The Sword of the Spirit: Pick it up!

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The Sword of the Spirit: Pick it up! Today is the final piece of armor and it is of utmost importance; it is the Sword of the Spirit; the Word of God! You can read all of our posts since January 1 here. But we are far from finished; we will continue with a fasting devotion every day for the rest of the month. Stay with me!

“…and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” Ephesians 6:17-18

This last piece completed the Armor of God that we are to put on every day but it is not something you wear like the other items, it is something you take up and is used offensively or defensively.

Remember, Paul’s analogy of the Armor of God was taken from the Roman soldiers armor, one he saw every day in the prison where he was writing.

The Roman soldier carried a two-edged sword which was easier to penetrate and easier to cut and easier to wound or kill the enemy. It was a smaller sword, more like a dagger, and the soldier would have carried it with him at all times.

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

The soldier was equipped with all his armor fitted and put on in the right place, every day.

“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

Then, he takes up that sword. And like the Roman soldier, the child of God takes up that Word, that Living and Active Word of God that is sharper than any double edged sword!

Matthew Henry says so aptly what I cannot and it is so good: “It…makes a soul that has been a long time of a proud spirit to be humble, of a perverse spirit to be meek and obedient. Those sinful habits that have become as it were natural to the soul, and rooted deeply in it, and become in a manner one with it, are separated and cut off by this sword. It cuts off ignorance from the understanding, rebellion from the will, and enmity from the mind, which, when carnal, is enmity itself against God.

This sword divides between the joints and the marrow, the most secret, close, and intimate parts of the body; this sword can cut off the lusts of the flesh as well as the lusts of the mind, and make men willing to undergo the sharpest operation for the mortifying of sin….The word will turn the inside of a sinner out, and let him see all that is in his heart.

So, you might ask, what does all of this have to do with fasting? When we fast, we are spending extra time in prayer and reading of the Word. We are making effort to be with God and come closer to Him and hear His voice. Fasting clears our minds and our hearts and allows us to hear what He would say to us, what the Word is speaking and how it affects us as His children. Jesus said some things can not even happen without fasting and prayer!

It isn’t necessarily that you receive new power or more power, you already have it with the Holy Spirit living inside of you. It’s just that, because of the denying of the flesh, you are recognizing what you have and are activating it by taking up that Sword every day. Then, when you need it, it is active, it is living, it is ready for whatever comes your way!

Finally, Paul’s description of the Armor of God doesn’t really end with the Sword of the Spirit. “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” He continues in the same sentence that we should be praying at all times and for those around us. Fasting, with prayer, makes our spiritual vision come alive and we start seeing the needs of others around us and awaken to things happening in the spirit world. And if we have that Sword in our hands, that Word of God in our hearts, we will be well equipped to do the work Jesus has us to do.

Come back tomorrow for another fasting devotion as we look at what NOT to do when fasting! 

 
 

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When Ye Fast… In ALL Circumstances

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Welcome! We are still praying and fasting through January; you can access all of our previous posts here. Tomorrow, we will discuss the Sword of the Spirit then back to more concentrated Daniel Fasts devotions. Now, on to the helmet!

I know very little about football, but can you imagine your favorite football team, all suited up and ready to hit the field, when the coach makes the announcement that they are to leave their helmets behind? Abandon the only protection they have for their heads, their brains? Football is an aggressive sport that requires serious protection and the helmet is likely the last piece of armor that a player puts on. But just because it is last doesn’t mean it isn’t important! Without a helmet, they risk serious injury that could affect them the rest of their lives.

Friend, I have given enough of an explanation above that anyone could finish this post! Ephesians 6 is the charge to the Church about the Armor of God. All it says about the helmet is “…and take the helmet of salvation…” no explanation why or what it means, etc. Paul just said to take it. Don’t forget it, don’t leave home without it! And we have seen all week long that you don’t pick up a piece of armor and then not wear it because it will do absolutely no good whatsoever.

The sentence with the instruction to take the helmet begins with “In all circumstances…” then proceeds to tell the reader to take the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.

In all circumstances.

We don’t get up every morning and think, “Hmmm…wonder if it is necessary to put on all of the armor? Can I just at least leave off the helmet? It’s so bulky and it’s hot under there. Can I go without just this once?” (Unfortunately in 2021 it is the dreaded mask that we struggle with but still wear every day!)

