The Sword of the Spirit

How can we use this God given tool?

"And take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

--- Ephesians 6:17

OK, lets face it, no missionary has time to get ripped like that.

That's right, today we're talking about swords!  The only weapon you have in your arsenal when it comes to the Armor of God.  

"That ye may be able to withstand in the evil day..."  

This is definitely the evil day, and only with the whole Armor of God can we stand up to a world so far away from God and righteousness.  So why do we need a weapon?  Withstanding sounds like defense, right?  

In order to understand this, let's make clear the purpose of this Earth.  We are here to receive a body, to learn, to grow, and to become better people; to choose the right and change, making ourselves worthy for heaven.  Yes, many of these learning experiences will come from trials and hard times, but God didn't send us here to endure only.  If He had wanted to do that, He would have just given us a shield and armor.  God gave us the sword of truth, His word on the Earth, to "carry the truth unto the hearts of the children of men" (2 Nephi 33:1).

It's a weapon with which we can "stand against the wiles of the devil" and conquer the enemy of all righteousness.  Instead of asking why we need a weapon, we should be asking: are we using this God given tool? 

Many Swords to choose from...

I'm more of a Book of Mormon wielder myself...

The sword of the spirit is the word of God.  Because we have a living, modern day prophet, the word of God abounds on the Earth.  We have so many tools at our disposal to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ: Facebook, Twitter, the Ensign and other church magazines, general conference, and most importantly the Book of Mormon.  

Arm Yourselves and Others!

Is your Book of Mormon always within reach at home?  Or is it collecting dust on a bookshelf?

Do you study the word of God and store it up in your heart?

Is your testimony unshakable?  Do you know that it is true for yourself?

Could you tell me where our beliefs are taught in the Book of Mormon?  The Bible?

If someone asked you for a Book of Mormon, would you have one to give them?

Our personal armory.

As a missionary, I've found that you never really know when or where the next battle will be.  You only know you must be prepared.  Wearing the armor of God is essential to achieving happiness in this life.  Without the security and knowledge that Gospel of Jesus Christ provides, no one can truly be happy.

So many people are searching and "know not where to find" this truth (D&C 123:12).  We need to arm our friends.  They are standing among us at the front line without a sword; you're standing there holding too many swords to know what to do with.  Do the math and give someone a Book of Mormon.  :)