On Handling the Sword

By: Lindsay Mast - Atlanta, GA

No one on Peachtree Street was there to be preached to that day. The sidewalks were already filling when my daughters and our friends arrived in Midtown Atlanta three hours early for the parade celebrating the 2021 World Series Champions, the Atlanta Braves. As the start time neared, more and more people crowded together, creating a sea of red and navy clad fans that stretched for miles.

On separate corners near us, though, two men started suiting up in gear that was most definitely not licensed by Major League Baseball. And these guys were not there to cheer on Freddie Freeman. Instead, they carried megaphones and wheeled speakers and signs that were taller than anyone in the crowd.

 “Repent.” 

“Judgment Day is Coming.” 

“Do You Know God?” 

The signs bore messages straight out of the Bible. What they said was in no way wrong, but as they made their way north through the swarm of fans, there was an almost tangible change in the air. A slight… disgust… in the crowd. At one point, many of them even started doing the Braves’ chant and Tomahawk chop, just to drown out the megaphones.

As a Christian, it was hard to watch. I have a lot to learn from the earnestness and zeal of men like those street preachers. But that crowd was turned off completely by messages that I know to be true. Thoughts that are completely in line with the Bible. Words that are true, or at least point to truth.

Why?

Why is it that these powerful messages, when delivered without personal interaction, are so repelling? Do those men ever end their days with someone truly turning their life over to God? I don’t know. But what I perceive is that these people are using the sword of the Spirit–the word of God (Ephesians 6:17) - as an offensive weapon against masses of people. Without a relationship preceding it and without an evident plan to follow up on the wounds that need to be salved when you realize just how much you need the Lord, these powerful words may not have the intended effect.

These failures make it hard to help a person–a poor, hurting soul– feel confident that these truths are not a personal attack on them but rather an attempt to care for their eternal well-being. And sadly, tactics like these don’t seem to be drawing the general population toward Christ. In fact, their actions can sometimes make our evangelism even harder.

Because of the power of the sword of the Spirit, the word of God, we must proceed with care and caution. Most of us aren’t street preachers, but we could stand to learn a lot from them about how NOT to wield the sword. Because all too often, despite our lack of megaphones and signs, we participate in similar unfair guerilla warfare with people we come into contact with. Instead of drawing people to Christ, we batter them instead.

Speaking the Truth in Love

The concept of the Armor of God is such an interesting one, isn’t it? We teach it to eager little faces in Bible class and we love to sing “The Battle Belongs to the Lord” and “I’m in the Lord’s Army.” These things are rousing, and it truly is reassuring to know that the victory is won.

But here’s the thing. We often take all that roused-up emotion to the streets (or more likely, the internet) and start shouting to strangers about their souls. We forget that not everyone shares our faith, yet. Not everyone is ready to suit up against the attacks of Satan, yet. And if they have first or numerous experiences with the sword that are belligerent or unkind, it can wound far more differently than perhaps it was ever intended to.

The problem? We tend to misuse the sword against people instead of against Satan. Those verses in Ephesians 6 really are talking about our battle with Satan, not with the often unwitting person who has allowed him to use her (or him) as a pawn. They might eagerly turn their lives over to the Savior if only they could learn to trust Him, obey Him, and wield a sword of their own. Instead, they remain afraid of Christians coming at them with yet another Bible verse they don’t understand.

Just a few short verses prior to the armor references, Paul encourages us that we should be “speaking the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). Not “speaking the truth out of frustration with our culture.” Or “speaking the truth in order to win the argument.” Least of all should we be “speaking the truth in efficiency.” All too often we want to speak the truth as quickly as possible, in order to do our evangelistic duties and check off another box in our list of “Christian To-Do’s” for the day. 

But love is not efficient. 

Sure, we can love someone as a fellow soul instantly. But to express it, and to convince someone of it, is often one of the most tiresome tasks we can take on. But IF we can take the time to do that, they will believe our sincere desire for their salvation when we show them what the Bible really does say. And then the sword can do its powerful, incomprehensible work of piercing human hearts and showing us how to be healed all at once.

We don’t have a choice if we want to minister as Paul instructs. We cannot speak Truth alone. We cannot show Love alone. We must find a way to do both, and let God do the rest. We must lay down our megaphones and speakers and open our arms to the hurting who need to know we come in love, with truth.

Thank you, Lord, for the sword of the Spirit, for your word. It does things I never could. It has pierced me in ways I never wanted to be pierced, but it has also proven to me over and over again that I have a Savior who can make me whole. Lord, give me patience and give me the words to say that will win people over to you so that we all might do our part in the battle against the Evil One. In Jesus’ name, Amen.