Stand: The Sword of the Spirit
Ephesians 6:10-17
Pastor Jefferson M. Williams
5-26-2024
My New Bible
I became a Christian in 1990 and, soon afterward, my brother bought me a NIV Study Bible with my name on it.
I treasured that Bible. I bought a case so I could carry it around. I put it on my desk where people could see it.
There was just one problem. I didn’t read it. It was a huge book with many strange names and things I didn’t understand.
At that same time, I started listening to Christian music and artists like Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Rich Mullins, Twila Paris, and Michael Card whose music was full of Scripture.
About six months into my Christian journey, I decided to read the Bible to understand God better and how to walk as Jesus did.
For months, I sat on the deck of my North Carolina chalet (which Maxine says was a shack) with a guitar and highlighter and read book after book, making notes of life events and things that God spoke to me. A lot of the notes are places where I found lyrics that I loved that came straight out of the Bible.
Eventually, I finished the Bible and have been reading/ listening to it ever since.
Review
We are learning that we are all in a spiritual battle that we cannot see. The Christian life is not a playground but a battlefield.
Paul is finishing his letter to the Ephesian church and wants to warn them to be armed and ready for attacks of the evil one.
He was probably chained to a Roman guard and started staring at his armor and thought, “That would make a perfect word picture for what I’m trying to communicate!”
“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.” (Eph 6:14-17)
We’ve studied the belt of truth and learned that truth is the foundation of our Christian journey.
We’ve studied the breastplate of righteousness and learned that God calls us to live our faith with a hunger for holiness shining the light of Jesus into a dark and dying world.
We’ve studied the shoes of peace and learned we can have peace with God, the peace of God, peace with others, and that we can share that peace with others.
I love this lyric from Rich Mullins’ song, “Let Mercy Lead.”
“Let mercy lead / and in every footstep that you leave / there’ll be a drop of grace.”
We studied the shield of faith and learned that we can trust God who is faithful to keep His promises to lead and protect us from the flaming arrows of satan.
Last week, we studied the helmet of salvation and learned that we can have assurance of our salvation and that protects our thoughts from satan’s lies.
If you weren’t here last week, you can always listen to or watch the sermon on our YouTube page, website, or FaceBook.
Turn to Ephesians 6.
Sword of the Spirit
As usual, Paul goes to the Old Testament and the picture of God’s Messianic servant:
“He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me, he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver.” (Isaiah 49:2)
With this in mind, Paul finishes the list of armor with these words:
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The belt, breastplate, and shoes were always worn. But the shield, helmet, and sword must be “taken up.”
?The Roman soldier wore a broad sword on the right side of his belt. It was three to four feet long and was used to cut off opponents’ heads. He also had a 6 to 18-inch-long dagger used in hand-to-hand combat.
These were made of iron and were double-edged. A soldier would make sure they both were sharp and ready for battle.
The writer of Hebrews makes this connection as well:
For the word of God 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)
Notice that it is the “sword of the Spirit.” This is not a spirit or our spirit, but the Holy Spirit of God, the third Person of the Trinity.
The Spirit is the source of the sword. The Spirit doesn’t work independently of the Word of God.
The word “word” is not the normal Greek word “logos.” In this verse, it is the word “rhema.” Rhema means the message of the Gospel.
The Gospel message in the Word of God is like a sword that we can use to fend off temptations from evil.
J.I. Packer begins his introduction to R.C. Spoul’s classic book, “Knowing Scripture” by writing:
“If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop people from digging into the Bible.”
Jonathan Edwards wrote:
“The devil has shown a mortal spite and hatred toward the Bible, he has done all in his power to try to extinguish the light…he hates every word of it.”
The sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon that we can use to stand our ground.
What do we believe about the Bible?
In our church culture in America, we are watching entire denominations say the most dangerous sentence in the English language, “I know what the Bible says, but…”
They have distorted Scripture to say what they want it to say. They have given in to the culture and have decided to ignore the plain teachings of the Scriptures to be more tolerant and inclusive.
The Bible is more of a guidebook with suggestions that need to be updated for modern times.
At CBC, we stand on the Word of God. It is fire that purifies us, a scalpel that heals us, hedge clippers that prune us, a hammer that molds us, a light that leads us.
It is the only thing that changes hearts from the inside out. And I will preach the cover off this book until I die.
