[Scripture: Hebrews 4:12-13]

God’s will and His plan for us are to prosper and give us bright hopes and a future.

The armor of God in the Bible is an outfit of spiritual protection against the schemes of the devil. We may notice that every piece of armor is defensive. The defensive armor helps us not be blown away from the ground of our Christian faith where God wants us to stand. Standing firm on the ground is a defensive action refusing to fall down.

However, standing on the ground is good, but it is not enough for Christian because all Christians are called move forward. Think about Detroit lions football game. If the team stands up and keeps the defensive lines, they would not lose the game. But if they want to enjoy winning the game, they need offensive movement to advance toward to the finish line.

The Sword of the Spirit

Today, I will talk about one offensive armor that is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. In other words, the word of God works like the sword of the Holy Spirit. It 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.

Hebrews 4:12-13 clearly said the three functions of the Word of God in the Christian life as the sword of the Spirit. The main function of a knife is to cut, separate and divide something.

For example, I grew a melon in my garden. Last Sunday, I picked them up and ate them. It was so delicious. However, as I ate it, I discovered one bad spot on the melon. I took a knife and cut the bad spot and eat the good part? I know well how to cut bad part out from my melon and eat.

Think about a spiritual knife in the hand of the Holy Spirit. He will totally cut the bad spot out from your soul, your physical body, and your thought and mind. The word of God, which is the sword of the Spirit, will fight for you and destroy whoever and whatever that torturing you.

Penetrating the Soul and Spirit

It penetrates even the soul and spirits, which are invisible beings that work in the hidden world that cannot be detected by the naked eye. What are the spirits who work in the invisible world? It is the evil spirits. The word of God fights against the evil spirits for us.

Dividing Joints and Marrow

The word of God powerfully works in the visible world. Especially, the word of God has the power to penetrate our physical body, separate even cancerous cells from healthy cells, and heal us because God is the Creator and the Great Physician. His word is like a healing beam to shine the light on us and heal our pain. Malachi said, “you who honor my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.”

Cutting Thoughts and Attitudes

The word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. It divides the negative thoughts and attitudes from your heart and life. The word of God will take care of your emotional turmoil and distraction of your soul, and also it helps us be free from the symptom of depression which is to decrease our ability to enjoy Christian salvation.

Proclaiming the Words of God

One condition that makes the Word of God as the sword of the Spirit is to proclaim the word of God and declare the power and love of God for us. When the word of God comes out of your mouth, it becomes alive and active as a double-edged sword, and it works for you.

When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness, he was tempted by the devil. The devil said, “if you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” “And Jesus answered, “it is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.” When Jesus heard the voice of the tempter, he immediately proclaimed the written words of God through his mouth.

Immediate means his quick response without delay. When Jesus quickly responded with the written word of God, it became the sword of the Spirit, and it penetrated the devil’s schemes. Proclaiming the written words of God through his mouth has power that defeated the devil.       

When you feel that you are tempted, your first response must be to proclaim the written words of God through your mouth immediately. If you feel a fear of something, immediately shout like what King David did “the Lord is my Shepherd, and the Lord is my light and my salvation-whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.”

Logos and Rhema

The written word of God in Greek is Logos, but when Jesus proclaimed it, the Logos became Rhema which is the living words of God. It became 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.” When Jesus drove out the evil spirits and healed people, he just declared the word of God and said, “you be healed.” The Rhema, the living word of God, is being alive and active and works for him. 

The written words of God in the Bible are like a bullet in a magazine. You should activate it when the enemy attacks you. If you did not shoot them out, they remain in the magazine. The bullet’s function is to fire out, not just hold it in your hand.

In the same way, the words of God in the Bible are your spiritual bullets to activate them. If you proclaim them through your mouth, it becomes a powerful weapon to destroy trials, temptations, and any kind of fear that comes from the evil one.

When Lisa and I went to the nature preserve in Boyne City to walk, I saw a big black dog rushing toward us with a wide-open mouth and barking to scare us. The dog suddenly stopped a few steps away from us and repeated that action again and again. He tries to scare us to change our direction and make us run away. At that moment, I stopped there, leaned my body forward, and stared at him. And I shout to him, “Stop doing that. I am not scared of you. I shout “Stop and go away” a couple of times. The dog owner’s heard my voice, came and took the dog away from us.. 

Likewise, evil acts like a mad dog, terrifying us to do what he wants. When you are experiencing spiritual, emotional, or physical challenges, Shouting and proclaiming the Word of God, It is the key to activate the sword of the Spirit to fight for you.

Preparing to use the word of God means to proclaim God’s word through your mouth when you feel you are in trouble. 1 Peter 3:15 “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

Conclusion

God has given Christian two parts of the spiritual weapon. The first is a defensive weapon, and the other is an offensive one. The shield of faith is a typical defensive weapon to protect us, and the other one is the word of God as a sword to strike the enemy to win and enjoy our victory.

Our church is here to share the words of God and the sword of the Spirit that help you be radiant people and enjoy your brilliant life. It protects your bright future. 

2022.08.14. Pastor Cloud Poy

@ Photo on Unsplash