The Power of God's Word in Battle

‭Apostle Paul teaches us in Ephesians‬ ‭6:12‬ that "our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

He continues on in verses 13-17 to describe the armor of God which we are to put on so that we can take our stand against the devil’s schemes. One element of this armor is the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God". The Holy Spirit, that is within us, enables us and guides us to use the word of God in our spiritual battles.

Jesus used the word in his battles throughout his ministry...in confrontations, debates and accusations against him. In Matthew 4:1-11, we read about his greatest battle. Here, Jesus is being challenged in the wilderness by Satan who attempted to coerce him. However, Jesus rebutted and knocked down every attempt by Satan with God’s word. Jesus gave us his example of victoriously using the word as a weapon to stand against and overcome the devil’s schemes.

What are additional ways that we can implement the word as a weapon in our spiritual battles?

We can declare the word in our battles. Just as Jesus used the word against Satan, we can declare it against sickness, threats, darkness, depression, discouragement and any other evil that we battle. How do we do that? We open the bible and read the truth and declare it...such as:

‭Romans‬ ‭8:31‬
"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

And

‭Psalms‬ ‭3:3‬ ‭
"You, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high."

And

‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:31‬
"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

If we don't know where to go in the bible, we can use a concordance or a topical bible that lists hundreds of topics...each followed by supporting scriptures. As we seek God’s word, we can pray and ask for guidance to the passages that fit our need... and the Holy Spirit will lead us.

The next way to implement the word in battle is to be grounded in it. The word has the power to strengthen and empower us for battle as we stand firm on its foundation. And when we do so, we cannot be moved by circumstances or battles.

Jesus teaches us in ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:24‭-‬25‬,
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock."

Lastly, the word provides strategy to support us in our spiritual battles. This strategy comes through the wisdom and knowledge we glean from God's Word.

King Solomon shares in ‭Proverbs‬ ‭24:14‬,
"Wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, you will have a bright future, and your hopes will not be cut short."

And he shares more insight in ‭Proverbs‬ ‭17:24‬,
"Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom, but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth."

Without the wisdom and knowledge found in the word, we would become like those who are of the world, wandering aimlessly with no strategy or hope to win spiritual battles.

The “word of God” is a multifaceted weapon which is why it is the sword of the Spirit. It has the power to knock down every lie, every evil scheme, every fear, and every dark principality as we declare its truth. It has power to strengthen and empower as we stand firm on its foundation. And it has the power to help us develop strategies to overcome our spiritual battles as we seek the wisdom and knowledge it provides.

So let us take up the sword of the Spirit and implement the word of God by declaring its truth, standing firm in it and always seeking its wisdom and knowledge. When we do so, we will be able to stand our ground and be victorious in Jesus Christ.

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