The Armor of God (Part 6)
How is the Word of God the Sword of the Spirit?
What is it about the word of God which makes it the weapon which drives our enemy back? What about the word of God threatens him?
Here are some ways the word of God threatens the darkness:
- Into chaos, the word of God creates, bringing order and life (Gen. 1; Heb. 11:3).
- Into spiritual and moral confusion, the word of God speaks truth and goodness (Ex. 20:1-11; Ps. 119:11; John 17:17).
- Into seasons of despair, the word of God speaks promises which help us stay faithful (Deut. 31:6; Is. 9:6; Micah 5:2; Ps. 53:5; Rom. 8:37-39).
- Into feelings of self-loathing, the word of God speaks dignity and worth (Rom. 8:1; Gal. 4:6).
- Into the dominion of darkness, the word of God speaks the good news of King Jesus, liberating people from the devil’s clutches (Col. 1:13; 2 Tim. 2:25-26; 1 John 3:8) .
Paul describes the word of God, along with prayer, as how the disciple of Jesus goes from merely standing firm to moving forward and battling the forces of darkness back. “Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19).
Although our natural tendency is to use words to injure people, the Holy Spirit teaches us how to wield words in such a way that they drive our enemy’s forces back so we can play a part in liberating people. ~ Daniel McCoy
