The Sword
by Liz Griffin
During the coronation ceremony the Archbishop dipped his finger in the oil and anointed Queen Elizabeth with the sign of the cross, ‘in token that hereafter she shall not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified, and manfully to fight under his banner against sin, the world and the devil, and to continue Christ’s faithful soldier and servant unto her life’s end’.
A ceremonial sword was brought to her and the words of a prayer were spoken: ‘With this sword do justice, stop the growth of iniquity, protect the holy Church of God, help and defend widows and orphans, restore the things that are gone to decay, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order: that doing these things you may be glorious in all virtue; and so faithfully serve our Lord Jesus Christ in this life, that you may reign for ever with him in the life which is to come. Amen’.
It reminds me of how the apostle Paul wrote a letter to the Christians in Ephesus telling them they must be careful to protect themselves from the attacks of the devil, but they also had to actively fight against him. He explained in a metaphor that there was a sword to use: ‘Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication (Ephesians 6:16-18).
As Christians we too have to ‘fight the good fight of faith’ (1 Timothy 6:12). It’s in our own particular field of battle, wherever we have spiritual authority, in areas of our own life and over others under our care. We can use this mighty weapon, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, to kill sin, lies of the devil, abuse and injustice, evil power wherever it appears, in ourselves or in our sphere of influence. We must destroy and put to death every bit of wickedness.
The sword of the Spirit (the Word of God) helps us to discern evil from good. We can then pray against evil. The writer of Hebrews spoke of the Word of God as being sharper than a sword. ‘For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart’ (Hebrews 4:12).
The Word of God is written in the Bible, but it’s also whatever God is saying to us today through His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit reminds us of what God has said. We may suddenly remember a verse from the Bible we read today or last week. We can concentrate on this truth and let it dominate our thoughts and cleanse away the lies we hear from people who have no faith in God. The Holy Spirit also reminds us of what Jesus said and did. We want to be like Jesus so we can put to death our own ideas and follow His instead.
Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, Help us to fight the good fight of faith, using the sword of the Spirit skillfully and determinedly. Help us to know Your Word, what You’ve said in the past, and what You’re saying today. Help us to use Your Word as we pray in the Spirit. Amen.
Liz Griffin lived for 20 years as an expatriate in South Africa, Bahrain and Japan, as her husband Paul worked for an international oil company. Paul and Liz became involved with Ellel Ministries in 1991 as part of the ministry team and joined the full-time team at Ellel Grange in 1995. Paul and Liz teach and minister to those seeking healing in their lives and together have written two books, 'Anger - How Do You Handle It' and 'Hope and Healing For The Abused'.
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