2 Corinthians 10:1-5
Encounter: In Medieval times, it would take nearly 14 years of training for a young lad to be trained and anointed as a Knight. A boy between the ages of 7-10 would begin his training as a page. A page would train by getting acquainted with a horse and the weapons a knight would use. After 4-7 years, a page would be promoted to a squire. Here, his training becomes more intense and he begins to master weaponry skills through another seven years. After which they can be dubbed as a Knight.
As we near the end of our “Invisible Battle” series, we have learned that our enemy is not of flesh and blood. Ephesians 6 verse 12 states; “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
If our battle is not against flesh and blood, what kind of weapons would we use to fight?
2 Corinthians 10:4-5 give us a clue of what will be required to fight the battle; “since the weapons of our warfare are not worldly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to obey Christ.”
The word of God and prayer are our two biggest weapons. We have learned that prayer is powerful when our hearts, minds, and souls are aligned with the will of God. When we pray scripture, God’s Word, our prayers become like a sword that puts us in the offensive position. The use of God’s word is sharper than any two-edged sword, Hebrews 4:12.
It is important to know that the sword in the hands of an untrained soldier is ineffective. The same can be said for us if we do not know the word of God. Just as the training process for a young lad takes 14 years and once dubbed a knight, the knight must practice his skill to be an effective soldier for the king. We are on a lifelong training journey learning and memorizing scripture, so that when the time comes for battle, we are an equipped soldier of God with our armor in place and our sword ready to use.
Training with you,
Pastor Phil
Reflect: take some time and approach God concerning your capacity for His word. Ask Him to stir within your heart and mind about your current training in His word. Ask God to show you how you can be better equipped and prepared for battle.
Spiritual Application: As you go through your week with your daily devotional, pick a verse to memorize that helps you train and be prepared for when you will need to fight. An example could be 1 John 4:4; “Children, you belong to God, and you have defeated these enemies. God's Spirit is in you and is more powerful than the one that is in the world.” (CEV) Your prayer when needed, is “He (God) who is in me is greater than He (Satan) who is in the world.”
Gather: In your small groups discuss with one another the comfort level of scripture and memorization of scripture. Does it come easy or is it difficult? Share with each other what helps you to memorize scripture.
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