What’s your favorite weapon? Some people like machine guns, others like sniper rifles. I know a person who likes 9mm pistols, and another who thinks a Colt .45 is cool. One of my friends even has a replica of Wolverine’s claws. However amazing all of those may be, though, my favorite weapon has always been a sword. Swords can be intricately carved, or be plain, utilitarian instruments. Either way, the shine of their blades, and the ring of steel on steel as they are drawn from the scabbard is, in my mind, unmatched.
Now, there are many different types of swords. In the Book of Judges, Ehud had a two-edged sword about two feet long. The Scots used a broadsword known as a claymore. Samurai swords are renowned for their flexible yet razor-sharp blades. Scimitars have only one cutting edge, but they are effective and powerful. German mercenaries used a sword called a zweihander, which was between six and seven feet long! You know, it seems like there are as many different swords as there are warriors who carry those swords. And that’s what makes them so cool. No matter who is wielding the sword, or what its shape, as long as the owner is proficient with it, it is a deadly weapon to its enemies. But the reverse is also true; if an untrained person tried to wield the same sword, they could hurt themselves very badly, and possibly other people close to them as well.
That makes me think about the Bible. It’s known as a “two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.” There are many types of Bibles: hardback, paperback, illustrated, New Testaments (with Psalms and Proverbs included), Gideon Bibles, and monstrous, gold-inlaid family Bibles. There are also countless translations and versions of the Bible as well. But it is still the same weapon, and it remains just as deadly no matter its appearance. In the hands of a mighty prayer warrior, or a person well grounded in the faith, the Word can cut through demons and principalities left and right. However, when a hypocrite, or a person speaking in anger tries to use Scripture to their advantage, they can hurt themselves and cut people around them very deeply.
War is different these days. In Bible times, the armies would run at each other with swords and spears, with archers and slingers providing cover, and chariots providing the heavy infantry. In the middle ages, kings and their armies would siege castles, with their cannons, siege towers, and crossbows. Nowadays, we have stealth missions and tactical air strikes. But no matter the timeframe, if a soldier attempted to run onto the battlefield without a weapon, he’d be destroyed in a heartbeat. This world is a battlefield, and the Bible is our weapon; our “sword of the Spirit.” Without it, our lives are many times harder and more dangerous to live. So next time you head out the door and step onto your personal battlefield, stop and ask yourself; do I have my weapon?
