Sharpen your Sword
I was making lunch and as usual I love tomatoes on my sandwich. So instead of the butter knife, I open the knife drawer and randomly grabbed one of the many knifes we have to pick from.
99 times out of a 100, the knife I choose is pretty dull. It barely cuts through the tomato without some sawing action. Not this time! While first adding some mayo, I accidentally touched my finger with the knife and to my dismay it slit through my skin with ease. Instant blood, but thankfully the cut was minimal. I was amazed when I saw how easily this knife sliced through the tomato. There is something special about a sharp knife!
Call me different, but all I could think about was this. What if I was this sharp of a sword? What if I was the weapon of choice when my King was preparing to go to battle in need of a great victory?
There is nothing more useless than a dull knife. Try filleting a fish with one. You leave half the meat on the fish, wasting so much of what it has to offer you in strength and nutrition.
Unless you are a knife, sword junkie or a cook, you likely don’t appreciate the value a sharp knife or sword. This was not the case in Bible times as a sharp sword was highly desired and one of the most powerful weapons in battle. There were swords of all lengths and size. Isn’t it interesting that nothing can cut as deep as the lethal sword each of us carry in our mouths. How? Because it can cut straight through the heart.
Bible Gateway list 406 times that a sword is referred to in the Bible. 373 times in the OT , but only 33 times in the NT, most of which in Revelations. Jesus was very clear that there was no need for a physical sword anymore now that He, the Messiah and Savior of the World, had arrived. Jesus weapon of choice on earth was love. His 33 years on earth changed everything! This change came after he was baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit! At that point Jesus began his three year ministry flipping the world right side up!
I find it interesting that a sword is the shape of a cross. The weapon used to crucify our King. Now our most powerful weapon is the power of the Holy Spirit, which directly comes from Jesus willingness to go to that old rugged cross.
Jesus first coming was without the use of a physical sword, but this will not be the case when our Savior returns on a white horse! Revelation 19:21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
I’m sure you have seen movies like Gladiator or 300 about soldiers like Spartans who had legendary skill with a sword. The Old Testament is full of heroic swordsman. I have studied and love the stories of David and his mighty men. In 2 Samuel 23:9-10, Eleazar stood and refused to retreat when everyone else fled. He fought until the sword froze to his hand as he single handily won a mighty victory.
The account says, “The Lord brought about a great victory that day.” I love that Truth pointed out that the Lord, not Eleazar, brought about victory that day! Oh how I would love to win a great victory for the Lord like Eleazar! I pray daily for the Lord to use me, and His sword of the Spirit residing in me, to stand and bring Him another great victory! Can you imagine? Why can’t that still happen today? Jesus said, greater things will the Holy Spirit do through us, if we would only believe!
My favorite story of all is David using Goliath’s own giant sword to behead the fool who challenging his God. Can you imagine beheading the demon named anxiety or by speaking the Name of Jesus and actually using the authority given to you by our Heavenly Father!
The sharpest and most powerful sword of all is the Word of God. “For the word of God is alive and exerts power and is sharper than any two–edged sword and pierces even to the dividing of soul and spirit, and of joints from the marrow, and is able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.
The command to every Christian, all Christians both young and old, is to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” 2 Pet. 3:18. Like Eleazar we must cling to the Sword of the Spirit even if everyone is going the other direction.
As much as I love watching movies featuring an expert swordsman demonstrating his ability to master the weapon, the truth is I have very little use for an actual sword these days in this realm. However, there is a battle raging that is unseen to our human eyes, that we must have a sharp sword daily to achieve victory.
Ephesians 6:12, NIV: “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.”
Yes, Jesus defeated death, hell, and the grave and the Word of God is clear about what the future holds for God’s Children! How cool is it that Demons tremble and flee just at the mentioning of Jesus name!
God said to sharpen your sword by placing the Word of God in you! Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
To me there is nothing more sad than a powerless Christian with a dull sword. Sadly, that may be an oxymoron, because in Romans 8:14 the Sword of the Spirit says you must be led by the Holy Spirit to be a child of God. If you do not posses the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus sent to you, then you are taking the chance that God will say depart from me, I never knew you on judgement day.
Without an intimate relationship with the Holy Spirit, how can your sword be sharp, powerful, and fully capable of defeating the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms? Only the Word of God and the Holy Spirit can help you see, fight and fully understand the ways of Jesus and the Father.
Our goal should be to be a mirror the image of Christ. Fully capable, through the same Holy Spirit that empowered Jesus, of daily fighting the good fight! No struggle is to great, nor is anything impossible when you have Jesus and the Sword of the Spirit!
Photo by Ricardo Cruz on Unsplash