The Sword of the Spirit, the spoken word of God, as explained in Ephesians 6:17, is God’s earthly vehicle disciples are called by God to use. This is the power of God’s truth spoken into darkness so the Holy Spirit can turn people living in darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Christ, (Acts 1:8 & 26:18). Christ’s disciples are called to be God’s mouthpiece to fill the world with His truth, and “The spirit bears witness because the Spirit (of God) is Truth” (1John 5:6-8). Therefore, when Christ’s truth is spoken the word becomes God’s offensive weapon to turn darkness to light. The power of God’s word is revealed in part in Hebrews 4:12. God’s spoken word is alive and active, and dynamic and relevant to every person in every circumstance. This is when the Holy Spirit works within us and others to accomplish God’s purpose by judging the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. The spirit goes deeper into the soul than is possible to understand revealing people’s true motives while offering great grace to heal and restore them to be reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18). However, when we speak God’s truth with as much grace as is possible, some may react as if we are shocking them. This is why when we are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, (for speaking truth) Christ will bless us for great is our reward in heaven (Matthew 5:12).
Often times Preachers, Ministers, and Christians use what they believe is tolerable sugar-coated truth, trying to make the word of God less objectionable to the senses of those living in darkness. When someone asks does your church believe homosexuality is sin? The whitewashed glossed over reply is, “well God is love, so you can come as they are.” No, homosexuality is an abomination before God (Leviticus 18). Homosexuality is more than sodomy. It’s about devaluing the family, through an abomination that destroys the very fabric of society where people prey upon each for sexual gratification.
Ministers or Christians are asked about abortion. What is the tolerable answer? “Well, you know everyone sins.” No, abortion slaughters millions by encouraging the mother to kill her unborn child. (Exodus 20:13). Here’s the truth, abortion is about an entire political system designed to devalue human life and treat people as numbers, not souls. It’s about a part of the American public landscape that punishes those who question its dogma because it worships death, hate and destruction. Isaiah 8:20 warns all of us, “Consult God’s instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to God’s word, they have no light in them.”
How about when the culture in the public square is sponsoring evil like drag queen story hour. This should be a call to action to defend the most vulnerable, our children, but most pastors and the body of Christ are silent. Silence is another way not to fulfill our oath to Christ. Many Christians do not know when they are saved, they gave a promise, an oath to our creator to follow and emulate Jesus the Christ. They asked for forgiveness, obtained unmerited favor and everlasting life and received their commission to witness Christ’s truth to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Therefore, Christians who are fearfully silent violate their oath to Christ.
Human fear can also masquerade as wisdom anytime people are subjected to a possible consequence for their behavior. Christians coverup their fear with the façade of wisdom rationalizing reasons not to be bold and pursue the promises of God. This is when fear reigns bigger than our duty to God and we wrongly conclude it is not wise to act. The best biblical example is the men who gave an evil report when Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, “There we saw the giants …and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:30-34). The consequence these men received who brought “…the evil report about the land, died by the plague before the Lord” (Numbers 14:37).
Many Christians go one better and give their non-effort a virtuous name, like love. Their evil report becomes, it is unloving to confront evil because it could be offensive. This is giving fear more faith than we give God that keeps us from our duty of exposing evil (Ephesians 5:11).
Pastors, ministers, and Christians also redefine words to self-censor themselves. They give themselves reasons, camouflaged as wisdom, not to expose public political evils. This lets them falsely redefine political discourse into a kind of curse word and ban discussing these evils in church. Satan is celebrating because he has free reign in the political realm to spread deception because clergy and disciples are neglecting their duty to Christ to shine truth into darkness.
Church leadership’s negligence of boldly speaking truth from the pulpit regarding the political evils over the past 60 years has cheated the body of Christ out of the truth and produced catastrophic effects on America’s liberty, morality, and God’s foundation of marriage. Consequently, many studies have shown Church leadership’s silence has devalued the Church’s stature in the public’s eye and has emboldened the spirit of the antichrist in political parties. Paul instructs us how to speak to the body of Christ in Ephesians 4:25, “Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.”
Many Christians think they are giving mercy through silence, or by holding back or sugarcoating God’s truth. Hear me loud and clear, this is not mercy nor charity. Not to speak is the most merciless thing Christians can do. This is committing the grievous sin of omission the brother of Jesus and Paul warned about. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17) because “…for whatever is not from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23).
Christians should be emboldened when talking to people who feel offended by the word of God. Offense is the very evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit. The nature of God’s truth does not tolerate sin, nor does God’s truth give people room for excuses. The Holy Bible is seen as offensive by evil because the written word of God represents the foundation of truth and reality.
All reality was created by God, of God, and for God to guide humanity into the glory of salvation.
This makes God’s word the most powerful, final, ultimate truth. This is why Jesus said “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice. Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38). Without believing in Jesus, as our Lord and Savior, we are like Pilate, who did not know the truth was standing in front of him.
Now let’s ask ourselves a few questions. How can Christians think we can devalue, sugarcoat, or silence God’s truth and still believe we are righteous? Then do we know we are hindering the unseen hand of divine intervention? Will Christ ask, why did you not speak for the voiceless, when you knew the power the spoken word of truth? How will you answer when judgment comes to you?
What is the judgement for not honoring our commitment to Christ? God will require us to answer to Him, because we are commanded to warn the wicked and if the person dies without us declaring Christ, God as an impartial judge will render to each person according to their deeds (Eze 3:18-19; Acts 20:26-27; Proverbs 24:11-12 & 1 Peter 1:17). This is why James wrote, “Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5:20).
Today, God needs Pastors, Ministers, and Christians who truly love people enough to be boldly honest and direct to those living in darkness inside and outside the church. The bold plain truth calls upon the Holy Spirit, which is the only spirit who can save humanity from eternal damnation. Paul told us how to speak, “But if I speak plainly what God has revealed to me, and tell you the things I know, and what is going to happen, and the great truths of God’s Word—that is what you need; that is what will help you” (1 Cor 14:6).
Christians, never worry about who we will offend when we speak Christ’s truth because the truth of God is already offensive to evil. Worry about the lost who will be misled, deceived, and destroyed if you do not speak the plain truth of God into their lives so the Holy Spirit can save them.
David Howard, Foxhole Ministry