Growing up, I was never super competitive…but come “sword drill” time (aka-Bible Reference Competition), I was all in.

In case you are unfamiliar, a sword drill is a competition in which one person would stand in front of the church (usually at our once a month Saturday night youth meetings), call out a scripture reference and everyone (young and old) would frantically flip through their Bibles in search for that verse. Whoever found it first, read it out loud and received a point. At the end of the competition, the person with the most points, won.

It’s purpose- to entice the younger generation to know their Bibles.

In my Bible reading, I came across a passage which took me back to those sword drill days.

1 Samuel 13:19 states, “There were no blacksmiths in the land of Israel in those days. The Philistines wouldn’t allow them for fear they would make swords and spears.”  The Philistines saw to it that the Israelites had no blacksmiths. No blacksmiths meant no weaponry. No weaponry meant no proper way to defend themselves.

And for decades, this put the Israelites at a great disadvantage. They were constantly subject to neighboring bullies.

Fast forward to 2017….The enemy’s tactic has not changed.

The Bible is our sword (Hebrews 4:12) and the enemy will do everything He can to unequip us. He knows the power it holds. And he does not want us to use it…so he distracts us.

Satan isn’t intimidated by the number of Bibles in my home. He doesn’t even care that I’ve downloaded it on my phone and read an occasional verse of the day.

He doesn’t care that I have a sword…if I never really use it.

We live in a day in which a million things fight for our attention. But if we give in and allow the distractions to win, then we will fall like Adam and Eve fell in the garden…Hearing only the voice of the serpent, questioning what God really said (Genesis 3:1).

Sword drills were great. But even that didn’t intimidate the enemy. It’s when we open up our Bibles (or our Bible app) and know how to use our swords. It’s when we understand it’s intended purpose and allow God’s Word to penetrate and pierce our souls… That is when we will see true victory over any and every situation we may be facing.

The enemy took away the Israelites swords, don’t let him take away yours.

-Binu