“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
In Hebrews 4 God gives us three major characteristics of the word of God, the only offensive weapon in 0ur Cristian armor. One might wonder why God chose to give us only one weapon to use. That is because of our mission – “Having done all to stand.” As we stand we give off light and salt and thereby impact the area in which we are in. From time to time God allows attacks (tests) against our position. When He does we are to hold the ground God has given us. We endure by standing faithfully throughout the test. When we are attacked and we are called upon to fight we follow the example of Christ. When He was tempted by Satan or attacked by the scribes and pharisees He responded by using the word of God. God’s word is
more than an historical narrative. It is not an ordinary book that you read for entertainment or to gain some knowledge. It is written to transform people’s lives. What then are the characteristics of God’s word that make it such an effective and powerful spiritual weapon?
Living God’s word is a living document. It holds the thoughts and instruction from God’s mind to all mankind. Our God is not a dead idol but a living God. Thus His word is living also. The word living is used to contrast life with death. In other words God’s word shows us what life is – how to gain it, and how to live it. No man can gain life without the word of God (“Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God”). God’s word enters our minds and transforms us into the image of God as we memorize and meditate on it. This is what the Lord told us in John 6:63. “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” This truth is further seen in the Parable of the Sower where the Lord likens His word to seed. It penetrates our hearts, it takes root and grows. If the soil (our heart) is receptive, the life of the seed produces fruit. Thus God gives us a living weapon that has the potential to impact the hearts and minds of others. This is critical because our enemy are the walking dead. The ones we stand against are dead in their trespasses and sins. In the condition of spiritual death the only hope is to receive the miracle of life. Thus God gives us a living weapon.
Powerful Next we read God’s word is powerful. This means it is active and effective. The Greek word powerful conveys the idea
of being full of energy, of having the capacity to produce an effect. When God’s word works in people it produces a reaction – either receptive or antagonistic. The Apostle Paul learned this at his conversion when he was told “it is hard to kick against the goads”.
He attacked Christians but as he did the word of God pricked his conscience and he knew what he was doing was not from God.
Sharper than any two-edged sword The living and powerful word of God is sharp. The word is linked to precision and effectiveness. Christians at that time would understand this as the incisive and discerning power of spiritual truths. The living word of God can penetrate a man’s heart and apply itself to the exact situation that a person faces. As a soldier would attack his enemy and use the sharpest sword against him to penetrate his shield so the word of God cuts to the core of a person. Because it is living, it knows what to convict in a person; because it is powerful, it cannot be
ignored and because it is sharp, it penetrates into a person ‘s mind and cannot be escaped. (Even atheists worry about what ill happen to them after death!)
What can we learn? God gives us a powerful weapon to use. It always produces a result. It either melts the wax of a hardened heart or it further hardens the heart of the unrepentant. God does not hold his soldiers responsible for its consequences, only that we use His weapon.