Harvest Daily 09/02/04

Harvest Daily Devotional
by Pastor Greg Laurie

September 2
Remember Your Sword

Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17

Many believers have all their spiritual armor in place, but they never use their sword.  They talk about it.  They study it.  They compare swords with others.  But they never use their sword in spiritual battle.  In fact, the devil would be pleased if believers would just keep their sword in its sheath.  The devil knows too well the power and the authority of the sword of the Spirit, which is God's Word.

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is full of living power.  It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires.  It exposes us for what we really are."  God says of his own word in Isaiah, "I send it out, and it always produces fruit.  It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it" (55:11).  There is power and authority in the Word of God.  That is why the devil doesn't want you to use this incredible weapon God has given you.

Remember how effectively Jesus used the sword of God's Word to defend Himself when He faced spiritual attack in the wilderness?  Jesus was God.  He didn't have to stand around and deal with the devil.  He could have gotten out of the situation very easily.  But instead, He stood and modeled for us the right way to fight temptation: with the Word of God.

So when the devil tries to attack you with temptation, fear, doubt, or brings up past sins you've already confessed and of which you've been forgiven, remember the sword of the Spirit.  Pull it out of its sheath and use it aggressively to defend yourself.

Copyright (c) 2004 by Harvest Ministries.  All rights reserved.  Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright (c) 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.