Take...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Like the shield of faith, this is a mobile item. It isn’t worn; it is used. In most aspects it doesn’t do much defending. It is mostly for the purpose of attacking. It is best to only use your shield to block off satanic attacks. Because, when you take up the shield of faith, you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one; the sword of the Spirit doesn’t do that. Now, let’s take a look at how to use the sword of the Spirit to defeat three major life-issues Christians typically face. But, while we are doing that, let’s keep in mind our final exam and the exam that Jesus gives us Christians.

Mat 25:35-36 (NIV) For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me. This exam decides WHERE each person will spend eternity.

1 Cor 3:12-13 (NIV) If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. Once we become a Christian, some just desire, study, pray, believe, love, and take faith-action fulfilling the basic minimum requirements. Others put everything they have into the Christian life: Phil 3:13-14 (NIV) Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Mat 13:8 (NIV) Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. We have seen that this hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown issue has to do with the three things that kept other people from passing Jesus’ final exam. They are:

1. The Path Spiritual Disease: Some fell along the path; these are those who hear the message about the kingdom and do not understand it.
2. The Rocky Spiritual Disease: Some fell on rocky places; these are those who have no root because the rocks keep them from developing.
3. The Thorn Spiritual Disease: Other seed fell among thorns; these are those who allow the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the Word of God.

These things were so severe in the first three types of people’s lives that they failed Jesus’ final exam. But, there are people who pass Jesus’ final exam who have varying degrees of these same problems. And it is sad but these spiritual diseases keep these Christians from producing a hundred times what was sown.

Here is what the person with the path spiritual disease looks like who fails Jesus’ final exam: 1 Cor 2:14 (NIV) The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. And, here is the Christian who has varying degrees of this same disease but passes Jesus’ final exam: 1 Cor 3:1-2 (NIV) Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are STILL not ready.

Here is an even better presentation on what the path spiritual disease does to a Christian who allows it to remain in their life: Heb 5:11-14 (NIV) We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Here is what the person with the rocky spiritual disease looks like who fails Jesus’ final exam: 2 Tim 4:3-4 (NIV) For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. They start out picking and choosing which Bible truths they agree with and like and which ones they don’t. Then they gradually turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Here is a Christian who is picking and choosing which truths they like and accept but are still pursuing Jesus in a lot of areas: Gal 3:1-3 (NIV) You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?

Here is a very good example from Jesus that shows how this effects our rewards: Mat 5:19 (NIV) Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. They pass Jesus’ final exam; but, these two people obtain very different positions and rewards in eternity.

This one has two aspects to it; it includes the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth. Here is what the person with the thorn spiritual disease looks like who fails Jesus’ final exam: Mat 19:21-22 (NIV) Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. This is a person who hoards, is greedy, is selfish, and loves money. They are a lake that allows wealth to flow in but won’t allow it to flow out.

Now let’s take a look at a person who was starting to win over greed, love of money, selfishness, and hoarding: Luke 19:8-9 (NIV) But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. To the degree that Zacchaeus followed through on this commitment is the degree of a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown flowed out of his life.

1 Cor 3:12-15 (NIV) If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

The above spiritual diseases mixed into a Christian’s life can become so severe that all their deeds on earth are burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. This shouldn’t be the desire, objective, or plan for their earthly life. Instead, we should commit ourselves to being the very best there is in Jesus.

We should want to do this: 1 Cor 9:24-27 (NIV) Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.