Christians: Do you like to "fence" with the "sword of the Spirit"?

Question

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That is:
The word of God, the Bible, is called the “sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians 6:17.

So, to rephrase the question:
Do you like to discuss the Bible with other Christians – and even debate about doctrine and theology, bringing all the Bible verses to the discussion that support your view, and then to read, meditate on, and consider all the Bible verses that another person brings to the discussion that seem to oppose your view?

Isn’t fencing a “sport” that will help you in true battle?
Shouldn’t we practice wielding our sword?

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In my relatively short Christian walk, I have found that *many* - if not *most* - Christians do not like to “fence” like this. Some even claim that it causes division. But, does it?

I often find myself questioning their salvation. Perhaps they are afraid...and want to just “blindly believe” what they have been taught...and don’t want to be challenged or changed! Is this the mark of a true Christian? Certainly not!

If Jesus is your love, then why don’t you want to get to know Him more? And how can we get to know Him more without contemplating His word, the Bible – the revelation of who He is? And if our thinking about Him is wrong, don’t we want to be corrected?

Are the people who don’t like to fence the very ones that need to fence the most?

Why do so few Christians like to “fence” with the “sword of the Spirit”?

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Prirate:
I hear this enough to address it - God alone is Judge...who will judge us all - and He alone. Jesus did not come to condemn, but to save. When He comes again, He will come to judge. We do not judge others. However, in love, we share the Gospel with others so that they may be saved. Many think and believe that they are saved, but are not (Matthew 7:21-23). And we are to "test the spirits to see if they are from God" (1 John 4:1). Since salvation is based on grace alone, and NOT our works - we are not "prideful" in questioning the salvation of another (as if we were a "better" person!). All sin and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by grace alone. When we "question" another's salvation, we are challenging them to make "their call and election sure" (2 Peter 1:10). That is - in profound love - we are saying, "wake up! Perhaps you are deceived like the ones in Matthew 7:21-23! For salvatin is a matter of the heart (Romans 10:9-10)...

...and only God knows our heart (2 Chronicles 6:30)...and our heart can be deceived in its own wickedness (Jeremiah 17:9). And since God alone knows our heart, He alone is our judge. But again, in love, for the deception that can be, we warn others who might be decieved so that they may turn and be saved. Since salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, this precludes the possibility of being prideful...as we point them away from us...and away from their sin...and to a holy, righteous Judge who has freely offered the gift of salvation to all...and all who believe shall be saved.
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Answer 1

I wear all the amour.

But you are right - when I first learned the truth, I was a Catholic many years ago and at first it shocked me, then I came to know the truth. Took awhile to become 'unprogrammed'. Today. I am just a Christian who reads the KJV bible but I am not afraid to fence ... and I do.

Answer 2

Listen to Snow Globe. Her answer is correct. I'm a Christian. I spent 6 years as a pastor. I train with real swords. The sword stands for division, just as the Word of God is sharper than a two edged sword dividing the soul and spirit (also allegory), living the way of God's Word will bring division between those who agree and disagree with that way, even if they are close family members. There is a choice to be made - living God's way or living the less confronting way of the world.

Answer 3

I do love the overall concept of "to "fence" with the "sword of the Spirit" that you did describe as long as it is with an open mind on the part of both parties in the game. Likewise I desire that it is not a contest in respect to who does win. I would rather the enjoyment and pleasure come in the playing of the game or the practice that does lead to the words in Proverbs that say "Man sharpens man".

My personal past experience is that most of the time one of the parties is focused on changing the view of the other rather than on the learning process and on verifying the correctness of the view that this party does say is his foundation. Likewise at times many inconsistencies are overlook in the simple things such as definitions in the dictionary, etc., which in my view should not be.

I try my best to learn every day and to affirm my positions or to see deeper into what I may have missed. What I am saying is it is hard to see or accept one's own errors until they are pointed out clearly. This practice you described is a great way to point our the flaws.

Answer 4

Fair enough, but when your minister dedicates most of his energy to denigrating an opposing Christian belief, or denigrating another Christian sect -- and then calls it the handiwork of Satan; this is like fencing with another person with a little bit of poison on the tip of your blade...