We believe the Bible is:
* Inspired
What we believe as Protestants is in the verbal (every word), plenary (all) inspiration of the Scriptures.
This doesn’t mean the Bible is inspiring like a great of art. The Word of God is the very words of God!
“For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (I Peter 1:21)
God used fishermen, farmers, cupbearers, kings, fig pruners, and shepherds, writing in three languages over 1,500 years to tell one story - History.
Matthew Barrett defines inspiration this way:
“The inspiration of the Scriptures refers to the act by which the Holy Spirit came upon the authors of Scripture, causing them to write exactly what God intended, while simultaneously preserving each author’s writing style and personality. This supernatural work of the Holy Spirit upon the human authors means that the author’s words are God’s Words and therefore reliable, trustworthy, and authoritative.” (from “God’s Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture”)
The Book of Mormon is not inspired.
The Watchtower is not inspired.
The writings of the Catholic church fathers, or the councils, or the creeds, or the popes are not inspired.
We believe the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament are God's inspired words.
* Inerrant
Since we believe that the Bible is God’s Word we can say with assurance that it is inerrant, or without error in the original manuscripts.
Titus 1:2 says that “God does not lie.” He is trustworthy and we can have faith that His divine communication to us would be perfect.
B.B.Warfield wrote:
“The trustworthiness of the Scriptures lie at the foundation of trust in the Christian system of doctrine, and is therefore fundamental to the Christian hope and life.”
When you talk to people who don’t believe the Bible, the first thing they might bring up is all the “contradictions” and “errors” in the Bible.
I’ve been reading this book for almost 30 years and can assure you that any supposed contradictions can be explained reasonably. (Most of them are copyist errors in transposing numbers)
Satan in the garden started his temptation with this question,
“Did God really say?” In other words, he questioned the trustworthiness and truthfulness of God’s Word. He still does that today.
There is no other book or collection of writings known to man that is without error - only the Word of God.
* Infallible - it is eternal:
“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)
The truth of Scripture doesn’t need updating to conform to the culture. It doesn’t change. It was true when it was written and it’s still true today.
* Perfect
The Bible is complete as a source of revelation. All the revelation we need for salvation can be found in the Scriptures.
“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” (Duet 29:29)
Wayne Grudem wrote:
“All the words of God He intended His people to have at each stage of redemptive history, and that it now contains everything we need for God to tell us for salvation, for trusting Him perfectly and obeying Him perfectly.”
Jude calls the Scriptures:
“…the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people.” (Jude 3)
The Apostle John, writing in the book of Revelation, makes it clear that the cannon is closed:
“I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” (Rev 22:18-19)
We need no new revelation, no dreams, no visions, no extra books, no traditions. We have God’s Word.
* Sufficient
The Bible can accomplish its redemptive purposes.
“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11)
The only thing that will ever cause someone to be a Christian is the Holy Spirit operating through the preaching and teaching of this book.
The only way to grow, what Scripture calls sanctification, is through growing in our knowledge of this book. We must know what God has done for us, is doing in us, will accomplish through us, and will, ultimately what God’s plans for us are for eternity.
It is sufficient for fighting temptation.
James Montgomery Boice wrote this little poem for his congregation:
“When God from heaven gave His word
His word was all-sufficient
It needs no words I may have heard
To add or to be in it.
So I will take God’s book and read
To learn what God desires
The Bible gives the strength I need
To do what God requires.”
?* Authoritative
If we believe that Scripture is inspired - the very words of God, inerrant - without error, infallible - lasting forever, perfect - the complete revelation of God, and sufficient to lead us to salvation and spiritual maturity then we must consider it the absolute norm for faith and practice of a Christian’s life.
As the voice of Almighty God, it carries with it the authority of God Himself.
The Bible holds authority over all other religious books, church traditions, councils, or popes. The scriptures are the standard, the benchmark, the plumb line for the church.
Our supreme duty is to know, believe, and obey the Bible.
John Wesley wrote:
“I want to know one thing - how to get to heaven. God Himself has condescended to teach us the way. He has written it down in a book. O give me that book of God! I have it - here is knowledge for me. Let me be a man of one book!”
