Spiritual Warfare: Speaking the Word of God
Continuing in our series on Spiritual Warfare, Lyle Schut spoke about speaking the Word of God, with an emphasis on this week's VOW,
"Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
Ephesians 6:17
Jesus is the Word
In John 1:1, we read, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". So who is the Word? Jesus. He was there in the beginning with the Father as He spoke and all of creation came to be. Nothing came to be without Him.
Hebrews 4:12 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." Then, that is mirrored in Revelation 1:16 talking about Jesus, "and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword".
In John 14, the disciples ask Jesus to show them the Father, but Jesus responds saying, "Don't you believe that I am the Father, and that the Father is I n me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work." Jesus speaks and the Father works. Then, the Holy Spirit will bring to remembrance all that He has said.
The Power of the Word
- Proverbs 18:21 - The power to speak life or death.
- Proverbs 16:24 - The power to speak physical healing.
- John 6:63 - The power in speaking words full of the Spirit and of life.
- Isaiah 50:4 - The power to speak words of encouragement over the weary.
- Proverbs 4:22 - The power to speak life and health.
- Matthew 17 - The power to speak with the authority given to us by Jesus.
Jesus models using the Word to battle
When Jesus spent 40 days in the desert he would respond to devil's temptations with the Word.
"The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:
“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”
Application
Read through the Psalms and find verses that jump out to you. Pray those often. Speak them over yourself and over others. There is power in prophetic words like in 1 Timothy 1:18. You have the power to speak encouragement over others. Looking back at the life of David. He was told he would be king, yet he spent years and year running and hiding. For Joseph, he was given dreams of his brothers bowing down to him, yet he was sold into slavery and spent years in prison before rising to his place in leadership. Although there were prophetic words spoken over them, they went through times of trial, where it may have felt like they were living opposite of those words. That is where the enemy tries to steal, kill, and destroy, but God causes all things to work for good. Those hard times are when it is necessary to lean into the Word.
Isaiah 35:3 says, "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow...and those the LORD has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away." We are called to stand with others and to speak the Word over them as encouragement as we await the recompense of the Lord because He is faithful.
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