Taking Offense
“... and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God …” ~Ephesians 6:17
We come this morning to the last piece of armor in the Christian’s panoply. It is the only offensive piece in the collection: the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. God has given us His Word to protect us from the enemy of our souls. Do you use it?
The Bible is the book of books, the hallowed ground on which “the seeking God meets and saves the seeking man,” as P.T. Forsyth so aptly described it. In a similar vein, Erasmus, the great humanist scholar, wrote in the preface to his translation of the Greek New Testament: “On these pages you will find the living Christ, and you will see Him more fully and more clearly than if He stood before you, before your very eyes.” In the preface of the Geneva Bible, it says, “The Bible is the light to our paths, the key of the kingdom of heaven, our comfort in affliction, our shield and sword against Satan, the school of wisdom, the glass wherein we behold God’s face, the testimony of His favor, and the only food and nourishment of our souls.” Or as John Flavel once wrote, “The Scriptures teach us the best way of living, the noblest way of suffering, and the most comfortable way of dying.”
Do you study the Bible? Do you know how to? Below I want to outline a method for Bible study that has served me well over the years. I hope it might help you be more intentional in your studies. In the process outlined below, I’ve demonstrated in the bullet points how you might apply each step, using Philippians 1:9-11 as a sample study passage:
1. Prayer: Ask the Lord for His aid before you even begin to read the Bible.
“Open my eyes, Lord; I want to see Jesus. Help me see wonderful things in Your Word today.”
2. Passage: Identify the passage you will study. It is probably best to use short paragraph length sections with this method, ideally between 3 and 10 verses. Having said that, make sure the passage you choose encapsulates one complete idea.
3. Reading: Let’s use for example our sermon text from last Sunday morning:
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (Philippians 1:9–11)
4. Theme: Write down the doctrinal theme of the passage. What is this paragraph about?
In this passage, Paul lists the kinds of things for which Christians should pray.
5. Context: Try to summarize the immediate context of the text at hand (i.e. the previous verses, paragraph, chapter). In particular, note any obvious connection between the two. Ask yourself: Why is this text the writer’s next thought?
Paul has just described his love for this church. Evidently, one of the ways he expresses love for the church is to pray for them.
6. Paraphrase: Try to summarize the main ideas of the text in your own words. If there is a logical or reasoned argument in the text (if/then, therefore, because, so that, in order to, etc.), make sure your summary captures it.
I want your love to flourish and abound. For that to happen you need to have your head on straight, so that your love will not be wooly-headed or gushy. Christians need to think clearly so that they can carefully choose between what is good, what is better, and what is best. When we love that way and think that way, we will take every choice back to the straight-up-and-down (righteous) standards of God’s law. Such a life brings great glory to God.
7. Doctrine: What does this passage teach you about God? Think in terms of who God is or how God works.
This passage teaches me that God works on our insides, changing our hearts, our habits of thought, and our ability to make wise choices. This is such an encouragement to me, for I need just a “heart surgeon.”
8. Promise: Is there an explicit or an implicit promise in the text for all Christians? Are there any conditions to this promise?
God never suggests a prayer He doesn’t mean to answer. So if I pray these words in faith, I can expect God to answer and change my heart’s ability to love.
9. Rebuke: How does this passage expose sins in your life? Try to be as specific as possible. So, for example, instead of writing, “This passage rebukes me when I get angry,” say instead, “This passage rebukes me for the way I behaved last night with my children when I lost my temper. What I did was wrong because…”
This passage rebukes my infrequent journeys to the throne of grace. How the angels must wonder at my prayerlessness.
10. Response: What does this passage tell you that God wants you to do? Under this section think in terms of commands to obey, good examples to follow, or bad examples to avoid.
This passage tells me that I should offer clear, short, specific prayers.
11. Prayer: After reading this passage, how will you pray differently? In this section turn the teaching of the passage into a written prayer.
After reading this passage, I will pray that God will keep transforming my ability to love my wife, my children, my brothers, my neighbors, and even my enemies. I will pray that God will sharpen my capacity for clear-headed, critical thinking and discernment so that I will make wise choices regarding my behavior and my future. I will pray that my life will more and more be conformed to His will and not my own, and that through my life His Name will be hallowed.
12. Goals: After reading this passage, how will your thinking, speaking, and living be observably different? In this last section it is vital that you endeavor to be as specific and concrete as possible. So instead of saying, “I will read my Bible more than I do,” say, “I will study the Bible for 20 minutes as soon as I get my morning coffee, and I will endeavor to do this at least 5 days in the week.” Do you see? This goal is measurable and concrete. I can tell easily whether or not I have achieved it!
I will memorize this prayer and include it every day in my prayers for the next month, and then periodically thereafter.