And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:17
All of the armour of a Roman soldier was for protecting himself against the enemy, except for one item: the sword. With his sword, the soldier could both defend himself and attack the enemy. The rest of the armour was fastened in place, or in the case of the shield, held in place. But the sword was mobile, and could be used with either, or both, hands. The use of the sword required intense training before the soldier could be effective in its use, and constant practice was required to keep the soldier’s skills at their peak. It is very apt that for a Christian, the Word of God is referred to as his sword.
Imagine a soldier in battle without a sword, depending on his own agility to keep out of the reach of the enemy’s weapons. Such a soldier would find himself at a great disadvantage, and totally ineffective in terms of attack. That is like our spiritual lives, when we rely on our own strength, ability, and intelligence instead of depending on the Word of God. Only the sword of the Spirit is able to make progress against the enemy. Although we often refer to the Bibles that we read and that we carry to and from meetings as our swords, the most important form of the Word of God is that which we have learned, memorized, and made a part of ourselves. David knew the importance of this when he could say in Psalm 119:11: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. The more we know the Word of God, the more preservation we have against sin and stumbling. The more we know the Word of God, the more able we are to witness for our Lord, and to challenge those who would mock our faith.
We marvel at times when we hear a Christian effectively responding to mockers or effectively presenting divine truths or effectively unfolding the wonders of the Scriptures. But that effectiveness did not come without long hours of meditation and study. 2 Timothy 2:15 instructs the Christian soldier to study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. The most important ‘practice’ we receive is our own daily study of the Word. Also important is the participation in the Assembly Bible readings. We also learn from ministry of the Word from godly and knowledgeable brethren, from reading good books, and from engaging in discussions of the Scriptures with our brothers and sisters in the faith. Just like a soldier, we can never get too much practice in the use of the sword.
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 We could not have a more formidable or effective weapon than the Word of God. Let us learn to use it. -Jim MacIntosh