Verse of the Day
Luke 22:28 (NKJV) So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”
Bible Commentary
Luke 22:38 is a conversation Jesus had with His disciples as He was preparing them for their next assignment.
There are so many ways the devil wreaks havoc in our lives by sowing seeds of doubt, whispering lies and causing misunderstandings. These are effective tools he has used to separate us from God and from one another. If he can dish out enough evidence to make us believe that God (or someone special to us) has rejected us, then he has succeeded in keeping us apart from one another.
If we feel rejected by someone, we avoid them. We don’t want to confront the pain of rejection, so we use our man-made walls to protect our hearts. What we don’t realize is that the pain of the perceived rejection is the same pain Father God feels when we believed the lie. The devil has won on both fronts.
1) God suffers when we rejected the evidence of the cross—the ultimate sacrificial act of the love and devotion of God’s Perfect Son. The cross is proof of His Great Love for us, but we chose to accept the false evidence from the devil instead of receiving His Perfect Gift of Love—just like Eve did in the Garden of Eden.
2) We suffer when we follow the trail of lies the devil planted on our path, which kept us away from the Truth, or anywhere we might find the Truth about God’s love for us–the Bible, church, God-fearing people. We avoid the pain of rejection by turning away from God on all fronts, because we believed the lie.
Because of the power of darkness and spiritual forces of wickedness (Ephesians 6:12), there is an air of condemnation and judgment that hovers over us and overpowers the weakness of our human emotions. Not only do we believe the false evidence of rejection from God and people, but we feel judged and condemned because our emotions are not strong enough to withstand it. And so, we unknowingly reflect the same judgment and condemnation we feel, onto others. It’s like an epidemic that we can’t cure.
God’s Grace is Enough
But what we cannot cure, there is Someone Who can. His Name is Jesus Christ. Despite all of the chaos and confusion, God’s mercy reigns. He alone is King, and Jesus Christ is the only name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
God’s grace is sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), and because of the mercy and power of Jesus Christ, it is no longer necessary for us to suffer in pain and confusion. But before we can be rescued from the noise and chaos of lies and darkness, we must be willing to face and accept the truth.
The truth is that we have all been instruments of the destructive powers of darkness when we dished out judgment and condemnation ourselves. What we dish out, we receive back (Matthew 7:1-2). Therefore, there have been divisions in marriages, families and friendships as we all fell prey to the devil’s schemes.
But Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10). With our permission and cooperation, Jesus Christ will save us from all the destruction and damage caused by the enemy and the weaknesses of our human flesh—sin.
Before Jesus was taken by the Roman soldiers He prepared the disciples regarding their role in the war that was to take place. He speaks the same to us today. We have an assignment in the spiritual warfare being waged over us. He has given us all the tools we need.
Luke 22:28 So they said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”
There are some soldiers of Christ who might need a physical sword to carry out their God-given assignment, but we ALL need the spiritual sword He has given us—the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), which is sharper than any sword (Hebrews 4:12). When we are victorious with our spiritual sword, then the victory manifests in the physical.
Our sword is to be used against the spiritual forces of darkness in the Name of Jesus Christ. When we know who we are as a soldier of Christ, we can fight with confidence and boldness–without fear and without doubt. Using the Word of God, the strength and courage of Christ rises up in us so we can face our fears and doubts in the power of the Holy Spirit, and overcome them with the power of the Truth.
As we take cover in the Truth and put on the armor of God that He generously gave to us, we can live in continual victory as we stand fast in His liberty (Galatians 5:1). Then when the fiery darts of wickedness are thrown at us, they will bounce right off our shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) and penetrate the enemy’s camp instead of our own. Hallelujah!
Study the Bible verse of Luke 22:28 to discover your assignment and gain the victory in Jesus Christ.
Today’s Prayer
Thank You, Father God, for the gift of victory in Your Son Jesus Christ. Thank You for the cross, which made the way. Thank You for the opportunity to live in the safety and abundance of Your House—in relationships, in health, in provision and the well-being of our souls. It is in Your Name we take cover. We seek and accept the truth, repent where necessary, yield to Your perfect will and enter into the sweet surrender of a loving relationship with You, Lord—Your original intent and design. Thank You for victory in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
