The Sword of the Spirit is sharper than anything in the cosmos because it is the Spirit of Truth. The Sword of the Spirit has two equally sharp edges for cutting in any direction. What kind of danger would you find yourself in if you could consistently and only tell the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth? The world crucified truth-tellers, which is precisely what happened to God’s second self, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6.
Telling the Truth does not mean pointing the finger at people. That kind of truth speaks facts but with deceptive tones and attitudes. Someone might be correct in saying, “That behavior is sin,” but if their tone and attitude also suggest that God hates the person because of their sin, it falls short of the Truth.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 NASB
Uncompromised, unwavering, undiluted Truth is incomprehensibly sharp. The cost of walking in the Truth is the price of your blood. If you lie to keep yourself alive, the sword of Truth will kill you. The Sword of Truth does not make allowances nor accept excuses. But if anyone falls on the sword of Truth, they will be saved. Jesus said,
“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.”
Luke 9:24 NASB
Jesus, who is the Truth, promised that our lives would be saved if we lose them “for my sake” or for the sake of the Truth. We die either way. One death leads to life and the other to condemnation. The Sword of Truth promises to give us life if we fall on it and to run us through if we resist it. The question is: Do we have greater faith in the power of Truth to raise us from the dead or in our ability to defend ourselves?
A prophet warned Jesus’ mother about the sharpness of this sword to which she gave birth:
And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”
Luke 2:34-35 NASB
Nobody can touch the sword of Truth without drawing blood. The Sword of Truth is sacred; it is God’s ritual instrument for activating and sealing covenants.
So He said to him, “Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other;
Genesis 15:9-10 NASB
Why were these animals cut in a ritual? So that Abraham, with whom God entered into a covenant, would “know for certain” (Genesis 15:13) what God would do for him and through him on penalty of death, not Abraham’s death but His own. Even God bleeds when He touches the sword of Truth.
Why would God, who is the Truth, cut Himself on the sword of Truth?
“So that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.”
Hebrews 6:18 NASB
The two unchangeable things are: 1. It is impossible for God to lie, and He said He would redeem the world. 2. To demonstrate His commitment to the world, God further bound His life to the promise when He swore an oath and entered a covenant on penalty of death.
The most remarkable part of God’s
covenant keeping is that, though the penalty for breaking the covenant was death, the cost of keeping the covenant was also death. The sword of Truth is double-edged.
Cutting instruments are kept sharp through friction created by resistance. The sword of Truth is kept sharp by the rock of Christ. Jesus presented Satan with immovable resistance through His faithfulness unto death as a sacrifice to the Truth so that the Sword of Truth will never grow dull. Satan tempted Jesus in the garden to choose something easier than falling in the Sword of Truth. Jesus cried out as He sweat drops of blood, saying,
“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Luke 22:42 NASB
The silent answer came back, “There is no other way.” So, Jesus laid down His life, was pierced, and died.
“But God raised him on the third day.” Acts 10:40 ESV
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:2 NASB
The blood of Christ is the most potent substance in the cosmos because it is the undeniable proof of God's love, faithfulness, and truthfulness. The Devil cannot deny, overcome, or subdue the power of the blood. He cannot resist or even dilute the blood because God was faithful to the Truth, even unto death. In the courtroom of Heaven, all accusations that Satan, “the accuser of our brethren,” makes against God and His people are utterly defeated through the blood spilled by the Sword of Truth.
The blood and the sword are inseparable. The sword draws the blood, the blood sharpens the sword, and together, they make a lethal concoction for Satan, the father of lies.
So choose this day whom you will serve for “he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” Matthew 21:44 NASB.
“It is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.”
Hebrews 9:27 NASB
Everyone dies, but not everyone lives. Don’t waste your death, but choose the death that leads to life.
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