Did you know the Bible tells us to fight?  Not the type of fighting we’re most familiar with.  It’s not fist-throwing – yelling and screaming.  God says vengeance belongs to Him alone (Romans 12:19), which is why God commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.  But that doesn’t mean

Christ-followers have to exist as passive and timid members of society while the world crushes timeless Biblical values and mocks our God.  No, we’re allowed to fight back, but not with words or weapons of our own making.  Instead, the believer’s arsenal is two-fold:  the Word of God and the power of Christ spoken in love to our neighbors to further the kingdom of God. 

God tells us to fight against evil the same way Jesus fought the devil after forty days of fasting.  After forty days without food in the wilderness, Satan says; “If you are God, just turn these stones into bread.”   So, how much harm could just one little stone turned into one little loaf really do?  The answer is a lot.  How does Jesus’ fight back?  With the Word of God.  Matthew 4:4 says that Jesus answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”  And just like that, round one went to Jesus.  The devil tried two more times, and Christ responded to each temptation in the same way - with the Word of God.   

What happened after that? Verse 11 says the devil left Him.  Church of God, listen closely.  Satan is powerless when it comes to the living, breathing, Word of God.  Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword.”  There’s no debating the power and truth of God’s Word.  Jesus Christ is the Word transformed into flesh, which makes it living! God’s Word is not simply words on a page; it is the presence of a faithful, living God.  Nothing can stand against it.  Revelation 19 paints a picture of Christ returning to earth on a white horse, arrayed by the armies of heaven. Verse 13 says, “He wore a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God.” Verse 15 adds, “A sharp sword came from His mouth, so that He might strike the nations.”

As believers, we have the most potent weapon in the world at our disposal - the very words of Jesus.  We aren’t powerless.  Let’s pick up God’s Word - and with the Word of Christ on our lips and the sword of the Spirit in our hand.  Let’s fight the good fight!

Tom