GOING OFFENSIVE

Have you ever watched a boxing match wherein both fighters were on the defensive? How long will you think the match would last until somebody finally gets to score?

CH Spurgeon once said, “To be a Christian is to be a warrior. The good soldier of Jesus Christ must not expect to find ease in this world: it is a battle-field. Neither must he reckon upon the friendship of the world; for that would be enmity against God. The Christian’s occupation is war.”

Christians were given the armor of God to be used in war and these weapons are to pull down strongholds, to cast down every high thing that exalts itself against God. It brings every thought into submission and obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

The “belt of truth”, “breastplate of righteousness”, “feet shod with the gospel of peace”, “shield of faith” and “helmet of salvation” are all used as a defense against the attacks of the enemy. But there is one piece of the armor that is offensive, the “Sword of the Spirit”. This together with prayer is what believers must employ in our daily spiritual battles in order to defeat the enemy.

The sword is the Word of God and every Christian must learn how to wield it. 

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that it is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Knowing how to wield the sword is best learned from the example of the Lord Jesus Christ when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness.

First Temptation:

In Matthew 4:2, Satan attempted to cast doubt that Jesus is the Son of God. He tried to take advantage of Jesus’ hunger to tempt Him to command the stone to become bread. Thus, this first temptation was to prove whether or not His flesh was under control.

The enemy used Jesus’ hunger as an opportunity to cast doubt on God’s Word. However, Jesus replied by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 that “man shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord”. The “word” here is the rhema or the spoken word of God. Jesus had the discipline and character to perform the miracles in complete submission to the will of the Father.

It is of utmost importance to hear from God every day, to continually feed upon the words that come from our Heavenly Father. Hebrews 12:25 says: “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on earth, much more shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven”.

This is a warning not to neglect the gentle voice of God, not to refuse Him and to heed His voice.

Second Temptation:

In Matthew 4:6, the devil used the Scripture to tempt the Lord. It is made clear that the enemy is also knowledgeable of the word of God. This trial tested Jesus’ soul whether He will be satisfied with angelic intervention.

Man may be tempted to do things to satisfy his soul, and even use Scriptures to make God conform to his desires by claiming things in the name of Jesus without a clear Word from God. There’s a temporary fulfillment in doing such, but it does not produce genuine faith that leads to miracles.

Faith comes from hearing the Word and not merely claiming the things we desire.

It is possible to be led astray by an unbalanced quotation of the Scriptures. Every truth pressed into the extreme becomes an error. One must learn to correctly divide and expound the Word of Truth.

Third Temptation:

In Matthew 4:8-9, Jesus was tempted in the realm of the spirit through worship and He used the Scripture again to defeat the devil. Christians will not only be tested in body and soul, but also in the spirit, and it is best to learn to do the same as Jesus said “it is written…”

Trials in the spirit is necessary as it will reveal who people are really worshiping. Although the default answer can be “God”, men in actuality can be worshiping hobbies, career, loved ones or anything that people love or give importance to above God. It is important to always look unto the Lord and worship Him only.

A man of God quoted in his book, “The Bible on your bookshelf will not protect you… God’s word becomes a sword when you speak it through your mouth in faith. We must learn to do the same as Jesus said “it is written…” during His temptation. The sword is provided by the Holy Spirit, but it is man’s responsibility to take it and the Spirit will provide supernatural power with which to wield it.”

To take the sword implies a constant continuation of action. In battling with sin, take the active stance of searching the Scriptures and see what God has to say. Meditate on His Word and fight!

The other armament given to Christians is prayer and supplication in the spirit. This kind of prayer is able to reach across oceans and even in the spiritual realm. However, reaching this state in prayer takes discipline and spiritual maturity.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray without ceasing. This means that one should always be in the attitude of prayer, for this will condition man’s every action. Practicing to be in the presence of God through prayer is the ultimate weapon against the enemy. And as one is faithful in his or her personal times with the Lord, God would open up deeper revelations and truths, and families, communities, cities or nations can be reached through powerful prayer.

Remember, a fight cannot be a fight without being offensive. Christians must learn to fight and not just dodge the darts of the enemy.

Reference: Bailey, Brian. The Cross and Resurrection of Christ. New York:Zion Christian Publishers, 2000. e-book.