|
|
|
The apostle Paul vividly describes the Christian's armor: "Wherefore take up the whole
armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and, having done all, to
stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate
of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
withal taking up the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts
of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the
word of God" (Ephesians 6:13-17). It is God's inspired, infallible, inerrant Word that we
want to consider in this study. The Word of God is important and essential to one who desires
to go to Heaven. Without a complete and sufficient guide, man is doomed to find his way to
Heaven. God's faithful prophet, Jeremiah, said, "O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is
not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jeremiah 10:23).
The Holy Scriptures are such a guide or roadmap. The apostle Paul says, "Every scripture
inspired of God is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
which is in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every
good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Jesus Christ is our example (1 Peter 2:21), and
He effectively used the "sword of the Spirit" when tempted by the devil. Satan wanted
Christ to demonstrate His power by turning stones into bread, but the Lord rightly answered,
"...It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Keep in mind that the Lord's answer is a long
established principle! Long ago Moses stated, "And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to
hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that
he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by everything that
proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live" (Deuteronomy 8:3). Mark it down
well — the sword of the Spirit will not fail one today!
While it is true that man must have bread in order to survive, it is equally true that "bread alone" indicates that one is dead while he lives! Jesus was extremely popular with the masses after feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14), but when He refused to be a mere "bread Messiah" the number of followers dwindled considerably. Those today who refuse to supply man with his "felt needs" while feeding him spiritual bread will also grow smaller in number. The faithful, however, will stand where Jesus stood and say, "For the bread of God is that which cometh down out of heaven, and giveth life unto the world" (John 6:33). It is not that the Lord is not conscious of our physical needs. He is! But He also knows that man's greatest problem is not physical starvation or poverty — man's greatest problem is sin. In fact, the more material things some folks have, the greater the probability they will forsake following the Word of God. The Lord's statement in Matthew 16:26 must not be forgotten: "For what shall a man be profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? or what shall a man give in exchange for his life?" There is something far more important and precious than the "bread of the world" which is here today and gone tomorrow. Let us now reflect again on the statement Jesus made in Matthew 4:4: "...It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Emph MLW). Many people in this world believe some of what Jesus teaches in the Holy Scriptures. Most people readily admit, however, that they do not necessarily believe all that the Bible teaches. Please make special note of "every word" as recorded in Matthew 4:4. Jesus did not teach that man will live by some words, most words, or a few words, but by "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." The Bible is not a "pick and choose book" whereby one can accept one verse of Scripture and reject another verse of Scripture. Listen to the Lord as He says, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48). Again, Christ declares, "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say" (Luke 6:46)? Christ is not the ruler of the one who adamantly refuses to do what the Lord says one must do to be His follower. It will not be a tomahawk, a Colt .45, a cruise missile, or a nuclear warhead that gets us to Heaven. If Heaven is to be the home of our soul it will be because we were familiar with and effectively used the "sword of the Spirit" every day of our journey through this foreign land. May we hunger after "spiritual bread" and remember that the only citizenship that matters is located in Heaven (Philippians 3:21). |