How to Use God’s Word to Prevail on the Battlefield

Reverend Leo H. McCrary II

God’s Word, the sword of the Spirit, is a powerful that believers must use on this journey to push forward in fulfilling our high calling.

Introduction

We have a destiny and a calling that takes down a narrow path filled with obstacles and hurdles, trials and tribulations, adversaries, and a great enemy.  Though the path is difficult, we must push forward because if we stop, we will be overcome.  So, we need help pushing ahead.  God’s word is the help we need to push ahead and prevail.

A Need to Rely on God

In a familiar passage of scripture from Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul encouraged the Ephesian believers in the battle they faced while trying to fulfill their calling.  The Ephesian believers shared in the same purpose and calling that all believers share.  

Though we have a righteous calling from Christ, we will be met by great opposition.  So, Paul first encouraged them to be strong in the Lord, in the power of His might (Eph. 6:10).  Then, Paul encouraged them to put on the whole armor of God so that they could stand against the cunning deceptions of Satan (Eph. 6:11).

Let us notice that Paul encouraged one to rely on the Lord.  Our reliance must be in God and not ourselves because what power do we have on our own?  What can we accomplish by our own strength and might?  We would immediately be defeated on the battlefield without God and His armor.

The Protective Armor of God

From Ephesians 6:14-17, Paul began to go over each piece of the armor of God.  What I want you to take note of is that each of these pieces is for our protection.

Paul first spoke of the breastplate of righteousness.  A breastplate is worn to cover one of the most vital parts of the body – the chest.  The chest is where our heart is located, and if the heart is impaled or struck, one will fall.

As the heart is the engine of our bodies, the soul is the engine of our being.  Resting in your soul is your character and your integrity.  Also resting in your soul is hope.  If the soul is destroyed, simply put, we lose.  This makes the breastplate of righteousness an important piece because the enemy will attack the soul first.

Paul then spoke of wearing protective footgear prepared in the gospel that will protect our every step on this journey.  Because the wicked one is constantly throwing fiery darts at us, Paul said that we ought to take the shield of faith, so that we aren’t struck.

Another important piece of the armor is the helmet of salvation because the head is certainly a critical part of the body.  The brain controls the body, and you better believe the enemy desires to control you.  So, on this battlefield, it is crucial that we wear this helmet for self-control.

The Offensive Weapons of God’s Children

As it is often pointed out about the armor of God, there is no back piece.  Because there is no back piece, this points to the importance of how the believer must push forward on the battlefield.  

We can’t afford to turn around and retreat!  Should we give the enemy our backs, we will be struck down and fall on the battlefield.  This is why Jesus declared, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).”

So, to help us push forward on the battlefield, Paul spoke of the two offensive weapons that the true believer ought to carry with them.

The first weapon Paul spoke of was the sword of the Spirit, which he said is the word of God.  Jesus, I want to remind you, used the word of God to turn away Satan when He was tempted.  

In Hebrews 4:12, Paul said that the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword.  He said that the word of God is so powerful that it pierces even to the division of soul and spirit; it is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart.

Why is the written word of God so powerful?  The written word, Scripture, is so powerful because it points to the living Word.  The living Word was with God, and the living Word was, and is, God, which is why it is so powerful (John 1:1).  Jesus, I will remind you, is the living Word, as He told the disciples that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

The second offensive weapon of the true believer is prayer and supplication.  Prayer is so powerful because of who it is that we are praying to.  Our prayer line directly connects us to the Lord.

Many make light of these two weapons, but it is of great importance that we have and use our weapons.  We need prayer so that we can call out for greater help on this battlefield.  The last thing we ought to be doing is trying to be a one-person army.  Paul called on the Ephesians to pray for him so that he could boldly fulfill his calling to serve (Eph. 6:19).

When He was tempted, Jesus told the devil that man cannot live by bread alone, but man can live by the word of God (Matt. 4:4).  So, we must carry and live by God’s Word so that we can endure and overcome.  