A young man at Wheaton College teamed up with the leader for Youth for Christ. At rallies in 1944-45, they saw thousands of people come to Christ. Then. He was invited to do the same in England and Scotland. Again, thousands came to Christ. This was young man was becoming famous and he wasn’t even thirty years old.
In 1949, a friend challenged him to give up his high view of the Scriptures, telling him, “It’s the 20th century, you can’t preach the Bible that way anymore. If you keep preaching the Bible this way, your ministry will come to nothing.
At a retreat center with some friends, his friend’s words haunted him. One of his mentors told him to go to the woods and get the matter settled once and for all.
In his own words:
“I dueled with my doubts, and my soul seemed to be caught in the crossfire. Finally, in desperation, I surrendered my will to the living God revealed in Scripture. I knelt before the open Bible, and said, “Lord, many things in this Book I do not understand. But Thou hast said, ‘The just shall live by faith.’ All I have received from Thee, I have taken by faith. Here and now, by faith, I accept the Bible as Thy Word. That which I cannot understand I will reserve judgment on until I receive more light. If this pleases Thee, give me authority as I proclaim Thy Word, and through that authority convict men of sin and turn sinners to the Savior.”
That young man’s name was Billy Graham.
Have you made the same decision? If you claim the name of Christ, then the Scriptures are the very foundation of our faith. We must read it, share it, memorize it, and obey it.
* Profitable
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17)
Paul writes that the Bible is “useful.” Your translation might use the word. “profitable.”
The Bible is like a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. It teaches us the way of holiness and the path that we can take that will lead us to heaven.
The Bible is like a doctor. It diagnoses the disease of our soul. Through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures convict us of sin.
The Bible is like the corrective shoes I wore when I was a kid. I was born with my left leg tucked under me and I waddled (I still do). I was what we called in the South, “slew footed.”
I can’t ski. Almost went into the parking lot and hit a car! The shoes weren’t punishment, although to a kid who wanted Nikes, it felt like it. They were corrective.
The Scriptures don’t just tell us what’s wrong and leave us there.
It corrects our faulty assumptions, our distorted view of self and sin, and our propensity to make excuses for our bad behavior.
Paul said this in his first letter to Timothy:
“For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” (I Timothy 4:8)
The Bible prepares us, and trains us for the life of Godliness that leads to “every good work.”
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
Remember that we are not saved by good works but for good works.
David, writing in his shepherd’s journal summed this up beautifully in Psalm 19:
"The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned, in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19:7-11)
We call this process sanctification. Being in your Bible daily will cause your faith to grow stronger and equip you for works that will encourage and edify others.
Desert Temptations
The sword of the Spirit is what enables us to stand our ground when satan sends temptations.
Luke four begins, with Jesus, still dripping wet from the baptism, being “lead by the Spirit into the desert, where for forty days He was tempted by the devil.” (Luke 4:1)
Although Jesus was tempted the entire forty days in the wilderness, we are given three specific temptations that satan throws at Him. These temptations are the same areas of temptations that he still tries to hook us with even today.
The Devil begins with the same temptation strategy that he used in the garden against the first Adam.
Look at verse three:
“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” (Luke 4:3)
If you are…
Again, trying to introduce doubt.
Satan was saying, “Jesus, are you sure about this thing? Are you sure God really loves you? Are you sure about the mission you’ve been sent on?”
Jesus had not eaten in forty days. Although He was fully God, He was also fully man. Jesus was hungry.
Jesus could do this. He turned water into wine not long after this event.
But there was something deeper going on than just bread.
There is nothing sinful about eating bread. But the temptation is real because the stuff is so good! Think of Jesus’ day and what they ate. Jesus probably ate bread daily. He probably could close His eyes and smell the aroma of warm bread cooking over the fire. It was a legitimate desire.
But, Satan wanted Jesus to use His powers to satisfy his hunger. He wanted Jesus to see God as a means to an end.
Adam and Eve had obeyed him, now he was expecting Jesus to do the same.
Jesus’ answer is powerfully simple:
Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.” (Luke 4:4)
Jesus recognizes that man does live on bread. He knows the pangs of being hungry. He knows that we have strong desires.
But He also knows if we don’t fulfill these desires God’s way, then they can become very destructive. That’s why He added the word, “alone.”
Adam was in a Garden. Jesus was in a desert. Adam was surrounded by food. Jesus hadn’t eaten in forty days. Adam took the bait. Jesus did not!
