I’m guessing you have used a hammer or a shovel - or a spatula or hand mixer.
We have all sorts of tools we use on a daily basis, whether you are in the shop fixing on a car, in a math class using a protractor, or in your kitchen mixing up some tasty treats.
But what tools are you using for your spiritual life?
Yes- God has given us tools to use in everyday life- in fact He calls them weapons.
The first thing you need to understand is that you have an enemy that is busy working to steal your joy and peace, kill your hope, and destroy your freedom in Christ.
He does this in varying ways -
He lays down stumbling blocks or traps you with temptations to trip you up or to take you captive.
He leads you on paths that will hurt you in some way (addictions, toxic relationships, self hatred, etc.) These paths will eventually bring great pain to you emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually.
He knows your weaknesses and your past, and the struggles you
are dealing with.
You see : “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. Therefore (we actually need to) put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Ephesians 6
Today we are going to look at the first tool- or weapon -
God’s Word- otherwise known as the Sword of the Spirit
(Ephesians 6)
Matthew 4 tells us that after Jesus baptism he went out into the desert, where He fasted for forty days and nights.
Satan also headed out there and began to lay the ground work to try to trip Jesus up.
He first tries to tell Jesus to turn stones into bread.
Why? Because, Satan was trying to get Jesus to do something that wasn’t part of God’s plan for His life.
That is what Satan does with you.
Jesus knows what the primary tools is -He quotes scripture, ‘Man will not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God’” Matthew 4:4 (quoting Deuteronomy 8:3.)
Satan’s first try does not work, so he tries again.
That is also what Satan does with you.
The devil took Jesus to the highest point of the temple in Jerusalem and dared Him to throw Himself off to test Him and His loyalty to God.
*Note: Satan also knows the Bible and can use it to confuse you and take it out of context so he tried this with Jesus.
Psalm 91: “It is written: ‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
Because Jesus knows how powerful God’s word is and that Satan has no power over God, he reply’s with, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test” Matthew 4:7 (quoting Deuteronomy 6:16.)
This final time Satan tries even harder to get into Jesus’ mind to trip Him up.
Again, this is exactly what Satan does with you.
He brought Jesus to a tall mountain, showed Him the kingdoms of the world, and offered to give it all to Him if Jesus would just bow down and worship him.
Jesus has had enough and commands him, “Away from me, Satan!” (quoted Deuteronomy 6:13) “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’” Matthew 4:10.
Satan knows who Jesus is. He knows that He is the Son of God- yet he still went after him.
Why would we not think he would come after us?
This is a powerful; yet simple experience from Jesus past that we all need to learn from. Shouldn’t we take the same approach that Jesus did?
Jesus continues to expose Satan’s lie and spoke God’s True Word back at him that He had been memorized as a young boy.
Let’s review:
God’s word is powerful in fighting.
Jesus is a clear example showing us why it is crucial that we know the Bible what the Bible has to say- so we know how to fight Satan and those dirty temptation arrows and lies he throws at us.
Read your Bible, listen to it if you prefer, join a Bible study so that it can begin to guard your heart and mind so you can hold firm the sword of the spirit against the lies of the enemy.