June 29th, 2022
A couple of years ago, I was attempting to change a tire with my sister, only about a mile and a half from my home, and it ended up being way more difficult than it should have been. We had the tools we needed, along with the spare tire in the trunk and it really should have been easy. However, no matter how hard we tried, we could not get the lug nuts off of the tire. It was a hot summer day, and I literally used every ounce of strength I could muster to try to force those nuts loose, but they would not budge. Finally, I decided to try to use my body weight, so I fitted the wrench to the nut and literally stood on it. Absolutely nothing. They were supernaturally secured lug nuts. About that time, a man pulled up in a truck and asked if we needed help. At first, we declined, but then he told us he saw us standing on the wrench and had a tool that would help. The man, who was obviously a mechanic, got out of his truck, pulled a long-handled wrench out of the bed, and loosened all four bolts with absolutely no effort at all. What we’d tried to do for 30 minutes, he finished in about 45 seconds. The difference was the tool he used, not his strength. The longer the handle is, the higher the torque and the less force you need to turn the nut (In case anyone was interested in a physics lesson). I bring this story up, because a lot of times in life we find ourselves toiling in challenges that wouldn’t even be challenges if we were using right tool for the job. We will undoubtedly face things in life, but God has given us everything we need to overcome, and the answer is found in His word, every single time.
In Matthew 4, we read the story of Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tested. After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, the Bible tells us that He was hungry, and it was at this moment that Satan came. He made three crafty attempts to get Jesus to sin and every time, Jesus combatted those challenges with the word of God, quoting scriptures from the book of Deuteronomy and refusing to give in. At the end of the temptations, the enemy left Him and angels ministered to Him. This principle will absolutely change our lives if we let it. If we face every challenge we face with the Word of God, the enemy is absolutely powerless.
In Ephesians 6, we are given a detailed description of the armor we should be clothed in as believers. The only piece of the armor that is not defensive is found in verse 17 which tells us to take up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The Word is again compared to a sword in Hebrews 4:12 which says,
“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.”
The word of God is alive and it’s more powerful than the sharpest sword! The key thing to keep in mind about swords though, is that they have to be wielded. If you know the Word of God in your head, but never do anything with it, it’s no better than wandering into a battle and never unsheathing your sword! We have to encounter His Word in our hearts and then speak it with our mouths and live it with our lives. That is what it means to have active faith. That is how you wield your sword!
Years ago, I was really struggling with something in my own heart that I genuinely didn’t feel that I could overcome. The Lord spoke to me so clearly from Jeremiah 23:29 which says,
“Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
I realized I’d been trying to fight the issue with all the wrong tools. What I was up against felt as solid as a mountain, but it could not stand against His Word! Remember that Jesus Himself is that word made flesh (John 1:1-5). When He dwells in us, the living word in our hearts, we cannot be defeated. Every promise of His word carries the power of victory. He’s promised to save us, heal us, provide for us, protect us, lead us, and guide us. He’s promised to care for orphans and not forsake the elderly. He doesn’t care about a person’s age, nationality, or place in life. He’s promised to hear anyone who cries out to Him in faith! Jeremiah 32:27 says,
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
Romans 8:31-32 says,
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
I encourage you to read those verses again. Nothing is too hard for God, and He loves us so much He gave the most precious thing that He had. He wants us to be healed. He wants us to be free. He wants us to be prosperous and victorious and full of His truth. Whatever it is your facing, whether it is an issue in your own heart or an external battle, His Word is the answer.
Just like when I was trying to change a tire with the wrong tool, we will exhaust ourselves fighting in our own strength. My hands were raw from trying, but those lug nuts wouldn’t budge. It’s the same in life. If you feel like your strength is spent and your hands are raw fighting what’s in front of you, then you’re not fighting with the weapon God’s given you. Pursue the truth regarding whatever you’re facing until the revelation of it burns like a fire in your heart. Then speak it out in faith until you see the sword of His Truth destroy every enemy. Whether you need provision, healing, victory over sin, restoration in your family, or a child to come home, the answer is in His word. It is like a hammer, a fire, and a sword. It’s the most powerful force in the universe and it’s the weapon God has given you!
In Matthew 4, we read the story of Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tested. After fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, the Bible tells us that He was hungry, and it was at this moment that Satan came. He made three crafty attempts to get Jesus to sin and every time, Jesus combatted those challenges with the word of God, quoting scriptures from the book of Deuteronomy and refusing to give in. At the end of the temptations, the enemy left Him and angels ministered to Him. This principle will absolutely change our lives if we let it. If we face every challenge we face with the Word of God, the enemy is absolutely powerless.
In Ephesians 6, we are given a detailed description of the armor we should be clothed in as believers. The only piece of the armor that is not defensive is found in verse 17 which tells us to take up the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. The Word is again compared to a sword in Hebrews 4:12 which says,
“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.”
The word of God is alive and it’s more powerful than the sharpest sword! The key thing to keep in mind about swords though, is that they have to be wielded. If you know the Word of God in your head, but never do anything with it, it’s no better than wandering into a battle and never unsheathing your sword! We have to encounter His Word in our hearts and then speak it with our mouths and live it with our lives. That is what it means to have active faith. That is how you wield your sword!
Years ago, I was really struggling with something in my own heart that I genuinely didn’t feel that I could overcome. The Lord spoke to me so clearly from Jeremiah 23:29 which says,
“Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
I realized I’d been trying to fight the issue with all the wrong tools. What I was up against felt as solid as a mountain, but it could not stand against His Word! Remember that Jesus Himself is that word made flesh (John 1:1-5). When He dwells in us, the living word in our hearts, we cannot be defeated. Every promise of His word carries the power of victory. He’s promised to save us, heal us, provide for us, protect us, lead us, and guide us. He’s promised to care for orphans and not forsake the elderly. He doesn’t care about a person’s age, nationality, or place in life. He’s promised to hear anyone who cries out to Him in faith! Jeremiah 32:27 says,
“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
Romans 8:31-32 says,
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”
I encourage you to read those verses again. Nothing is too hard for God, and He loves us so much He gave the most precious thing that He had. He wants us to be healed. He wants us to be free. He wants us to be prosperous and victorious and full of His truth. Whatever it is your facing, whether it is an issue in your own heart or an external battle, His Word is the answer.
Just like when I was trying to change a tire with the wrong tool, we will exhaust ourselves fighting in our own strength. My hands were raw from trying, but those lug nuts wouldn’t budge. It’s the same in life. If you feel like your strength is spent and your hands are raw fighting what’s in front of you, then you’re not fighting with the weapon God’s given you. Pursue the truth regarding whatever you’re facing until the revelation of it burns like a fire in your heart. Then speak it out in faith until you see the sword of His Truth destroy every enemy. Whether you need provision, healing, victory over sin, restoration in your family, or a child to come home, the answer is in His word. It is like a hammer, a fire, and a sword. It’s the most powerful force in the universe and it’s the weapon God has given you!
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