The Word of God is its own sword (Hebrews 4:12). It is the Almighty’s weapon of choice, being prevailingly wielded by Him in our present-day world. It vanquishes every foe and proves itself to be everlasting. As the prophet said, “The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8).

As the legendary sword Excalibur could only be supernaturally wielded by King Arthur, who alone had managed to pull it from the stone, so also the “sword of the Spirit” can only be miraculously wielded by the King of kings, who came into this world to bring it to life by pulling it out of cold stone tablets. Granted, as His subjects, we are armed as His witnesses with the sharp sword of His Word. Nevertheless, the moment we attempt to wield it as a club in the coercion of others, we step out from under its authority and are no longer standing and relying upon its inherent power.

God has not given us the Bible to bludgeon people with. We are not to behave as the modern-day version of the Pharisees, the spiritual bruisers of Jesus’ day. Instead, God simply wants us to share His unadulterated Word with others. Although God wants us to do so with boldness, He also wants us to be compelled by His love and empowered by His Spirit. When we are, God can speak through us to the hearts of men in the still small voice of the Spirit. It is hearing God speak through us, not hearing us speak for God, that changes men’s lives and alters their eternal destinies.  

The ancient prophets went out into this world armed with nothing else but “Thus saith the Lord.” Our Lord Himself changed forever this fallen world by mightily wielding His authoritative Word within it (Matthew 7:28-29). Likewise, His ragtag band of disciples managed to “turn the world upside down” by simply repeating the words that He had spoken (Acts 17:6). And even when persecuted and imprisoned for their preaching of His Word, His disciples remained confident that His Word was “not bound” and would continue unimpeded into “all the world” (2 Timothy 2:9; Matthew 24:9-10, 14).  

Along with being unstoppable, the Word of God is also all sufficient. Jesus portrayed it as seed in His famous parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15). Everything is in the seed: the stalk, the leaf, the ear and the kernel. Likewise, everything we need is in the Word of God. It is not only sufficient for the salvation of souls, but also for the perfecting of the saints (James 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Truly, it is enough; we need nothing more to be fully armed and equipped! 

“The Bible is no mere book, but a living creature with a power that conquers all that face it.” (Napoleon)