HIDDEN IN MY HEART

DON’T SWING A WOODEN SWORD

A gladiator in ancient Rome was a slave who lived only for the entertainment of others.

He had no rights of his own, other than the right to die a bloody death to the cheers of a decadent crowd.

If a gladiator was quick enough and was able to defend his life long enough, the emperor may in time grant the slave his freedom.

In such an instance the gladiator would be brought before the Caesar with great pomp.

He would then kneel before Caesar and be touched on the shoulder close to the neck with a symbolic wooden sword.

The gladiator would then receive the wooden sword as a sign to all that he was now set free.

The wooden sword was useless in battle. It was attractive, it was symbolic, but it had no function other than to point to the decree of Caesar.

It was the decree and not the sword, that freed the gladiator from the arena of entertainment by death.

Too many Christians today treat their Bibles-the written word of God- as if it were the gladiators wooden sword.

Many have been freed from the bondage and guarantee of death in the slave market of sin, by the preaching of justification by faith.

But Christians who have been freed from the arena of sin, are not given a wooden sword as a token of their freedom.

They are given the word of God in the form of a bible, it is not a talisman to carry around and point to the edict of the Caesars of the world.

The bible is the sword of the Spirit.  Ephesians 6:17-18

It is both our offensive and defensive weapon---we must learn to use it.

The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit.

The Word of God living in us must become our only weapon.

God the Holy Spirit gave us the Word, He gave us His Book, and He wields that Word through the lives of every Christian, to pierce even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit,  Hebrews 4:12

God has promised in; Isaiah 55:11 that the word which comes out of His mouth “shall not return unto me void, but it will accomplish that which I please.”

It has the power to pierce the hardened heart of man and bring forth the “new creature.’

Each believer in America can obtain a copy of the Holy Bible.

That is not so in many parts of the world.

Carefully study the Word, prayerfully consider its content, apply it to your life

One day each of us will meet an enemy that will require skillful use of the Sword.

Perhaps the enemy will be betrayal- a dear friend or relative who plays a Judas Iscariot.

When sacrificed on the alter of greed of another, you will not be able to stand unless you are skillfully wielding that Sword.

Perhaps the enemy will be disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, or perhaps something even more terrifying.

Can we like the apostle, say “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

There is no fear in the warrior who trusts the two-edged Blade of God.

God is in control, I am His- I trust in Him alone- in whom shall I fear?