He quoted Scripture; not off an index card or out of a concordance. It came from deep inside His soul, and Moses’ words bubbled to the surface.
He provides an example for us. Martin Luther, in my favorite hymn, wrote:
“And though this world with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed, His truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him, his rage we can endure, for lo his doom is sure, one little word shall fell him.”
Jesus did not take the bait. What’s the bait?
To try to fulfill our desires outside of the way God intended them to be fulfilled. Food is good but can lead to gluttony. Sleep is good but can lead to slothfulness. Sex is good but can lead to broken hearts and broken lives.
The second temptation seemed to follow right on the heels of the first one.
“The devil took Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” (Luke 4:5-7)
Satan controls this present age, and he offers Jesus a cut of the power. Satan made Adam an offer and he bit, literally. Satan made Jesus the same offer.
“Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” (Luke 4:8)
Again, there is something much deeper going on here than just who is going to over some earthly kingdoms. It is all about the worship issue.
Satan is offering Jesus a kingdom without the cross. He’s saying,
“This “whole dying on the cross for everyone’s sins” thing is too much for you. It’s not fair that your Father would ask you to do that. Forget that and rule with me.”
Satan knew that the cross was his defeat and he would offer Jesus anything to keep Him from going to the cross and winning us back!
He still baits this hook today. Again, as I said above, it is a worship issue. Satan wants us to worship him. He offers us the world on a silver platter; the only cost is our souls. He wants us to be dazzled by the lights and miss out on the cross. He’s like a great magician; great at misdirection.
Forget the suffering path, he whispers, take the party path.
The last temptation takes place on the highest point of the Temple in Jerusalem:
“If you are the Son of God…throw yourself down from here. For it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands; so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (Luke 4:9-11)
Jesus and satan stood on the top of the Temple building in the heart of the bustling city of Jerusalem.
Satan then does a scary thing – he quotes Scripture! Specifically, he quotes Psalm 91.
This is a Messianic Psalm and points to a Savior that God will protect.
Satan says, “Ok, I know you think you are the Son of God. Let’s put it to the test. God says that he will not allow you to be hurt. So, prove it! Jump!”
There’s another, more insidious, temptation here that every one of us has experienced at one time or another – the desire for vindication.
Satan whispered in Jesus’ ear:
“Look at all those poor smucks down there. They don’t know you are the Messiah. They are going to mock you once you go public. It’s going to be brutal. Why not give them a show? Why not throw yourself off this roof and let them see the angels catch you? Then you could say, ‘See I TOLD you I was the Messiah!!!” They would just have shut up after that, wouldn’t they?”
Jesus answered his whisper with a deafening yell, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.”
In other words, “I will do it my Father’s way. I do not need to vindicate myself. I believe God will do that, in His way, in His time, for my good, and his glory.”
He still baits that hook today and tempts us to run ahead of God and trust our plan instead of His.
Satan still uses these temptations:
* The temptation to misuse human desires in ways that do not honor God
* the temptation to take the easy way out, avoid suffering, and worship satan for the fleeting gifts of power and glory.
* The temptation to want to be vindicated, to be proven in the right, instead of trusting God’s plan for us.
The first Adam failed the test miserably. Jesus, the second Adam, won the victory. (I Cor 15:45)
But satan still assails us with temptations and lies. And when he does, we need to have the sword ready to defend ourselves.
When satan whispers “Go ahead, look at that website. No one will know. It’s not hurting anyone.”
Swing the sword of truth: “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.” (Job 31:1)
When satan whispers a tasty piece of gossip your way, swing the sword of truth:
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” (Ephesians 4:29)
When satan tempts you lie, swing the sword of truth:
What a person desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar. (Prov 19:22)
When satan tells you that you cannot say no to the temptation, swing the sword:
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (I Cor 10:13)
When satan tempts you to believe that you are beyond saving because of something you did in your past, swing the sword:
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom 8:1-2)
When satan tempts you with fear, swing the sword:
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (Psalm 46:1-3)
When satan tempts you to be anxious, swing the sword:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6-7)
When satan tempts you to be in conflict with others, swing the sword:
“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Rom 12:18)
When satan tempts you to be afraid of death, swing the sword:
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21)
When satan tempts you to lose hope, swing the sword:
“We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.” (Palm 33:20)
And when satan whispers in your ear, “Did God really say?” Swing the sword and remind him that God has spoken and He doesn’t stutter!
