…and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17b
Scripture is God’s Word to us. Get to know it. It is the source of truth,
assurance and comfort. Learn its lessons. Let God use it to speak to your heart.
Look to it to cut through the enemy’s lies and spiritual deception, and to
reveal the truth. Use it to persuade others about God’s love and
forgiveness.
When God’s Spirit impresses us with a verse or a passage of Scripture to use
in our battle against the enemy in a particular conflict, we are able to defeat
our enemy. The Bible calls this taking the sword of the Spirit.
Jesus defeated Satan the three times he was tempted in the wilderness by
using the sword of the Spirit. (see Matthew 4).
Ruth’s world changed when she chanced to find a Bible. She was fifteen when
she was rummaging through her Muslim family’s library. She found it hidden
behind the other books. She says, “I quickly read a few pages and the message
immediately touched my heart, even though I understood practically nothing of
it. Secretly I began to read the Bible regularly in my room. I knew that I had
to do more with this. I wanted to get to know Jesus better.”
She adds, “I don’t remember how it happened, but my family realized that I
was showing too much interest in Christianity. My whole family was against me,
especially my mother.”
“You’re a Muslim,” she said. “Why are you throwing your life away? Why aren’t
you like other girls? You’ll soon be going to university and then you’re going
to marry a respected Muslim!”
Ruth’s voice falters and for a moment, she doesn’t say anything. “I suffered
a lot,” she continues. “But still I kept reading the Bible in secret. The Lord
Jesus keeps drawing me closer to Him.”
RESPONSE: Today I take the sword of the Spirit so I can expose the
tempting words of Satan.
PRAYER: Lord may the two-edged sword of Your Word be ready in my hands
today and in the hands of those reading it for the first time.