4 ways to sharpen the Sword of the Spirit

The sword is a piece of armour. It is one of the weapons used to fight battles in the medieval age. It was used for attack and defence.

A word generally has power and influence over anything - man, animal or object. A word can be empowered by a positive force or a negative one. A word can be used to construct or destroy (Proverbs 18:21), though it is much easier to destroy than to construct.

The Bible contains the words spoken by men (1 Corinthians 7:6), demons (Matthew 8:29), Satan (Job 1:9), animals (Numbers 22:30) and God (Isaiah 10:24). However, it is called the Word of God because it contains the goals of God for his creatures; the Bible is centred on God's purpose.

God's word is alive and working. It is sharper than the sharpest sword and cuts all the way into us. It cuts deep to the place where the soul and the spirit are joined. God's word cuts to the center of our joints and our bones. It judges the thoughts and feelings in our hearts. Hebrews 4:12 (ETRV)

Every word spoken by God is always accompanied with power - John 6:63
“The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (NLT)

The word of God can come as a written one (Bible), spoken one (prophecy, dreams and visions) or as an entity (Jesus) - John 1:1-3.
Before the world began, the Word was there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was there with God in the beginning. Everything was made through him, and nothing was made without him. (ETRV)

The word of God has a creative, healing and delivering power – (Gen. 1:3; Psalm 107:20)
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

The devil knows the Word of God and he has been using it from ages past to accuse men before God especially the believers (Revelation 12:10).

The Power of His Word

  • His word swallows every other word - Isaiah 8:10
  • His word has the resetting power to all things i.e can reverse what has been redesigned by the enemy – 1 Chronicles 4:10.
  • His word carries life and gives life - John 6:63
  • His word discerns all thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:12
  • His word gives growth to your spiritual life - John 15:3
  • His word surely comes to fulfilment no matter the time - Habakkuk 2:3
  • His word is the only weapon to overcome the devil in an argument - Matthew 4:10-11

4 Ways To Sharpen the Sword of The Spirit

1.  Carry the Word in your heart. Many carry the word of God in their brain rather than their hearts. That's why when the enemy comes even in their dreams; they find it extremely difficult to quote any scripture to battle against the enemy. It is the word that you carry in your heart that is supplied into the spirit, which eventually grows your spirit and make you fit to fight the enemy easily.

2.  Never be tired of reading the scripture. When some folks eventually read through the Bible, they assume that they now know everything in the Bible. They thought their one-time reading of the Bible and the understanding they get at that time ends there. The devil operates the most advanced scanning machine in the world; he knows the level of God’s word in you; he knows the laws you are ignorant of; he knows your level of understanding in God’s word.

3.  Invite the Holy Spirit each time to you read the Word of God. Without the Holy Spirit, the words of the Bible are as dead as a tree no root. Your own understanding and interpretation about the scripture is not what that matters, but God’s interpretation. The reason why devil still wins his case before God about some Christians is because he knows the actual interpretation of the Word. For you not to allow the devil to be cheating you, you need to understand the word of God through the help of the Holy Spirit. It is extraordinarily pathetic for many believers who always try to interpret the scripture to suit themselves; they will only be shattered to discover that their own interpretation do not count on the last day (judgment day).

4.  Be obedient to His word. Your sword of the spirit can never be sharpened if you read the bible and fail to abide by the words you read. The Bible is like a mirror. When you finish your bath, you take a look at yourself in the mirror only for you to discover the foam of the soap you used. If you refused to clear the foam away, it means the mirror is useless and valueless. Likewise, as you read your Bible, when you come across a commandment, obey it; when you come across a warning, take heed to it; when you come across a lamentable story, draw lessons from it. When you fail to apply anything you have read in the bible, you will never grow in the spirit.

Why the Sword is Associated with the Word of God

It is the sword that brings peace after a victorious warfare. It also signifies strength. Hence, the more the Word of God you carry, the more your spiritual strength.
The sword symbolises protection. Therefore, with the Word of God dwelling richly in you, you have an assurance of God's protection.

There is no shortcut to victory; when your Sword of the Spirit is blunt, you can never win the battles against your enemies. In fact, your blunt sword will make you more of a casualty.

If God Himself do not joke with His words, then you must value and keep His Word continually in your heart so that the devil will not defeat you due to your ignorance.