The sword of the spirit (part 2): 'How to use the sword of the Spirit'
In Revelation 1:12-16, the Apostle John describes a sword coming out of Jesus' mouth. In Hebrews 4:12, the word of God is considered as a sword. Since the sword was coming out of Jesus 'mouth, we can conclude that the sword of the Spirit can be best used when we speak it.
By speaking the Scriptures, we can change our environment and we can fight the enemy to its spiritual roots. ‘Speaking’ the Scriptures is a reference to confessing the Word of God.
However, before speaking the Scriptures, it is important to note that there are two categories of Scriptures when it comes their realizations:
-Non-participatory Scriptures
- Scriptures that require our participation
A non-participatory Scripture is a Scripture that will come to pass without any human intervention.
Here are a few examples of non-participatory Scriptures:
“ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.”
(Revelation 19:11-13)
Regardless of humanity’s actions, Jesus will come back on a white horse.
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”
(Revelation 21:1)
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”
(Revelation 21:2)
The passages of Revelation 21:1-2 will come to pass without human participation.
On the other hand, a participatory Scripture is a Bible verse that can only come to pass with human cooperation.
Here are a few examples:
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Romans 10:9)
Though we can confess the above passage, it is also clear that we are required to confess Jesus as Lord and to believe in His resurrection.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
(Psalm 23:1)
The above is a well known and very popular passage in the Bible. However, the passage clearly describes the Lord as a Shepherd. A Shepherd leads the sheep and sheep submits ot the leadership of the Shepherd.
However, if the sheep refuses to submit to the leadership of the Shepherd, then it also means that the sheep will have to find its own directions and its own food.
We cannot expect results if we confess Psalm 23:1 while being fully unsubmitted to the Lord. In order to see results from confessing Psalm 23:1, we have to docile sheep submitted to God.
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.”
(Isaiah 54:17)
The above passage is also a very popular passage in the Bible. However, in order to see its effects, we must be serving the Lord.
Many people are seeing the attack of their enemies flourish because they don’t serve God. Isaiah 54:17 is inheritance for the servants of the Lord. As you serve God, confess Isaiah 54:17 and you will see results.
"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
(Psalms 37:4)
Psalms 37: 4 clearly states that I should delight first in the Lord and then He will give me the desire of my heart. ‘Taking delight in the Lord’ means ‘enjoying being in the presence of God through prayer and worship. It is also a reference to the enjoyment we can manifest towards the Scriptures and in the Fear of the Lord.
However , how would we see God giving us the desires of our hearts if we pray to Him and meditate the Scriptures once in a ‘blue moon’’?
Many of the Scriptures do not carry any positive effects, even when confessed, due to a lack of alignment between your life and the Scripture.
When confessing certain Scriptures, we also have to ensure that our lives are aligned with the requirements of the verse we are confessing.
Here are a few examples of non-participatory Scriptures:
“ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.”
(Revelation 19:11-13)
Regardless of humanity’s actions, Jesus will come back on a white horse.
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”
(Revelation 21:1)
“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”
(Revelation 21:2)
The passages of Revelation 21:1-2 will come to pass without human participation.
On the other hand, a participatory Scripture is a Bible verse that can only come to pass with human cooperation.
Here are a few examples:
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
(Romans 10:9)
Though we can confess the above passage, it is also clear that we are required to confess Jesus as Lord and to believe in His resurrection.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”
(Psalm 23:1)
The above is a well known and very popular passage in the Bible. However, the passage clearly describes the Lord as a Shepherd. A Shepherd leads the sheep and sheep submits ot the leadership of the Shepherd.
However, if the sheep refuses to submit to the leadership of the Shepherd, then it also means that the sheep will have to find its own directions and its own food.
We cannot expect results if we confess Psalm 23:1 while being fully unsubmitted to the Lord. In order to see results from confessing Psalm 23:1, we have to docile sheep submitted to God.
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.”
(Isaiah 54:17)
The above passage is also a very popular passage in the Bible. However, in order to see its effects, we must be serving the Lord.
Many people are seeing the attack of their enemies flourish because they don’t serve God. Isaiah 54:17 is inheritance for the servants of the Lord. As you serve God, confess Isaiah 54:17 and you will see results.
"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."
(Psalms 37:4)
Psalms 37: 4 clearly states that I should delight first in the Lord and then He will give me the desire of my heart. ‘Taking delight in the Lord’ means ‘enjoying being in the presence of God through prayer and worship. It is also a reference to the enjoyment we can manifest towards the Scriptures and in the Fear of the Lord.
However , how would we see God giving us the desires of our hearts if we pray to Him and meditate the Scriptures once in a ‘blue moon’’?
Many of the Scriptures do not carry any positive effects, even when confessed, due to a lack of alignment between your life and the Scripture.
When confessing certain Scriptures, we also have to ensure that our lives are aligned with the requirements of the verse we are confessing.