Day 40 - The Purpose

​So far in this study, we have examined the fact we are at war with an enemy, we have looked at our greatest weapons of prayer and scripture, we discussed we don’t do battle alone, and we looked at who the enemy is and the armor of God. For today I want to dive into how to do battle against the enemy. We know the enemy is not against our own flesh and blood but against the evil rulers of this dark world, the authorities, and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians, 6:12).  With a comprehension of who the enemy is and who the enemy is not we can begin to develop and tailor our battle plan and strategy. Remember Jesus is our example and our leader and He taught us how to do battle with the enemy by resisting him in the wilderness and through His ministry.  The Bible says in James, “If we resist the devil, he will flee from you” (James, 4:7).
As we discussed yesterday, we are to put on the whole armor of God, and that includes the “Sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians, 6:17).  Most theologians think the Sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon form the full armor of God which Paul teaches about. The reality is that the sword was both an offensive and defensive weapon used by soldiers or warriors. In this case, the sword is a weapon that belongs to the Holy Spirit.  Swords were used to protect one from enemy attacks or to go after and attack the enemy. In both instances, it was extremely necessary for the soldiers to have the necessary training in the proper use of the sword. The sword Paul is referring to here is the “Word of God” the Bible, the living word that cuts deeper than any double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).  All Christian soldiers need the same rigorous training to handle the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.  We are all in a battle against the spiritual forces of evil, and we need to know how to handle our weapon properly. 
The purpose of the Bible is to make us strong and have the ability to stand up against the schemes of the enemy and his tactics. So how does this relate to us as followers of Christ? Well, the answer is this, we need to have a sharp weapon to go into battle against the enemy and his ways. He is always trying to attack, and sometimes we need to be on offense against him, and sometimes we need to play defense. No matter the case, we need to be ready and have the ability to fight with the scriptures on our side, we need to be in tune with the Word of God. Tomorrow we are going to discuss the four ways to knowing and applying the scriptures; heard the word, read the word, study the word, and memorize the word (Blanchard).
For today, ask yourself have you been using the Sword of the spirit, the Word of God fight your enemies, or have you been waging war the way the world does? The Bible teaches us we don’t wage war the way the world does and we fight with the armor of God (2 Corinthians 10:3).
God bless!