There is one who would love for you to leave it at home and that is Satan. The Bible calls him a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Those are pretty strong words! But they ring true because he is the enemy of your soul. He knows if you put on that helmet of salvation, you are confident that the Name you have applied to your life, Jesus, is more than enough to withstand his constant attacks!

” In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

This helmet of salvation protects our minds. Satan works to bring doubt and confusion to the mind of the child of God. He knows if he can get you to question what you believe or even doubt the power of God, he will weaken you and then cause other things to come after you, etc. On and on it goes until you don’t even have the strength to pick up the helmet.

The Roman soldiers helmet also protected the eyes! With it, he could maintain his focus on the goal that was set before him. Likewise, we, as the Body of Christ, applying the Armor of God EVERY DAY, in all circumstances, can see what lies ahead, we can fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!

When we are praying AND fasting, there isn’t a distraction, delay or detour that can trip us up. In all circumstances, He is our hope! Our goal is salvation, our goal is to see Jesus, the One who makes salvation possible. Jesus has given us the armor as protection against anything the enemy can throw at us. But if we don’t put it on, if we forget one piece, it is all useless.

Fast unto the Lord, build up your most holy faith by praying in the Holy Ghost and, in all circumstances, be faithful with the Armor He has provided. It will surely keep your physical body and your mind from things that would hinder or cause you to stumble. See you tomorrow and be blessed as you fast unto the Lord.

Need your own copy of The Daniel Fast, A Devotional? Get it on Amazon by clicking here!

When Ye Fast: Shield of Faith

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When Ye Fast: Shield of Faith. How is your faith today? It takes faith to fast. There has to be a reason for you to go without food, or go without certain foods, maybe even social media. Sometimes people find it much more difficult to go without Facebook for a full day than to fast three meals in a row! Today we are looking at the shield of faith. You can read all the other posts here, here, here and here.

We fast because of our faith. Learning to trust God, we believe in Him and His ways. We want to be more like Him and draw closer to the God of our salvation.

We also fast to increase our faith. When we are denying ourselves certain things that we love, or even think we can’t live without, we are telling God that He is more important to us than these things. Fasting clears our minds and hearts so there is more room for the things of God and His Word. When we begin to empty our lives of things that get in the way of our spiritual walk and replace them with the spiritual, it can’t help but increase our faith! Fasting strengthens us.

Ephesians 6:16 “…above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ” 

The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians from prison. He knew the Roman soldier well and he knew their armor well. The Roman shield, also known as the scutum, had a big metal knob in the middle called a boss. This shield was about three and a half feet tall and approximately three feet wide! They could thwart an attack and protect themselves from the fiery arrows that were being catapulted their way.

When we take up our shield of faith, and allow our faith to be active, then that faith will become our defense to the attacks of the enemy. A sure fire way to increase your faith is through prayer and fasting. Fasting will draw you closer to your God and you will be able to see things you didn’t see before. He will give you wisdom that only comes from spending time with Him; strongholds will be broken and you will be strengthened. But…

We don’t fast to get things.

We don’t fast to manipulate God.

We don’t fast to be seen or look spiritual.

Sometimes, when under attack, then they would close ranks and form a rectangle; their testudo, this was known as a tortoise formation. The soldiers on the outside would make a wall and those in the middle would lift their shields over their heads and keep them from getting pummeled from the air. Working together, they were unstoppable; they were protected and strengthened for the battle!

If your church is participating in a corporate fast, what a blessing! To fast with others who believe and desire to know the Lord better will increase your faith. There is strength in numbers and when an entire church fasts and prays, then you will see a difference; it might even encourage you to fast on a regular basis!

Take up that shield of faith today, know you are protected from the attacks of the enemy. Be encouraged knowing that you have a host of brothers and sisters that are doing the same. Together you can see walls come down!

Do you have your copy of my easy-to-read Fasting Devotional? Don’t let the title fool you! It is a 21 day devotion for ANY FAST. Each day is an example of someone in the Bible who fasted, some for the wrong reason as well, and what we can glean from them. Inside the book, you will also find Daniel Fast recipes! Available at Amazon.com