Sword

Have you ever faced an enemy? Someone who wanted to do great harm to you? I have not, to the best of my knowledge, had someone who wanted to harm me so much that they hunted me down and cornered me to the point I feared death. I have, however, an enemy who is out to destroy me in any way possible. The weapons he uses against me are usually discouragement, sadness, anxiety, fear, feeling overwhelmed, and loneliness. I get so tired of fighting this enemy, Satan, and some days, I want to give up and give in self-pity. There are days I want to climb back into bed, pull the covers over my head, and hide. I don’t do this, but some days I want to. I am learning that on those days, to fight back under the power and authority of the almighty God.

On one of these days, I was reading my devotional in Our Daily Bread. The passage referenced was 2 Samuel 23:8-12. This passage references David and his mighty warriors. It tells of the exceptional exploits of these warriors as they fought for David, slaying the enemy with swords and spears. The Israelites fled in the face of their enemies, but these mighty warriors stood firm, killing the enemy. Verse 10 says, “But Eleazar stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day.” The first thing I see is the obedience of a soldier and the blessing of victory by God. But what really stuck out to me, and continues to, is he was so committed to defeating the enemy that he held tight to his sword so long and tight that his hand froze to the sword. Wow!! Am I that committed to my weapon against my enemy?

Ephesians 6 gives us the armor of God so that we can pray over ourselves, friends, and family as we battle with our enemy. The first piece of armor is the belt of truth, and the last one is the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. I have been thinking about what my life may look like if I read and studied my Bible so much that my hand froze to it.

First, to be victorious, I must know the truth. To know the truth, I must know what the Bible says about God, His sovereignty, power, plans, and who I am to God, to mention a few things. For a soldier, the belt would hold all weapons, so they were easily accessible. It was the foundation on which to build their defense. The truth about who God is and who he says I am is the foundation on which I can stand in my daily battles.

The promise that is dearest to me is that God is always with me. This is stated multiple times throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah 41:10 states, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” What a powerful promise in and of itself. But, if you read verse 9b, “You are my servant; I have chosen you and have not rejected you,” it is even more meaningful. I don’t need to be afraid because God chose me. The God of the universe, who needs nothing from me, chose to love, uphold, and help me. This is a truth that I need to cling to in battle. I am not alone. I am able to fight because I am being upheld by the righteous right hand of the almighty God. Amazing!!

Each one of us faces different battles. I face different battles on any given day. One of the most significant battles we face is fear. This is such a problem that God states 365 times in the Bible, “Do not be afraid.” We are to be fearless! I can stand against discouragement and despair because my foundation is in God. The God of the universe profoundly cares for me and for all of creation. He says he loves me, is with me, provides for me, defends me, and prays for me. If I believe this to be true of the character of God, then I can live in peace and hope. If I study and truly know the word of God, I can swing the sword and take out any enemy that comes my way. I must believe, though, and not doubt. I must be sure that I am not fighting alone. I can tell my enemy to leave me alone, not by my power or strength but by the amazing, all-encompassing power of the living God. As David said to Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:45, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord.” He defeated his enemy by trusting in the Almighty God.

These mighty warriors of David all had something in common. A deep belief in and commitment to who they were fighting for. They were fiercely loyal to David and defended him against an enemy that wanted to kill him. They were bold, courageous, and brave. They believed in David so much that they put their lives on the line to cross enemy territory to get David water (2 Samuel 23:15). I need to be bold, courageous, and brave in my battle against my enemy. The difference is my king does not need me to defend him. The beautiful difference is my king defends me. He gave me the weapons to defend myself against his enemy, which became my enemy because I follow Christ. God gave us his sword to encourage, instruct, and embolden us. He is the great I AM. He lovingly holds us, covers us, and provides for us. His word can give us peace, strength, and shelter from our enemy. A Bible verse that I cling to during some battles is, “May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Reading 2 Samual 23 was so meaningful to me because I have faced several battles this summer. I have been in physical pain and had many medical bills, as three of us had medical issues this summer, one car accident, and faced my father’s failing health and his death. I felt overwhelmed and wondered how everything would work out. God has provided comfort, resources, protection, guidance, and, most importantly, his presence with me daily.

As I go forward in my journey, which some days will turn into a battle, let me hold fast to the sword. I want to hold it so tight and so long that my hand freezes to it. God will give me the strength to keep swinging it from side to side, wiping out each enemy that comes. Let me be bold and courageous, not in my own strength but in the strength and power of the Almighty God. The passage goes on to say, “The Lord brought about a great victory that day.” (2 Samuel 23:10b). I pray that God brings about a great victory for me as I stand my ground and fight an enemy that I can’t see, but I absolutely feel. I pray that anyone who cries out to God in battle and holds fast to their sword also experiences a great victory.

I pray that I am so devoted to my king that I am willing to stand and do battle against any enemy who comes to take away my attention or loyalty to my king, the Lord Jesus.

Let me be God’s mighty warrior.