Sword Control

Hosea 4:6 begins by saying, "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge..."  Ignorance has contributed to much unnecessary suffering in the world, even through those who desired to do good.  Before the discovery of dangerous germs, surgeons did not wash their hands or clothes between operations.  The result of this lack of sanitation in hospitals led to the spread of disease, infections, and caused many preventable deaths.  Even to this day in developing countries, people remain who do not understand the connection between drinking contaminated water and sickness.  When a child is stricken with dysentery from drinking water containing sewage, village elders assume evil spirits are to be blamed.  While the world is not without a spiritual dimension, ignorance of something as simple as the importance of clean drinking water can lead to disaster.

We live in a day when the world is experiencing a famine of hearing the Word of God.  The world has placed science and scripture at odds with each other, though there is no conflict from a Christian perspective.  Believing the Bible and reliance upon prayer are seen as archaic coping mechanisms of a superstitious day.  Even in many "churches" there is a departure from viewing the scripture as absolute truth and that it would be foolish to take the scriptures literally.  This is exactly according to the design of Satan.  When the authority of the Bible as the perfect Word of God is undermined or removed, God's people are stranded without the necessary weapons to do battle against temptation, the world, or Satan.  The Bible and God's promises are bazookas with unlimited ammo against our spiritual foes and temptations when discerned through the power of the Holy Spirit.  But many of God's people have been inoculated with worldly philosophies and relativism, and by putting down their Bibles they have laid down their arms.  When Satan tempted Jesus, how did He answer Him?  With the Word of God, also called the "Sword of the Spirit" (Eph. 6:17).  As the grip of the church on God's Word weakens, our inability to stand and fight against the spiritual forces of wickedness follows suit.

There is a thought provoking passage in 1 Samuel 13:19-22 which reads, "Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make swords or spears." ²⁰ But all the Israelites would go down to the Philistines to sharpen each man's plowshare, his mattock, his ax, and his sickle; ²¹ and the charge for a sharpening was a pim for the plowshares, the mattocks, the forks, and the axes, and to set the points of the goads. ²² So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan. But they were found with Saul and Jonathan his son."  For many years the Philistines had occupied and oppressed much of the children of Israel.  To prevent an uprising among the Jews, the Philistines prohibited blacksmiths in the land of Israel.  They implemented a form of "sword control."  The Israelites relied upon the Philistine blacksmiths who sharpened their farming tools for a price.  In the whole nation of Israel there were only two swords owned:  one by king Saul and the other by Jonathan his son.  The end result was on the day of battle, there was a whopping two swords for the whole nation of Israel.  Good thing it was God who fought their battles!  Satan will blunt our blades and charge an exorbitant price.

Satan is crafty and subtle.  He knows that against the Word of God he cannot fight and win.  But if he can trick God's people to neglect the study of God's Word, it will rust in the sheath and be useless when the battle hits.  Without being trained to rightly divide God's truth through the Holy Spirit by discipleship in the family and home groups, people are without adequate balance, strength, or coordination to stand up to the temptations of the world.  God says, "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge."  People die every day because they lack knowledge of God, His wisdom, and ways.  Jesus says the Holy Spirit has been sent to John 16:8-10 to teach us all things:  "And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: ⁹ of sin, because they do not believe in Me; ¹⁰ of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more."  The primary way the Holy Spirit instructs us is through biblical truth.  If the Holy Spirit also brings to remembrance whatever Jesus has said (John 14:26), how can we know what Jesus has said except we read it ourselves?  No man but a thief would attempt to withdraw money from a bank at which he has no account.  Man is foolish to think he can draw upon the wisdom of God without the Word.

The fact is, the Bible teaches we are in the midst of a spiritual battle of epic proportions.  The destiny of the eternal souls of men and the glory of God are at stake.  In giving us His Word, God has provided a sword for all those adopted into His family by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  How much value do you place on the Word of God?  Do you believe it is 100% accurate and true?  The demons believe and tremble!  The devil knows the fearful things written concerning him and any who fight against God.  Zechariah 14:12 is a good example:  "And this shall be the plague with which the LORD will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths."  If God should strike those who fight against His sanctuary with such fury, what rage shall be reserved for Satan and the rulers of wickedness?  Take up the sword, children of God!  Heaven and earth will pass away, but God's Word will never pass away (Matt. 24:35)!