Of Swords and Sweetness--The Discipline of Scripture Memory (Part 2)
“take … the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”—Eph. 6:17
In my last post, I talked about the importance of Scripture memory as a powerful discipline that shapes our thinking and therefore, our character. We are not born into a neutral world but a battlefield. We inhabit bodies that are prone to prideful rebellion.
But when we respond to the Lord’s call through the Spirit, an amazing thing happens: we transfer our allegiance from the Prince of Lies to become servants of the King of Kings.
While we will one day be permanently at home with Him, life here is going to be an arduous journey. Paul likens this to being a soldier (2 Tim. 2:3, 4) who is fighting a spiritual battle (Eph. 6). And one of the key pieces of armor is the sword of the Spirit, which Paul equates with the word of God.
When we memorize Scripture, this is not positive thinking. It is a matter of preparation. When we have God’s divine words entrenched and bathing our minds, we find protection, both defensively and offensively.
Living on Guard: Safety
When my sons were younger, a unit study on swords morphed into a study on blades in general. We learned that different lengths of blades would have different uses.
Daggers are shorter blades that were easily concealed on your person so that if you were ambushed, you could quickly whip it out to defend yourself at close distance.
As believers, we need to be prepared with these daggers. When temptation strikes, you can find your way out (1 Cor. 10:13). When we feel afraid, anxious, or angry, a verse from the Word can provide courage, comfort, and calm. Scripture ingrained in our minds can help us take our thoughts captive (2 Cor. 10:5) and test truth from error (1 John 4:1).
Much of life is lived on the spot. We often don’t have time to plan our moves. We don’t know when a situation will arise or a person will appear or a thought will cross our minds. Being prepared with these short swords can keep us on guard and protect us at a moment’s notice.
Living with Purpose: Sweetness
Another type of blade a prepared soldier would carry is the traditional longer sword. Because it is longer, it becomes an extension of the soldier’s arm. A wise warrior would not think of walking without one. Even when it is not in use, it is nearby.
Equipping ourselves with longer passages of Scripture is like having a sword. While short verses of Scripture are useful for emergency situations, taking time to learn longer passages, chapters, or even entire books of the Bible really allows the Word to sink in deeply.
As mentioned last week, memorizing God’s word helps us think differently. It presses and shapes, transforms and renews our minds (Rom. 12:1, 2; Eph. 4:23).
It keeps God’s Story before us so that it frames our perspective on life. When the opportunity comes to testify, we are equipped to do so with winsomeness and conviction (1 Peter 3:16). If we encounter a brother or sister in need, we can speak directly from the Word without having to hunt for it (Eph. 5:19). As John Piper puts it, “When the heart full of God’s love can draw on the mind full of God’s word, timely blessings flow from the mouth.”
In these cases, taking the time to store up the sweetness of God’s Word (Ps. 19:10) in our hearts helps us as we go through life, enabling us to share the fragrant aroma of Christ to believer and unbeliever alike (2 Cor. 2:14-16).
Pick Your Sword
So what are you in need of now?
Are you struggling with a temptation and need some daggers to help keep them at bay when they pop up unexpectedly?
Or are you in a season where you want to equip yourself for battle? Is there an area of change you want to start decluttering and clearing out?
Or is there an area of growth you want to develop and mature? (link—growth)
If you’re ready for the challenge, take some time to prayerfully consider what verse or passage you would like to start with and then come prepared for our final post. Then we’ll get to work on actually memorizing it!
