Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

What is a sword? A weapon. Offensive, defensive or both, a broad variety of designs from claymore to rapier. One universal characteristic is that each type needs the hands of a skilled swordsman to be effective. The Word, the sword of the Spirit, is sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb 4:12), but is useless, if I am not intimately familiar with it. I need to study my weapon, to know when to use the smashing power of the claymore or the delicate piercing of the rapier.

Praise the LORD. The Spirit is a powerful teacher and coach.

Today's readings in the Psalms:

Morning: Psalm 33

Mid-day: 119:9-16

Evening: Psalm 108

Please address comments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

"Voices Together" is available as an annual daily devotional and can be purchased at the Fellowship Of Ailbe bookstore.  All Scripture is taken from the ESV unless otherwise noted. A weekly edition, formatted as a bi-fold insert and suitable for distribution can be downloaded at https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/52-general-downloads. The next edition is available by Thursday of the prior week.