As Paul pointed out, we need the sword of the Spirit because we wrestle against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, and spiritual hosts of wickedness (Eph. 6:12-13).  Man has made many great weapons, but there is no man-made weapon that can help us withstand spiritual wickedness, the evil of the day.  

Responsible Use of God’s Word

Now that we know what our weapons are and that they are offensive, I think it’s important that we understand how to wield our weapons.  Why do I say this?

There are many who say they believe in God, but they use God’s word in an extreme manner that has, and still is, doing great damage.  Police officers, those who serve in the military, are trained to respect and use their weapons with great care.  There is a great responsibility we have in wielding our powerful weapons.

Wielding God’s word responsibly is a very important subject matter to me, especially seeing how it’s being used today.  So, I want to share scripture from Acts 19 to show the example Paul sets for how to properly wield the word of God.

Imparting grace and lifting up

In Acts 19:1, we are told that Paul had come to Ephesus.  Why had he come to Ephesus?  To do work. 

We are told that Paul found some disciples, believers, and asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit when they believed (Acts 19:2).  I believe that Paul had likely gone to the synagogue and struck up a conversation about faith.  These men likely said they believed in God, which was when Paul asked had they received the Spirit.

The believers responded that they had not heard there was a Holy Spirit.  This meant that they had not received the message of the gospel nor believed in Christ.  When Paul asked into what they had been baptized, they responded that they had been baptized into John’s baptism (Acts 19:3).

John the Baptist baptized unto repentance as he ministered of the coming of Christ.  When John ministered the coming of Christ, he told his listeners to heed Jesus’ word!  So, Paul went to work, sharing the good news of the gospel with these believers.  We are told that when they had received the good news, Paul baptized them in the name of Christ (Acts 19:5).

Now, let’s pause for a moment to consider Paul’s actions.  Paul was moving by the Word, going on the offense.  Was Paul moving in a combative manner?  There is no indication that Paul was moving in a combative manner.  Paul did not shame those men for not having received the gospel; he simply ministered and lifted them up.

In Acts 19:8, we are told that Paul stayed in Ephesus and ministered for three months.  Again, Paul was on the offense, doing good works.  In Ephesians 4:29, Paul spoke of how the word ought to be used for edification (teaching and uplifting) and to impart grace.  

Nowhere did Paul ever write that God’s word is to be used to cause pain and suffering.  Nowhere did Jesus ever teach that His word ought to be used to inflict hurt and harm.  Honestly, it disgusts me to see God’s name, to see God’s word, used in the manner of hate that I’ve seen in my lifetime.

Maintaining peace in the face of resistance

Now, as Paul had ministered in the region for three months, we are told that he eventually met some resistance.  Acts 19:9 tells us that some hardened their hearts and chose not to believe in the Word; they spoke evil of the Way.

Something that we see repeat itself throughout the history of man is that progress will inevitably meet some form of resistance.  Resistance against the Word always baffles me!  Why so?

Well, I see God’s word as a message of grace and a message of hope.  God’s word preaches mercy and forgiveness, love and unity, and salvation to glory.  What is so bad about such a wonderful and hopeful message?

Resistance to God’s word shouldn’t baffle me at all because Jesus spoke of how He was hated by the world and that we would too (John 15:18-19).  Jesus’ message is not of the world, as it speaks against worldliness.  Here’s where I remind you that the Word, the truth, is a double-edged sword, and it can hurt both ways.  

Such truth is one that worldly people don’t want to hear.  You see, those who are of the world love the world and its way; they don’t want to change.  Worldly men enjoy their “power” and control, and they have no desire to cede it, even if it leads to destruction.

For the believer, seeing someone choose sin is painful because we know the end result.  So, resistance to God’s word is often taken personally by those whose lives are due to the Word.  

I want you to notice how Paul responded to meeting such resistance.  Acts 19:9 tells us that he departed from the resistors and withdrew the believers to another location.  

