Spiritual Warfare: Sword of the Spirit 1
[I intended to do a post like this later in a Spiritual Warfare series, but since it's relevant right now to someone I know ... and since it's been so long since I've added to this series... I'll publish it now.
Previous posts in this series are "My Story"... "Be strong in the Lord"... Spiritual Warfare sermons by Tony Evans... "Stay on the Path"... "Underestimating ourselves/overestimating Satan"... "Overestimating ourselves/underestimating Satan"... #1 Satan's Schemes (unbelief, sin, fear)... #2 (fear, psychics, prayer)... #3 (vulnerable in good times)... Spiritual Warfare: Resources... #4 (vulnerable in bad times)... #5 (innocence, naivete)... #6 (half-truths)... #7 (bad theology)... #8 (deserts)... #9 (bitterness, unforgiveness)... and (for fun) "Scariest Halloween decoration ever?"
I'll break this post up into several parts over the next several weeks. Much of these posts will be repeat of things I've already posted in other places, but that's okay. It's always a good reminder. And those who need it, need it. And it's for them that I write it. (FYI: I will probably be offline for a little while, but it doesn't matter because I preset all the posts to be published into next summer.)]
"I'm here for you! I know you can get through this. I've gotten through severe anxiety too, and I'm doing good now. You can overcome this! But you need to start filling your mind with godly truth and encouragement. You've been speaking negative things focused on discouragement and death, and it's dragging you down. But now you need to start speaking things that are full of life and truth and hope. Every day - and whenever you have anxiety or bad thoughts or want to speak negative, hopeless things - start thanking God for all the good things you have and read these verses to yourself (preferably out loud)."
This is how I started a letter to a good friend of mine who recently went through (is going through) a very hard time. It was so bad that she got to the point where she could say like Paul did: "We were under great pressure, far beyond our abilities to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death." (2 Cor. 1:8-9). And I understand - because I've been through my own traumas and terrors and losses. I've gotten my own scars from life, as I'm sure all of us will at some point in our lives. [See "Where I'm Coming From" and "We'll make it through this together."]
[Just wondering: Does anyone else think it gets harder as we get older? I think when we were kids, we thought that all adults were strong, capable, able to handle anything, and that they didn't feel scared, vulnerable, weak, insecure, etc. I mean, sure, as we get older, we get stronger and more confident in some ways... but I also think we get weaker and less confident in others. Or is it just me?
I don't know, but maybe having those unrealistic expectations of adults made me unprepared for how much we adults will hurt, struggle, feel weak/lost/alone/vulnerable, be anxious/afraid, feel inadequate and ill-equipped to handle what life throws our way, terrified to face the next trial, etc. Or is it just me?
Maybe it's just those of us with dysfunctional families-of-origin (families who hurt more than help), with parents that we couldn't trust or lean on emotionally or rely on physically or that we lost to divorce, death, drugs, alcohol, anger, indifference, prison, etc.... or those of us who grew up feeling like we always had to be the strong ones who had all the answers and who could take care of ourselves because we couldn't trust others to take care of us (or care about us)... maybe we're the ones who - as our youthful zest, optimism, enthusiasm, and strength wears off - will learn how surprisingly hard and painful life can be, how much it wears us down, how weak/scared/unsure/incapable/inadequate we feel, and how much we just wish we had someone else to take care of us sometimes, especially when we aren't strong enough, don't have the answers, and need someone to lean on.
Maybe if we had better support systems and felt loved, supported, encouraged, and buoyed up by those closest to us, maybe life wouldn't feel so hard and hopeless. I don't know, maybe. I mean, life is hard enough without gaping holes where family should be, right? Or is it just me? (This short article actually brought tears to my eyes as I read it, because I felt like it was looking right into my bruised and battered heart: "You know someone's been through a lot in life if they do these 7 things without realizing it.") But I digress.]
Anyway, as I've gotten older, I understand pain and fear and anxiety more and more (I wish I didn't, but I do), and I understand feeling less strong and less confident in myself to handle it. And this is how I learned that I desperately need to throw myself on the Lord and God's truth, clinging to Him with all I've got, especially in the times when I want to throw in the towel or wallow in the pain.
Because I can't do it all myself. I am not strong enough on my own.
But that's okay, because we're not supposed to be able to do it all ourselves. We're not supposed to be strong enough on our own. God knows that we're human. That we can't do it ourselves. That the battle is too much for us sometimes.
And this is why He gives us Himself, His Spirit in us to help us through life. And it's why He gives us a powerful spiritual weapon to help us fight our spiritual battles - Scripture, a part of the armor of God - because He knows how the spirit world operates and that our human tools and efforts are not enough:
Eph. 6:10-18: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For 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 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. 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. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests….be alert...”
The "sword of the Spirit" is the Word of God, a spiritual weapon God gives us to battle evil, to help us in our time of need or temptation or struggle.
And according to Tony Evans, in his sermon "Sword of the Spirit": In the Greek, the actual meaning of the "Word of God" in this verse (Ephesians 6:17) is about the spoken word. It's speaking the Word of God out loud to battle the enemy.
The power of this weapon is in speaking it, not just knowing it or reading it or studying it or having a Bible on your shelf. It's vocalizing specific verses out loud, related to your particular struggle or temptation or fear or whatever ... to defeat the enemy and make him flee. (I was a Christian for over 30 years before I learned this!)
This is what Jesus did when Satan was trying to tempt Him in the wilderness.
Three times Satan tried to offer Jesus something, to get Jesus to do things Satan's way.
And three times Jesus answered with "It is written ..." followed by Scripture that spoke to that temptation.
And if Jesus needed to do this, how much more do we?
The Bible tells us that God's Word is truth and that the truth sets us free - and yet we keep running to our own strength and wisdom and methods and resources to try to set ourselves free from our troubles. Of course, there's a place for earthly help and resources too, but why do we so often neglect the spiritual weapons God gave us (the sword of the Spirit) in favor of those things? (And then we wonder why we struggle so badly and for so long!)
Jesus knew the power of knowing God's Word, living by God's Word, and speaking God's Word. Maybe we should figure that out, too. Because if we did, then maybe we'd have more success battling the enemy's attacks and temptations.
Why not give it a try!
[Continued in next post.]