As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. (Psalm 18:30)
When satan tempts you to believe that you aren’t worth anything, swing the sword:
“For God so loved me that He gave his only Son that if I believe in Him I never have to worry about hell again and get to live with Jesus forever”.
And when Satan tempts you with fame and fortune if you just stop talking about Jesus, well…let’s see what John Cooper of Skillet said:
[YouTube: Stories of Skillet’s Impact start at 3:40 and end at 5:06]
I’ve seen Skillet multiple times in concert and I can tell you, they are the real deal. They are incredible musicians and songwriters and they will rock your face off! Then John sits on a stool and shares the Gospel in a clear, easy-to-understand way with kids who are ready to hear it. ?
John and Corey do Bible studies with the secular bands they tour with. Their children hang out with the other band’s children and share Christ with them.
Do you notice that God brought the Scripture to his mind?
This is why it is so important to memorize Scripture. In times of temptation, the Spirit will bring his Word to your mind so you can stand your ground against satan’s attacks.
The sad truth is that most Christians are functionally Biblically illiterate. They know so little of the Word that they are left fighting satan with a toy sword.
What’s the answer? It simple. Read the Bible. Not to check off a box on a reading plan. Not to make sure God isn’t mad at you. Not because you have to. But because we realize that God’s Word is the only thing that can change our hearts from the inside.
How do We read our Bible?
* Begin with Prayer
Before we begin reading, we should pray. What are some things we should pray for? We pray for understanding, for wisdom, and the courage to obey it.
Mercy Me has a song called “Word of God Speak”
“Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak”
If some of us are honest, we don’t have the desire to read God’s Word. Remember, God already knows that so being honest with Him is the best policy.
I’m going to challenge to you pray a dangerous prayer,
“Lord, I don’t desire to read your Word but I want that desire. I’m praying that You would give me a greater desire for You and Your Word.”
That is a prayer that God loves to answer.
* Read - What does it say?
Kellie Bullard was our guest speaker for the Widow’s Banquet and she shared her story of losing her husband Alex at 26 years old. She was left with two small children and a life that had been turned upside down. I cried through most of her talk.
She wrote a book entitled, “Behind My Smile: Finding Hope When Life Leaves You Feeling Shattered.”
One of the stages of grief is anger and she felt overwhelmed by her anger at Alex for leaving her, at God for letting it happen, and at herself for falling apart.
Exercise helped but it was her time in the Word that made the most difference:
“Reading my devotionals and Bible was the other helpful thing that I would do to help release the anger when I felt it pent up inside of me. I needed to be reminded of God’s promises and know that He wants to help me through this journey.
I begged God to help me. I would bring all my unfiltered questions to Him. I found that when I would do this, God seemed to be speaking directly to me. I would always get what I needed and felt more at peace for the rest of the day.
I found myself making connections between why I was angry that day with the verses and stories that were put in front of me.
I became more aware of his presence and was able to see how active He still was even when I felt He was radio silent.”
First, we need to decide to carve out time to read the Bible. I’ve had people say that they didn’t have the time but we make time for what’s important for us.
Decide when to read. Some of you are early risers and others are night owls. Read the Bible at the time that you will get the most out of it.
Eliminate distractions. Turn off your phone. Find a quiet place.
Susanna Wesley, mother of Charles and John and eight other children, couldn’t escape reading so she would sit at the table and put her apron over her head and read the Bible. The kids all knew that when she had the apron over her head to leave her alone.
Third Day has a song called “Your Words”:
“Let me hear Your words
Above all other voices
Above all the distractions in this world
For Your words bring life
And your voice speaks promises
Lord, Your love offers more
Than anything else in the world”
Pick a translation that you can understand. At Chenoa Baptist Church, we use the New International Version. If you don’t have a Bible of your own, please take the one in the pew holder in front of you.
I’ve known several adults who do not read well and use a children’s Bible in their reading time.
I also know people who are auditory learners. I read out loud because I need to hear it as well. That’s why I’ve listened to the Daily Audio Bible every morning for the last 14 years.
After you read it, meditate on it. That doesn’t mean to empty your mind but to think about it, to chew on it throughout the day.
