There are greater things at stake than Christmas toys. The fights in the retail stores, though sometimes hellacious and crazy, are nothing in comparison to the spiritual battle ongoing in this world.
Think about it, yesterday was Thanksgiving. It was literally the day to give thanks and praise for family ties and all that we have in this world. How many of us caved and turned our thoughts to worldly items by the time dinner was on the table?
I think that right now, spiritual warfare is at an all time high, for all of us. What with the commercialization of the Christmas season, and the lack of emphasis of the holiness of the season in media and society, it is easy to forget that this nearing season is one of drawing closer to the Lord. Satan knows this, and uses the commercialization of Christmas to draw us towards avarice and greed. Disagree? Well, for what other reasons would you stand in line for hours, simply for a toy or machine that may cost only twenty dollars more on any other day? Is it for a good deal? Is it worth it?
Yes, today is a day of craziness, when we think it is appropriate to fight over toys. We've heard horror stories of people being pepper sprayed or run over because of the "steals" stores are offering today. And Satan is gleeful over our fall into greed.
So what do we do?
We don the full armor of God, and strike out with the Sword of the Spirit.
The Sword of the Spirit
The Holy Spirit is God's powerful tool. It can strengthen His followers and destroy His enemies. Far greater, it can help us, His believers, turn aside fear and sin. It is the weapon through which we fight our battles.
The battles we Christians face are constant, ongoing. The Sword of the Spirit is our weapon to be carried at all times, for battles may arise at any moment. It is Spirit that prepares us for these battles and protects us.
But what is Spirit?
Spirit is a truly amazing thing. It is a tool of God. He has used it to touch disciples and give them strength. He has filled armies with it. He has brought nations to His knees through the power of the Spirit. But more importantly, God is Spirit. "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth." John 4:24
This is clear, The Holy Trinity is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. When God gives us Spirit, He is giving us part of Himself...
Wow. How amazing is that? The Lord has given us part of Himself to fight the battles of this world.
Why Do We Need The Sword of the Spirit?
The battles of this world are not one great war, done in a few chapters. They are continuous and ongoing. They are daily. Satan is not without his wiles and he is patient. His one goal is to destroy our chances of being with the Lord. We cannot stand against him.
But with the Holy Spirit we can face all things. Remember that the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert in Matthew 4. There, Jesus stood against the temptation of Satan. Satan tested Jesus, using scripture against him. But Jesus stood fast, refusing to test the Lord, His Father, and standing strong against Lucifer. He offered Jesus the world, and Jesus denied it, knowing that the Kingdom of Heaven awaited.
Jesus was strengthened by His Father and by the Holy Spirit. You might ask why the Holy Spirit would lead Jesus to battle. Would it not make more sense for God to protect Jesus instead? To keep him safe from harm?
God does not give us any battle we cannot handle without Him. Satan is unyielding, and will come at us at all times. Know that the Lord fights beside us in these battles, and through these battles we become stronger, more powerful in our faith through Christ and God. The battles we fight may seem lonely, one that surrounds us, but we need not fight it alone. God gives us His spirit to fight the battles.
How Do We Use the Sword of the Spirit?
The Spirit is a Sword like none other. It is not merely a piece of steel. It is a living weapon. We are vessels of God's Spirit, "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" 1 Corinthians 6:19.
We have a living weapon and tool in our very body. And we ought use it always. The world is full of greed and lust, sins which prevent us from being with God. I am no stranger to them. I have sinned, I have lusted, I have felt greed. And I pray for forgiveness and now seek to walk in Spirit, not in the world.
Think on Galatians 5:16-17 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please."
We cannot fight Satan if we fall into his traps. If we walk in the Spirit, we do not fall into his devices and ploys. We instead stand firm against them. The Sword of the Spirit is not a physical object, it comes from God's Spirit. How do we use it on this Earth?
The same way we use the rest of the armor of God. We pray, we quote scripture, we open ourselves to the Lord, and we move through this world as God's children, filled with His spirit. Just as the Sword can protect us, we must also use it against Satan. When we walk with Spirit, we are to be disciples to those who do not know the Lord. We are to use the Sword of the Spirit, the word of our God, to bring our brothers and sisters on this Earth to the feet of the Lord.
We do not use the Sword of the Spirit merely for ourselves. We cannot be a cliché, or a strict sect of religious people who do not open our doors to sinners. We cannot be fearful or cruel to those different than us. The truth of the Sword of the Spirit is to know that through Spirit we must face the great darkness of Satan and his armies not just for our own entrance to Heaven. It is far greater a weapon than that. It is to be used for others, to protect and bring others into God's arms.
We are armed with the most powerful weapon on Earth. We are armed with God's Spirit. This responsibility means protecting others, and bringing them to Christ as disciples. It means standing against Satan in all things... even the mad rush of Black Friday.
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