Cling to the Sword

Scripture

"He rose up and struck the Philistines until his hand was weary and it clung to the sword, and the Lord brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder the dead."2 Samuel 23:10Notice that Eleazar fought the powerful Philistines until he was weary. But there is a connection between the great victory that the Lord brought and the fact that he clung to his sword. The sword was the offensive weapon used to destroy the enemy. At no point do you see Eleazar dropping his sword until the victory is complete.The New Testament compares the Bible to a sword. It is our only offensive weapon (Ephesians 6:17). The writer of Hebrews says: "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12)."The sword of the Spirit--the Bible--is the weapon God has provided for us to use in this battle between truth and deception. Make it a priority to wield that sword skillfully." —Billy Graham"We should begin the day with the Bible, and as it comes to a close let the Word speak its wisdom to our souls. Let it be the Staff of Life upon which our spirit is nourished. Let it be the Sword of the Spirit which cuts away the evil of our lives and fashions us in His image and likeness." —Billy Graham

5 Lessons for Clinging to Your Sword

1. Make a commitment to God that you will not go to bed at night without having read the Bible at some point during your day. To use this “sword of the Spirit,” you must know what the “sword of the Spirit” says. Jesus didn’t just quote Scripture to Satan in the wilderness temptations; He had a life that backed up/was consistent with the teachings of God’s Word. Satan is hardly fearful of you quoting Scripture, but he is terrified when you know it and have acted on Scripture.
2. Satan has no defense against this piece of spiritual weaponry. “Thus saith the Lord” slays the enemy.
3. The Bible is the “sword of the Spirit.” Not only did the Holy Spirit author the Scripture, but His filling and His control in our lives allow us to use Scripture effectively.
4. Always cling to the sword of Scripture. Stand on what God said. Read the Scripture; reflect on the Scripture; pray the Scripture back to God; and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. Like Eleazar, when all is said and done, be clinging to your sword, God’s Word.
5. You cannot win spiritual battles without using the sword of the Spirit. You will not lose spiritual battles while using the sword of the Spirit. That means being obedient to what God’s Word says.

Regardless of what you are going through, cling to God’s Word and experience overcoming power. (From the devotional, “31 Leadership Lessons From David’s Mighty Men).