Peace Since 1789

Since 1789 America has been blessed with a peaceful transition of power. Surely a blessing from God in His providence. Tomorrow one President will leave voluntarily and another will step in with change on his mind. Not only will one President leave but there will be an exchange of political parties without a national disruption. Dr. Mohler today on his radio show talked about the transition of power in the Ottoman Empire and the chaos and political disruption that followed such change in political power. Although many of us probably did not vote for President Obama tomorrow should be something we give thanks to God for. "I thought that America just talked about this kind of Democracy," said a citizen of another country surprised at the election of an African American. Although I still urge everyone to pray that God will change President Obama's heart regarding the sanctity of human life tomorrow let us thank God for a Democratic society in which someone whose race 100 years ago had no rights whatsoever and is now able to hold such a high office in our country. This may be the start of persecution in America for us as Christians but I hold to hope in my current memory verse.

Romans 8:35-37
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or PERSECUTION or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long:
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
No, in all these things we are more than conquers through him who loved us.

Swords are for Killing

The following is a wonderful reminder by John Piper concerning the battle against sin:

In New Testament times swords were not for digging, shaving, or whittling. They were for killing. The only reason Peter cut off Malchus’s ear was that he missed (John 18:10).

But Herod didn’t miss: “He killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:2).

Many saints have felt the full force of the sword: “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword” (Hebrews 11:37). So it was and will be: “If anyone is to be slain with the sword, with the sword must he be slain” (Revelation 13:10).

That’s what swords are for. So when Paul calls the word of God the “sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17, he is serious—something must be put to death. And it is not people. Christians don’t kill people to spread our faith; we die to spread our faith.

The link in Paul’s mind is given in Romans 8:13.

If by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

The word of God is the sword of the Spirit. The Sword is for putting to death. And by the Spirit we put to death our sinful deeds. So I conclude that the way we kill our sins is with the Spirit’s sword, the word of God.

All temptations to sin have power by lying. The are “deceitful desires” (Ephesians 4:22). They tell us that the pleasure of the sin is worth it. The killing blow against these lies is the power of God’s truth. Hence the sword of the Spirit, God’s word, is the weapon to use.

As John Owen said, “Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.” That is what swords are for, especially the Bible.