The Sword of the Spirit

The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit. Obviously, then, immersion in the Word is essential to a Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered walk. When I am struggling with a sense of His presence, there is usually the rust of disuse on my Sword--if I've even been taking it out of its scabbard at all. And such spiritual apathy is just as much a malady of the old saint as the young. We old soldiers, at times, seem to think we've heard it all, we know it all by now. Oh, maybe we don't say that, or perhaps even think it, but if the Sword spends the day untouched, it's true of us nonetheless. Actions do speak. Loudly. "Be in the Word," is our Captain's command, not suggestion--a command designed to enable us to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ.
After all, like it or not, each day--moment-by-moment--we are engaged in spiritual warfare. There are no days off. And how effective is a soldier without his sword? How safe is a soldier without his sword? We need that Sword for it's a vital part of the whole armor of God. And since the warfare is moment-by-moment, so much the soldier--moment-by-moment--be armored up--Sword sharpened and ready. We are promised--are we not--that to resist the enemy is to send him fleeing? Greater is the Spirit's power than the enemy's. And he knows it.
And don't forget whose Sword it is. The Spirit's Sword, not yours. Wield it, speak it, in His power. Through prayer plead with Him to use His Word to His glory and in His time. And then trust Him to do so. He doesn't need your wisdom or persuasive power to do so; in fact, Paul warned the church at Corinth to be absolutely certain that men were being persuaded by the Spirit and not by the wisdom of men. What a subtle danger we put others in when they follow men instead of Him. When we try to persuade them to follow us instead of Him--to respond to our call and not His. Devastating.
And remember, people are not the enemy. Our "weapons" when "dealing" with men are love, compassion, caring, gentleness, kindness, patience. Spiritual weapons bring down strongholds, not human, carnal ones. And what are carnal weapons? Those wielded in spiritual pride. Use the Sword with grace and love--even speaking the truth in love. If you cannot speak in love, you dare not speak.
And one more thing. Another dynamic power of the Spirit's Sword is the cleansing, the purging away, of the pretense in my life--the self-sufficiency with which I try to walk the spiritual walk. The Spirit's Sword cuts away all those things that hinder my total reliance on His strength, His wisdom, and His power. It is a pride destroyer. The man or woman who daily wields the Sword can always be found on his or her knees pleading before the Throne of God for the grace and mercy--yes, we are in need of mercy--necessary to soldier on. "I can't be like You. There is too much of me in my life. Please cut away the self-absorption that keeps me powerless to touch the lives of others with Your presence."

The Sword of the Spirit--essential for resisting the enemy day-by day. Essential if I am to be armored up.

The Sword of the Spirit--essential for touching the lives of others with His loving truth.

The Sword of the Spirit--essential for the daily cleansing, the purging of my spiritual pride--so that He can live His life through me.

Using it does not wear it out. Using it hones it for spirit-empowered living