You may even want to memorize verses. Write them on a note card and carry them with you. Put them to music.
Some people say can’t memorize Scripture but know every word of Hamilton. You can do it.
Where do you start? In the book of John. John was Jesus’ best friend and he wrote a book to help you get to know Him.
* Study - What does it me?
You can understand this book!
While you are reading, write down any questions that you might have. I LOVE questions!
A student in our ministry would come with her Bible covered in sticky notes with questions on them.
There are no dumb questions, except to question the genius of Barry Manilow!
Use Bible dictionaries, concordances, commentaries, and websites.
Two that I use every week are “Precept Austin” and “Blue Letter Bible.”
D.L. Moody once said, “So few grow because so few study.”
Take one book, or one topic and do a deep dive. Read it, study it in depths and then ask God how do I apply it?
* Use - How do I apply it?
The Bible isn’t just meant to be read and studied but God wants us to apply it to our lives.
The Bible has full authority in our lives. As Americans, we don’t like to have people tell us what to do but when we surrender our lives to Christ, we make it clear that we are willing to obey His Words and His ways.
Nate Pickowicz writes: “In applying the Word of God, you are grasping the truth of God and bringing it to bear on your own life. Application consists of opening your soul so that God’s light can shine into every corner, exposing darkness and revealing the areas that need tending to.”
Here are four things that we can do in response to His Word;
- repent: As we read the Bible, e ought to ask the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin so we can confess them to God.
- Believe - We are not able to put the truths of Scripture into practice in our own lives unless and until we put our faith solely in God through Jesus Christ.
- Grow - reading the Bible is the way we grow in our faith. Without it, we stay immature and don’t become more like Jesus.
- Love - As we study the Bible, our love for God for others is meant to increase and abound.
There are endless points of application. The Bible speaks about areas such as marriage, family, sexuality, politics, government, finance, missions, law, and many others.
The question that we ask when reading and studying is, “What do you want me to know and what do you want me to do?”
Steven Curtis Chapman has a song called, “The Great Adventure”
“I opened up the Bible and I read about you and me
Said we'd all been prisoners and God's grace had set us all free
Somewhere between the pages, it hit me like a lightning bolt
I saw a big frontier in front of me and I heard somebody say "let's go"!
Voltaire
The famous French philosopher Voltaire hated Christianity with a passion.
In 1764 he wrote, “The Bible. That is what fools have written, what imbeciles commend, what rogues teach and young children are made to learn by heart…we are living in the twilight of Christianity”
In a 1767 letter to Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, he wrote:
“Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd, and bloody religion that has ever infected the world…My one regret in dying is that I cannot aid you in this noble enterprise of ridding the world of this infamous superstition.”
In 1776, he proclaimed that “One hundred years from my day, there will not be a Bible on earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity-seeker.”
Not long after his death, the Geneva Bible Society bought his house and produced thousands and thousands of Bibles. Voltaire’s bedroom was so full of Bibles you couldn’t walk in there!
Voltaire is long dead and The Bible is still changing lives today!
Jesus is the Sword
It is not our armor but God’s armor we put on. Ultimately, all of these pieces describe Jesus! He is our armor. He is our victory.
Ray Pritchard writes,
“When a soldier knows that the Captain of his salvation watches over him, he not fear to enter the fiercest battle
Warren Wiersbe writes:
“In one sense the 'whole armor of God' is a picture of Jesus Christ. Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), and He is our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21) and our peace (Eph. 2:14). His faithfulness makes possible our faith (Gal. 2:20); He is our salvation (Luke 2:30); and He is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14).
John wrote:
“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. he armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.” (Rev 19:11-16)
Armor of God Prayer
Lord Jesus, I now follow your command to put on the full armor of God because I know that my battle is not against flesh and blood but against rulers, authorities, the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the unseen world.
Thank you that you have made it possible for me to be strong in your mighty power and to stand against all that the evil one would throw against me this day.
Finally, I take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Please give me the insight, wisdom, and revelation to wield your Word skillfully against every scheme of the enemy. Thank you that your Word on my lips has the power to defeat every attack of the enemy!
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for equipping me with everything I need to win my battles this day! I praise you that I am protected today by the armor of God. I now claim your promise that no weapon formed against me shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). In Jesus’ mighty name, amen!
