Designer Weapon. Designer Word.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17
When the rich young ruler wants to know which of the Commandments apply to him, Dietrich Bonhoeffer rightfully expresses disgust. In The Cost of Discipleship, the indignant exemplar, eventually obedient himself unto death, pounces. "Which? The devil lurks beneath this question."
Indeed, but, error according to JD Greear reminds us in his book Gospel that error, even this serious one, is just Truth stretched out of proportion. We, Christians, can affirm the preciousness of the whole Word of God like the rich young ruler didn't want to do. We can do this, and still reclaim the richness of which.
In fact, the often overlooked authority of God's Word commands us to carry particulars into life's battles beyond just giving the Bible as a whole our general assent. WE Vine picks up on this in the Greek for Ephesians 6:17. We hear the equating of the sword of the Spirit and the word of God, and we think of the big black book on the coffee table.
This isn't right, Vine discerns. The word for word of God here is more personal. It's rhema for spoken word. It's our which. It's our weapon against the day or the moment's particular challenges.
If the devil lurks beneath the question of which aspects of biblical authority we can evade, the power of God is near at hand as we seek which aspects of Christ's righteousness can crumble the particular stronghold currently intimidating us.
We, then, to the mountain, insists Jesus. We speak to the giant, models David. We, like the Archangel Michael even with all his individual strength are terse and disciplined with the enemy of our souls, deploying both restraint and power in our, "The Lord rebuke you."
What a different empowerment our time in God's word then takes on! It's never rote. It's never dull. It's not remedial in the sense of general classification with a group. It is individual arming, sharpening to do damage to the enemy's works.
What weapon is waiting for you under the thin layer of habit? What work of the enemy is slated for destruction because you exist and because your Heavenly Father has preordained and equip you for good works this day?
When the rich young ruler wants to know which of the Commandments apply to him, Dietrich Bonhoeffer rightfully expresses disgust. In The Cost of Discipleship, the indignant exemplar, eventually obedient himself unto death, pounces. "Which? The devil lurks beneath this question."
Indeed, but, error according to JD Greear reminds us in his book Gospel that error, even this serious one, is just Truth stretched out of proportion. We, Christians, can affirm the preciousness of the whole Word of God like the rich young ruler didn't want to do. We can do this, and still reclaim the richness of which.
In fact, the often overlooked authority of God's Word commands us to carry particulars into life's battles beyond just giving the Bible as a whole our general assent. WE Vine picks up on this in the Greek for Ephesians 6:17. We hear the equating of the sword of the Spirit and the word of God, and we think of the big black book on the coffee table.
This isn't right, Vine discerns. The word for word of God here is more personal. It's rhema for spoken word. It's our which. It's our weapon against the day or the moment's particular challenges.
If the devil lurks beneath the question of which aspects of biblical authority we can evade, the power of God is near at hand as we seek which aspects of Christ's righteousness can crumble the particular stronghold currently intimidating us.
We, then, to the mountain, insists Jesus. We speak to the giant, models David. We, like the Archangel Michael even with all his individual strength are terse and disciplined with the enemy of our souls, deploying both restraint and power in our, "The Lord rebuke you."
What a different empowerment our time in God's word then takes on! It's never rote. It's never dull. It's not remedial in the sense of general classification with a group. It is individual arming, sharpening to do damage to the enemy's works.
What weapon is waiting for you under the thin layer of habit? What work of the enemy is slated for destruction because you exist and because your Heavenly Father has preordained and equip you for good works this day?
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