Take Up Your Sword - Alistair Begg

Day 5 of 10 Sharing The Christians's Armor devotional written by Alistair Begg.
Today's devotional is titled, Take Up Your Sword

Take the … sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
 Ephesians 6:17

The devil knows the Bible. He knows what it says, and he can quote it with ease—better than most of us, undoubtedly. Satan quoted Scripture to Jesus when He was fasting in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)—though notice that Satan also twisted what the Bible says for his own deceitful schemes. This shouldn’t surprise us, since the best lies usually have at least a bit of truth in them.

In that encounter, when Satan took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple, he enticed Him with an appeal to a spectacular, angelic rescue. But the devil misused Psalm 91 by taking it out of context (Matthew 4:5-6), and Jesus rebuked him by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16: “You shall not put the LORD your God to the test.” The Son of God repeatedly quoted Scripture to Satan, and he eventually fled (Matthew 4:11).

Our best defense against Satan, then, is Scripture rightly understood and rightly applied. This is why Paul tells us that in order to stand firm against “all the flaming darts of the evil one,” we must “take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:16, 17). There is no better tool to resist temptation and devilish ploys than the Bible. God’s word is what we use to resist the devil, and the overwhelming spiritual power of that word is precisely why he flees (James 4:7).

Psalm 119:11 encourages God’s people to store up God’s word in their hearts in order that we might not sin against Him. This might sound like a nice, gentle invitation at first—but while it may prove true that the Bible can be consumed and meditated upon in the comfortable company of a warm beverage and a cozy chair, the call to memorize Scripture is in fact a call to arms. Every soldier needs a weapon. Every Christian needs the word of God. Think about the temptations to sin that you regularly face (and, perhaps, give in to). What verses of Scripture do you need to deliberately memorize and then deploy against the devil’s half-truths and lies? Think about the times when the Evil One suggests that you are not really a child of God, not really forgiven. What parts of Scripture will you fling back at him in those moments? The word of God is your sword against Satan. Take it up today, and make him flee.

QUESTIONS FOR THOUGHT

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Choose Your Weapon

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.
2nd Corinthians 5:17-19 NLT [emphasis mine]

One of satan's favorite times to want to speak to mankind is when we lay our heads on the bed to rest. his will be the voice reciting the list of wrongs we've done as far back as we can remember. At times, that list may seem as though it's on a continuous loop. If we're not quick to recognize his ploy, we find ourselves feeling as guilty as the day we sinned. 

Stop choosing the cloud of condemnation over God's Truth! Fight the battle using the proper weaponry (see Ephesians 6:13-18). Pick up your sword and shield and gain the victory!

I love how Romans 8:1-2 reads in The Message -  With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

Romans 5:20 assures us, So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

In Revelation, we are told how the accuser of the brethren is defeated - by the Blood of the Lamb and word of our testimony. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so... 

Prayer:

Father,

           Thank You for Your amazing grace that frees us from sin and death. Give us ears to hear only You and the wisdom to use only Your Truth. We choose the Truth of Your Word over condemnation. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

* Ready for...

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
2nd Timothy 3:16-17 NLT

These two verses give us direction for our lives. With accepting Christ as our given, what more would we need than to know what is true in order to realize what is wrong, and then to provide the answer for correction? Aren't we here to do the work of the Father? 

Where's your Bible? What does it look like? Is it pristine and in good condition? Are all the pages perfect and unmarred? Or perish the thought, is it dust-covered? A coffee table adornment? Or has it been in the battles of life with you? Is it the sword you fight with? Is it tear-stained? Perhaps a few coffee stains, too? Some pictures, maybe, and some notes - both in the margins and on separate note pages. Tried. Tested. True.

Just because we'd rather not fight doesn't mean the enemy of our souls will lay down. We're in a battle every day. Are you properly equipped? 

Prayer:

Father,
          Anoint us afresh with renewed hunger for Your Word. Teach us how to wield it as a master swordsman. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen