I was studying the book of Ephesians recently and was reminded of the armour of God in Ephesians 6. For those of you who don’t know the scripture, it describes the armour of God in terms of the Helmet of Salvation, the sword of the Spirit, the breastplate of righteousness, and the shield of faith. While Ephesians may be one of the most popular scriptures about spiritual weapons, I want to point out that many others exist. For example, consider looking at these scriptures regarding warfare before reading any further. (2 Corinthians 6:7, Romans 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:8, Psalms 18:32-35 )

I am trying to emphasise that armour and weapons are integral to a believer’s everyday life. It is analogous to someone in the military or armed forces, whose mindset continually focuses on acquiring the best weapons, participating in military drills to ensure their skills remain top-notch, and maintaining their equipment in optimal condition.

The army is all about weapons and strategies for using them against one’s enemies. Their main focus is on developing their competency and capabilities to be victorious in battle. This is why the Bible contains numerous comparisons about weapons and fighting; it is because we are in a spiritual war, and weapons are needed. Now with that backdrop, let’s jump into the heart of this blog.

Our primary scripture will be from Matthew 4:1-11, where Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. So, let’s take a moment to explore how Jesus triumphed by considering the weapons he used in the wilderness.

Weapon:

  • THE HOLY SPIRIT:

Some might not view the Holy Spirit as a weapon, but it can certainly give us great advantages. The biblical account states that the Holy Spirit LED Jesus to be tempted.

To achieve victory in any aspect of life, someone must lead! No one goes into battle without a leader; the stronger and wiser the leader, the better your chances of winning. In this earthly plane, you can be a leader. However, on spiritual battlefields, the leader can NEVER be you. This is one of the reasons that so many of us are failing; too many of us are leading the battle or attempting to lead the battle. Today, I want to remind us that the battle is the Lord’s (1 Samuel 17:47).

Jesus died to send the Comforter (Holy Spirit) to lead us into all truth and show us what will come (John 16:13-14). Imagine that we can rely on the Holy Spirit to lead us safely during our wilderness experiences (times of hardship, difficulty, or testing) or even in peacetime and at all times. The spirit might lead you to a difficult place, but he will surely lead you through that difficult place. Therefore, don’t let go of his hand!

Because the Holy Spirit knows what is to come, having him on your side is like walking through a landmine field and someone leading you to evade every explosion. In this regard, the spirit’s foreknowledge becomes your foreknowledge.

Therefore, during your wilderness experience, remove your hand from the wheel and be sure not to grieve the spirit. Instead, ask God for wisdom, who gives it liberally.

Takeaway: A good leader can be a weapon; incorporate the spirit as part of your arsenal.

  • KNOWLEDGE OF GOD’S WORD:

Knowledge of God’s word involves understanding what is written. The application is relevant, too, but we must first comprehend before applying. Notice in Matthew 4 that Jesus repeatedly stated, “It is written…” This clearly shows that Jesus and God’s words were one; they were fused together.

Let me put this another way, “YOU CANNOT WIN A WAR WITHOUT APPLYING THE WORD”. Notice that Jesus did not go into the wilderness then to get into the word. God’s word was in Him in advance. Get the word before wandering into the wilderness. It must be pointed out that a big part of Jesus’ weapon was His ability to fight the devil with God’s word.

The battle is in the mind, and Satan attempts to destroy our minds by planting twisted words of death, doubt, and everything contrary to what God said. For example, firstly, you will notice that Satan told Jesus something (“The tempter came to Jesus and said,”). Secondly, he showed Jesus something (“The devil took Him to the Holy City”). Therefore, I caution, “Let’s be careful what the devil tells us and shows us.” Even if Satan tells and displays things to us, remember God’s word is the antidote.

Today, I want to remind someone that the entrance of God’s word brings light. If you are going through a difficult situation, water your worries with God’s word and see the problem go or you grow. Either one or the other, or both, will take place to benefit you.

Takeaway: Study God’s word and use it as a weapon.

  • YOUR TONGUE

Did you see how Jesus rebuked the devil, and he fled?

Proverbs 18:21 states, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” This concept was seen when Jesus cursed the fig tree with his mouth, and it died. This verbal act underscored that words can bring or take life from things.

God’s word also reminds us of our authority. Remember when God told us (Matthew 16:19) that we have the authority to bind things in heaven and on earth? Do you know what this is like? It is like a policeman halting a vehicle in the street with his hand and saying, “STOP”. This policeman is not just saying stop with his authority only. He is saying stop with the backing of his senior officers (Lieutenant, Captain, Chief of Police), the Attorney General, the lawmakers of the land, and finally the President/Prime Minister, who has the ultimate authority to govern. This is the level of backing this police officer has from the highest authorities in the land. In the same way, when we say stop to our enemy, we have the same heavenly hierarchical backing. So, what we bind on earth is bound in heaven, which means we have heavenly agreement and support with what our words proclaim.  

Takeaway: Your tongue has power; so please use it.

  • PRAY AND FASTING

Prayer and fasting were not performed during the wilderness experience. However, we cannot overlook the fact that Jesus just came out of a fasting period immediately preceding the wilderness test. This strongly suggests that fasting can prepare you for your wilderness experiences. Not only this, but also prayer and fasting give you added power and authority.

Remember when Jesus told His disciples, “This kind (Evil Spirits) can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29)? Fasting is not instantaneous, as it involves time (at least one day or, as Jesus showed, 40 days). Sometimes you must be long-suffering and bear that fruit as you patiently fast.

I cannot emphasize this enough: fasting is a weapon for our wilderness, which can help exponentially resolve our challenges. Employing fasting is like accessing the nuclear codes and launching an atomic bomb. Oh, what a weapon to use!

Takeaway: Bring out the big guns and use Prayer and Fasting often.

I have listed four simple points, and I urge you today to apply just two of them for starters because you deserve a victory.

God bless you, and I pray you got something from this blog.

PS : Dane Miller was last seen with a duffle bag and walking into a spiritual gun shop.

Your Brother in the Lord,

Dane Miller – “God is the Author, I am the Pen”

Authored Book – What is the Woman Saying – Lessons from Biblical Women.