The Difference Between Life and Death

Two weeks ago, an employee went missing after going on a solo hike. As soon as I heard the news, my mind started racing with questions. Kayla and I were a couple of the last people to see Steve. He had ridden the employee shuttle with us that morning but decided to hike a different trail than us. 

The next day he didn't show up  for work. He had spent the night alone in the snow and bitter cold; still lost somewhere on the icy mountain. My manager approached me and asked me what I knew about his whereabouts. I told him where he said he was going to be hiking that day. I must have told 3 or 4 people, each on different occasions, what he had said before his hike. Soon, I was on the phone with a Ranger preparing a search and rescue crew. I began to realize the importance of my spoken words. If I would have chosen to not speak about what Steve had told us before his hike, I would impede the process of finding him and possibly prevent a successful rescue. It could make the difference between life and death. I never would have chosen to not speak in such a situation, but the power of my words left an imprint.

The Greek word “rhema” is often translated into English as “word.” In English, the word “word” can mean spoken or written. However, rhema means an utterance or a spoken word. 

The Greek word Rhema is used in Ephesians 6, the Armor of God. In verse 17, Paul describes the final article of the Armor of God: the sword of the spirit. Paul uses the word rhema to describe the sword of the spirit as the word of God. Modern translations leave out the nuanced meaning to this verse. Most translations say something like “take…the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.” However, the verse should read, “take…the sword of the spirit, which is the spoken word of God.”

The spoken word of God is our sword. This means we need to speak it. Knowing God’s word comes first but we need to speak it if we want to attack. Otherwise, the sword is sitting in its sheath. 

Have you ever noticed that every article in the Armor of God is defensive? That is, every article except the sword of the spirit. The sword of the spirit is the only offensive weapon we have against the devil. 

We need to realize that this little word “rhema” means we need to speak up. We need to raise our voices. We need to overflow from the fullness of our hearts out of mouths. (Matt. 6:45)

This past year I felt a lot spiritual oppression from demonic forces. I knew I had the authority to command those demonic forces to leave solely through the name of Jesus Christ.

As soon as I spoke those words out loud, the demonic forces left immediately. I guess you could say, I learned firsthand the power of Jesus’ spoken name.

When I think about the book of Acts; when I think about Peter, John, and even Paul I think about people who were bold as they could be in their faith. 

Maybe these days we are too worried about being politically correct. We don’t want to offend anyone. We don’t want to turn anyone off to Christianity. So we sit quietly and tell ourselves we will slowly win them over with our quiet actions. 

The great thing about Jesus was that everywhere he went he upset things. He offended the Hebrew way of life. He stumped those who wanted to corner him into a trap. He made people angry because they were convicted of their sins. Jesus was sinless; he was better than them and they couldn’t handle it. Everywhere Jesus went, he spoke about the Father. Everywhere he went he was preaching and teaching people. He was using spoken words.

If Jesus was around today, living in our community, I’m not sure he would be as warmly welcomed among Christians as we think. Wouldn’t he preach to us? Wouldn’t his words convict us of our sins? Yes, we would probably feel dirty in the presence of his brightness, but we would probably live better lives too. 

So it should be with us; if we love those around us shouldn’t we lovingly point them in the right direction? Maybe that means an uncomfortable situation. Maybe that means offending someone. But, if you truly love someone, don’t you want what is best for them? If you do, you should want them walking in the right direction.

Just the other day, Kayla and I had to sit down and have a conversation with a fellow ACMNP volunteer. The ministry team was growing in concern about her actions and we decided to speak up. The conversation we had with her was difficult and uncomfortable but we did it because we care about her and where her actions were taking her. 

Next time you feel the holy spirit leading you to speak to someone, do not quench the spirit. Speak. Speak boldly. This is not the time to be humble. This is not the time to be quiet. Don’t worry about the repercussions of offending someone when God demands your voice. 

The words I spoke to my manager and the Ranger about Steve were powerful. Those words helped save his life. The search and rescue mission was a success because the rescue team looked in the right location. They found Steve alive after two nights out on the mountain. He suffered a broken rib, a twisted ankle, and hypothermia.

Last weekend I visited a friend and he happened to have a metal sword lying in his backyard. He picked it up and handed it to me. My first thought was how it was longer and heavier than I expected. My friend, then, made a comment about men battling to the death with swords. It was odd to think that this was happening up until not very long ago. I imagined men running and yelling into battle; the clashing of force between two swords swung by strong men, each hoping to kill the other. Their swords being the only things in the way between life and death. 

Swords hold power. Sometimes they hold the power of life or death. So it is with the spoken word. We each hold a sword. We have the opportunity to swing and protect ourselves from demons. We also have the opportunity swing and protect others. We can save people from an eternal death simply by speaking into their lives. 

Pull the sword of the spirit out of its sheath.

Speak the word of God for it is your sword. Speak strongly against evil like you are swinging a sword to save your life and the lives of those around you. Don't let the devil fool you into thinking we are not at war. Shout at the devil. Raise your voice. This is war.