In the medieval days, knights were
given swords, those who had proven skill with bows were given bows and a quiver
full of arrows, and then there were weapons such as maces, clubs, crossbows,
and different swords; each used for different things. In modern times,
different types of weapons (grenades, sniper rifles, machine guns, pistols) are
given to different soldiers according to their rank and purpose. I don’t know
the ins-and-outs of weapons, but I know that shotguns are big strong guns, but
they are extremely loud. I also know that sniper rifles are big strong guns,
but they are quieter. So you wouldn’t use a shotgun if your mission required
stealth, right? In this article, we will focus mainly on what each weapon does;
that way, we can be better equipped when it comes time to select and use a
weapon.
More
than likely, you knew everything I just said (and may even be pointing out
technical flaws), and you may be wondering just how that relates to the Bible.
The Bible is the ultimate armory for spiritual warfare. Look at Hebrews 4:12. I’m
not typing out the verse here for a reason, so go and grab your Bible if you
didn’t when I just asked you to look up Hebrews 4:12. Now, once you’ve read the
verse, fan through the pages of your Bible, not necessarily reading anything,
but just noticing the words in it. Think of the Bible as an armory with
different weapons in it. Whenever we face a trial, it is like we have been
ambushed by the enemy. Which weapon are you going to pull out at that point?
When
I talk of the different weapons, I mean a verse or a passage that will help you
fight the temptation, along with prayer. Did you see all of those pages in your
Bible when you (if you) flipped through your Bible? Well, we have a lot of
options, so how do we choose?* Just to illustrate my answer to this question, read this
illustration:
A
man walks through the jungle, on guard duty during the Vietnam War. He has two
pistols, a grenade, and a knife strapped to his belt and a rifle strapped to
his back. He is suddenly ambushed. What does he do? Well, he has several
options, and none of them are really “better” than the other.
Despite
all of his weapons, I’m going to say that he basically has three options:
1. Fight
2. Call for help
3. Both
In
the article entitled “Spiritual Warfare-Making Allies”, we will talk a bit more
about these options, and how we should handle it. For now, just imagine that he
chose to fight instead of option two or three. You’re probably scrolling down
on your computer or iPad to see how much longer this article is*. Not
much longer. Did you catch what I was trying to say with that illustration? No
weapon is “better” than another, but I’m going to leave you with a cliff hanger
here and say that how we choose our weapon is based on three things:
1. Where you are in your battle
2. What weapon the enemy is using
3. What each weapon does
*Please
note that not all passages will apply to us or at least not to where we are in
life, but most are applicable in different situations.
*I
do that too J
