“Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.” (Psalm 45:3)
Have you ever thought of God as a Sword? Well He is.
You might look at a sword as a tool for violence, wrath, and vengeance, and that might make you afraid to come to God as your loving, protective Father, who has great plans for you.
Don’t fear!
You will soon see how God does destroy, and He protects, nourishes, and saves not only the ancient Israelites, but you too.
Bibles and prayer books at the Western (Wailing) Wall in Jerusalem
The Sword of His Glory
“Blessed are you, O Israel; Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, Who is the Shield of your help and the Sword [chereb] of your majesty [gaavah]!” (Deuteronomy 33:29)
Not long before the Children of God would enter Canaan to conquer even giants, Moses reminded them that the LORD (YHVH) has been their protector (a shield) and their salvation (yasha), and one of the tools He has used to save them is His sword.
The Hebrew root for sword (chereb) is charab, meaning to make desolate, destroy, dry up (as in a drought).
The sword of Deuteronomy 33:29 is a sword of gaavah—glory, triumph, excellency, and majesty—a weapon used to defend and proclaim the name of the LORD (YHVH).
The Seventh Plague (1823), by John Martin: The plague of hail and fire, found in Exodus 9:13-35, is one of the judgments that God brought against Pharaoh to convince him to let His people go.
The people of Israel had already seen God’s majestic warfare and salvation on their behalf. Yet, He had an even greater goal in mind when He delivered them from slavery.
Between the destruction of boils and fiery hail that God brought against Egypt, He said to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you My power and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” (Exodus 9:16)
When nine plagues didn’t humble Pharaoh enough to let the Hebrew People go, God wielded His sword a final time to bring death upon the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt.
Yet, the firstborn of the Hebrew People were saved. This salvation from the plague of death was not free. It came upon the sacrifice of an innocent lamb:
“The blood [of the lamb on the doorposts] will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.” (Exodus 12:13)
Preparing for the Passing Over of the Angel of Death (1911), by Sylvanus Stall
After all that destruction, God proved His majesty and received all the glory for victoriously delivering His People out of slavery in Egypt and into His own arms.
And people of the nations noticed.
Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, a priest from the land of Midian, became a believer in the God of Israel, saying:
“Praise be to the LORD, who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, … Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods, for He did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.” (Exodus 18:10–11)
We Are Warriors, Too!
God does not keep His weapons all to Himself. He has given us His sword, and He expects us to use it!
The Apostle Paul tells us to gird ourselves with “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.”
Of all the pieces of armor that Paul describes in Ephesians 6:10–17, the Word of God is the only offensive weapon we have.
So powerful a weapon is it that Yeshua (Jesus) wielded this sword against Satan, quoting Scripture to overcome the adversary’s offer to worship him: “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” (Luke 4:12, quoting Deuteronomy 6:13)
Yeshua Is Tempted, by Carl Heinrich Bloch (1834–1890), depicts Yeshua’s victory over Satan’s attempts to lead Him into sin (see Luke 4:1–12).
Even the greatest enemy of God could not withstand the truth and power of Holy Scripture: “When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left [Yeshua] until an opportune time.” (Luke 4:13)
God’s Word really is active, living, and sharper than any two-edged sword!
If it made Satan flee in the presence of the Son of God, it will also make Him flee in the presence of a Believer who has been given authority to do mighty deeds in the name of Yeshua.
How does this work?
When the father of lies (Satan) places thoughts in your mind like “You’re a loser, stupid, not worthy, etc.” take out your sword and destroy those lies with the truth of God’s Word, which says:
“I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), the Temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), and I have a wedding banquet waiting for me as the Bride of Messiah Himself” (Ephesians 5:25–27).
The sword of the Spirit is not only an offensive weapon against enemies of our mind and spirit, it washes our souls clean. It pierces the darkness of our sin so that the Light of God can make us radiant in His glory and righteousness, if we let it.
“[The sword] penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12–13)
Only when our hearts are cleansed can we present ourselves to our Bridegroom “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:27)
God has entrusted His sword to us so that we will defend and protect the many forms of His salvation that the enemy is constantly trying to steal away from us—physical, emotional, and spiritual salvation.
And we are to use His sword in offense, waging war against the principalities that keep the world in unbelief of the salvation message of Messiah Yeshua’s death (blood sacrifice) and resurrection power.
White Horse (1918), by Nicholas Roerich
Fighting for the Final Frontier
The sword that demonstrates God’s majesty, that overcomes all temptations and cleanses us from all iniquities appears again at the end of the age to save us once and for all from the tyranny of the nations who wage war against the LORD and all Believers:
“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on Him that no one knows but He Himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and His name is the Word of God.
“The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Revelation 19:11–16)
And forevermore, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will receive all glory and honor and praise:
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are His judgments. …
“Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory!” (Revelation 19:1-2, 6-7)
