READ Ephesians 6:10-16
“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.”
What good is all this armor without a weapon? After encouraging us to suit up and put on the full armor of God, Paul encourages us to take up the “the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” Just like an ancient soldier would wield his sword in battle, the Word of God is the weapon we need to push back against the enemy. When you are reading and remembering the Word of God, you are swinging your sword in the spiritual battles around you.
Look back at this list. All of the other pieces of spiritual armor are defensive, which means they’re designed to protect you when conflict comes. The sword is the only offensive weapon in this entire list. What does it represent? Scripture. Read Scripture every day. This will be the weapon that helps you win every battle. Whenever you encounter a lie from the enemy, respond to it with the truth of God. Whenever you are feeling fear, go into the Word. Whenever you face an attack, open the Bible.
Here are three ways you can draw the sword in your life:
Read the Bible Every Day: Just make some small changes to your routine. Try taking the first fifteen minutes of your day to study Scripture instead of scrolling through Instagram. This will empower you to be battle-ready, regardless of what the day throws your way.
Write Scripture Down: Choose some verses that mean a lot to you. Then, put them in places where you will see them. Write sticky notes with passages about your identity and stick them on your mirror. Scribble Scriptures about God’s love on your notebooks. Place the Word of God in front of your eyes as much as possible.
Memorize Scripture: I get it, you probably hate memorizing things. However, this discipline will completely change your life. The Psalmist urges us to “hide God’s word in our hearts.” There is paramount power in memorizing Scripture. These verses will give you help in times of need, comfort in times of stress, inspiration in times of discouragement, and motivation when you need a push. Start by memorizing verses (Phil 4:8; Psalms 19:14; Mark 12:30), then move into memorizing passages (Romans 8:31-39; Ephesians 4:10-18; Ephesians 1:3-14).