Now, someone may see this as Paul retreating, giving his back, on the battlefield.  Did Paul give up?  No, Paul continued to do the good work.  What Paul chose not to do was be combative.  

Has God asked us to be combative in the ministering and sharing of His word?  You see, some believers take rejection personally and get combative, trying to force God’s word onto those who have rejected it.  In fact, they move with a self-righteous disdain as they create laws, trying to force others to live by God’s way.

As James said, the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God (Jas. 1:20).  I think of how Peter pulled out his sword and sliced off the ear of Malchus on the night Jesus was arrested.  Jesus immediately told Peter to put away his sword.  I wonder how many people Jesus would tell to put away their swords, moving in such a hurtful manner.

The Lord has never asked to be combative in a hurtful manner when it comes to ministering His word.  If we meet resistance, the best thing we can do is follow Paul’s example and choose peace.  Paul was led by the peace of the Spirit, the same peace that Christ has given to us (John 16:33).  If anything, we ought to remember that vengeance belongs to God and He will repay it.

Moving to glorify God and not oneself

After he had resettled, Acts 19:11-12 shows that Paul continued in doing the good work.  The scripture tells us that “unusual miracles” were being done by the hands of Paul.  However, one must note that it was “God” who worked those unusual miracles by Paul’s hands.

Nowhere in this passage of scripture have we seen Paul wield his weapons to glorify himself.  Paul did not seek to inflict any hurt or harm.  Paul did, however, seek to help lift up those who were vulnerable to spiritual attack and those who had been attacked on the battlefield.  

This is the example the true believer ought to follow when it comes to wielding the Word.  The Word of God is not to be wielded in any other manner than to do good by helping to uplift.  God’s Word is not to be wielded to glorify oneself as many do today!

The Painful Price of Irresponsible Use of God’s Word

What good can come from one who chooses to wield God’s Word in a self-seeking manner that only glorifies oneself?

In Acts 19:13-16, we see the danger of irresponsibly using God’s Word by an “itinerant Jewish exorcist”.   These were Jews who roamed the land pretending to exorcise demons, doing the work of God.  They kind of put me in mind of Simon the sorcerer, a man shown in Acts 8:9-24 that also pretended to do the works of God.

After seeing the works done by Paul, the itinerant Jews took it upon themselves to also call on the name of Christ in an effort to exorcise demons.  At first glance, nothing might seem wrong about this, but there was a problem.

The demon they tried to exorcise from a man began to speak to them about their effort.  To them, the evil spirit said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”  The demon has made a statement that speaks volumes!

Firstly, the demon speaks of being able to recognize both Christ and Paul.  In fact, the demon speaks of a matter of respecting the authority of Christ and Paul.  The demon respected Paul’s authority because God was working through Paul.  The demon, however, did not have such respect for the itinerant Jews because they took it upon themselves; they were not being genuine in faith.

Acts 19:16 tells us that the evil spirit leaped out from the man and overpowered the itinerant Jews and prevailed against them.  What concerned me so greatly today is that there are many itinerant Christians who are working in the same manner of the itinerant Jews.  

The itinerant Christian is roaming the land, supposedly doing work in the name of Christ, but because they lack faith, nothing is being accomplished.  In their combativeness, trying to dictate and force laws, they have created a heated environment that’s pushed many away from church doors and from receiving God’s word.  This means they have left many spiritually vulnerable when they should be using the Word to bring security to the vulnerable.

Even more, the itinerant Christians have set loose a demon in this land, and he is feeding and consuming not just them but those who are spiritually vulnerable. This is the painful price (consequence) of irresponsibly using God’s Word.

God’s Word is not meant to be weaponized in such a manner that souls are lost.  As we need God’s Word to live by, several others need His Word for the same reason.  So, we should wield the word of God as a helping, fending off the wicked and helping to clear the way for those with us on this journey.

Our destiny and our calling are to do good; to help lead others to glory.  This is also why we need the Word and should use the Word with great care and responsibility.