How many people can entertain opposing viewpoints as realistic possibilities in matters of theology?

Scientists can't even seem to do that in the scientific community for matters of science... even when physical evidence is available.

Interject faith into the calculus - This means X because I believe it to mean such...

As steven Colbert wisely stated-- I'm not a man of facts, I'm a man of opinions. The facts may change, but my opinion will always remain the same.

Answer 5

Verse 16's, "FIERY darts" are also piercing, and babes in Christ can too often be pierced thru with these falsehoods.

Yes, I love to read what others share, and I try to do so with an open mind, but most importantly, with my "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of PEACE; ABOVE ALL, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked".

Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and SHARPER than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder OF SOUL AND SPIRIT". Are the soul and spirit the same thing? Isa 53:12, prophecy of Christ, "... because he hath poured out his soul unto death". I think when our spirit leaves our body, our outward man dies, and the unity of body and spirit is our soul; Adam became a living soul. Zechariah 12:1, "...saith the Lord, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, AND FORMETH THE SPIRIT OF MAN WITHIN HIM".

Look at the "twoedged sword" in Proverbs 5:3-4, "For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword". The word bitter means heavy; a burden to grievous to be born.

Truth is what we all claim to desire, and I found an interesting verse about what is true; Jesus said, in John 7:18, "He that speaketh OF HIMSELF seeketh HIS OWN glory: but he that SEEKETH HIS GLORY THAT SENT HIM, the same is TRUE, and no unrighteousness is in him". The gospel of "the grace of Christ" (Gal 1:6) gives the glory to God alone, but that other gospel of works, "which is not another", (Gal 1:7), gives the glory to man, and gives them something to "boast" about. Eph 2:9, "NOT OF WORKS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST".

Answer 6

I don't feel that any one interprets the Bible the same way. The Bible is the "Word of God" and God talks to each of us in a different way. For someone to tell you that you must believe exactly the same way they do is wrong.There are passages and scripture in the Bible that my pastor & I don't see the same way. That does not mean I am right or he is right. It means that God has spoken to us in different ways. When we sit down and discuss and debate, we usually find that we are looking at the same thing, but with different views. All Christians should want to and enjoy a good debate and conversation about the Bible.

Answer 7

I enjoy a good match, as long as the other party is equally open to looking at the verses I bring forward, and as long as they don't either twist scripture to try to get it to say what it doesn't or get dogmatic about the word doesn't speak clearly on.

Some things in scripture are very clearly black and white, and you have to take a lot out of context and do some acrobatics to get them to "say" something different. For those things, it is best to take scripture for what it says, and should not try to make it say differently. On the clearly black and white issues, those who try to twist the scripture (like Jehovah witnesses and Mormons) should be dealt with in truth, and we don't need to dwell on whether they are right or wrong, because we know what the word the says.

But there are areas where scripture is not as clear, and there can be two possible points of view. On those areas we need to extend grace to each other even if we disagree.

Answer 8

You have made a wonderful point. People believe what they do because that is what is taught. It would seem people would read and ask for guidance for themselves. If I am not understanding scripture to the full I would want to know the truth. The truth is a piece of armor given to you by God. This is so much more important the people truely know. The church's of today have many members but is not a place where God himself hangs out. I truly feel sorry for them.

Answer 9

The word of God is the sword of the spirit and yes it should be used against the adversary for that is what he listens to,and that is not the only way to get close to the Lord you get close to him spending intimate time with him not only in his word or prayer but praise and worship,thanksgiving,and people that do not understand spiritual things are the ones that cause division for they are carnal minded,and its going to take open mindedness,and a teachable spirit to continue to grow and learn God Bless keep using your sword Lisa And do not argue spiritual facts for carnal minded people need eyes to see and ears to hear,and without the infilling of the Holy Ghost they can not see things Gods way .

Answer 10

Ephesians 6:12
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
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We set forth the good news of the Messiah and the Kingdom known. This is planting of the seed. Another waters and God gives the increase.
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1 Corinthians 3:
6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.
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1 Corinthians 2
4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
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So it is pleasant to learn from one another but spreading the good news of the Kingdom is by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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John 8:
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.