates on the Word daily. It begins to transform and guard your mind (Romans 12:2). It begins to help one walk more closely to Jesus on the narrow way. The Believer has a greater desire to become like Jesus and please Him in their speech and what they do each day. Hebrews 4:12 begins to become a greater reality in the Believer’s life.  “For the Word of God is living 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.” My dad was a meatcutter and I remember watching him sharpen his knife. He kept each knife he used very sharp to cut the various meat from the beef quarter and cut away the fatty tissue that surrounded the meat people wanted. The Bible is that sharp sword that cuts into those parts of the Believer that are hidden, hard to reach and may be difficult to distinguish in our lives. I’m writing about how God’s word distinguishes between the godly and ungodly in the life of the Believer. The Bible cuts away and separates Believers from the ungodly “stuff” so the things they think are selfless, spiritual deeds and acts, but, in reality, are selfish and ungodly.

God’s Word gives Believers the ability and power to learn and walk the will of God. When Believers believe the Word of God it begins to change them from the inside out. The Lord Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to His disciples and all who would believe in Him to teach them (us) all things (John 14:26). The Holy Spirit’s guidance is necessary for every Believer as they walk the narrow way because He strengthens and reinforces God’s Word. Believers are to pick up the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God as they do spiritual warfare. The rest of the armor is for protection, but the sword is what we do battle with. Pastor Rivers referred to the battle we fight. Believers fight by speaking the Word when the enemy comes against them. When the devil says Believers can’t do something or when he tries to convince them they are lowly and unloved, or tells us to be fearful, Believers must use the Word of God, declaring what it says!

“The war is won but there are battles yet to be won” (from Audrey’s notes). Those battles are fought daily; we fight “not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the spiritual realm” (Ephesians 6:12). It is up to each Believer to put on the armor of God and to take up “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”!