READY:
“Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit- which is the word of God.” – Ephesians 6:17
SET:
Imagine it’s the beginning of a new season. The coach is standing before you, telling you what the competition is going to look like. You’re in a new bracket of teams, a level of competition above what you played last year. Things are looking new, scary and a good bit overwhelming. And then the coach has you stand in front of your equipment you’ve been using for the last four years. An unfamiliar season confronted with a familiar weapon is less overwhelming.
You’ve spent years learning how to use your weapon, if it’s a glove, you’ve worked it to fit your specific hand through daily use. If it’s a pair of cleats or shin guards, they feel like they’re a part of your body at this point as you’ve put them on every day to practice and play your sport. The time you spend with the equipment has a direct influence on how comfortable you feel in using it. The same goes for our relationship and familiarity with God’s Word.
God tells us in His Word that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. This means that the Bible acts as the Holy Spirit’s sword to defend you against the lies and schemes of Satan. What happens when a Christian doesn’t pick up the Word and walks into daily battle? The enemy is going to knock them down. There’s absolutely no way a soccer player could handle the battle of a game without cleats and shin guards. They’d have broken ankles and beat up shins. Life without God’s Word brings about the same amount of pain.
The more familiar we are with God’s Word, the more comfortable we will be with the sword that has the very power to defend us against the toughest blows of the enemy. A scary and unfamiliar season up against powerful opposing teams can shake up even the most confident athlete if he or she isn’t spending time daily in practice. Likewise, the daily reading of God’s Word gives us what we need as we face the certain and the uncertain. It gives life and sustains our lives. It frees us from the enemy and gives us hope and joy. It protects us from destroying our lives. It sanctifies us, and it saves us daily. This sounds like a weapon I could definitely use in my daily life. What about yours?
GO:
Do you know how to truly study God’s Word?
If practice helps you become more confident and skilled in your sport, what might you need to do with God’s Word in your life?
Find a trusted Christian that you know has a daily discipline of being in the Word. Ask him or her to help you practice reading Scripture.
WORKOUT:
OVERTIME:
“Dear Heavenly Father, I praise You for the sword of the Spirit. I praise You for not leaving us to battle the schemes of the enemy on our own. I pray for a desire to be so familiar with Your Word and it be such a daily part of my life that the uncertainties don’t even touch my peace. I want to be skilled in Your Word. I want to study and show myself approved unto you (2 Timothy 2:15). In Jesus' name, amen."