The Sword of the Spirit

Announcer:

This is Today With Derek Prince. The internationally recognized Bible teacher and author presents to you Keys To Successful Living.

In yesterday’s teaching Derek Prince used the example of Jesus’ life to show us how to use God’s written word to overcome Satan’s temptations. As he continues this week’s message entitled ‘The Authority and Power of God’s Word,’ Derek gives further examples of how the Scriptures work in our lives bringing discernment, life and power through the Holy Spirit. Listen now as Derek continues his teaching at a New Zealand Conference. And stay tuned at the end of today’s broadcast for our address and this week’s special offer.

Derek Prince:

You can take various aspects of His life but we’ll just take four. His birth, His human life, His death and His resurrection. Concerning all of those, the Scripture says it took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled. Jesus could not in any way have more strongly endorsed the authority of Scripture than that.

Now let’s turn to the New Testament. What is the authority behind the New Testament? You’ll be surprised to learn it’s the same as behind the Old Testament. Let’s look at two passages in which Jesus spoke to His disciples. In John chapter 14:25–26, Jesus is taking leave of His disciples, He’s preparing them for the fact that He’s going to leave. And He says:

“‘These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the helper, the Holy Spirit . . .’
That’s the title of the Holy Spirit. The Helper. Sometimes He’s called the comforter.”

“. . . the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

So the authority behind the writings of the apostles is the authority of the Holy Spirit. And Jesus said He’ll do two things: Whatever I didn’t teach you, He will teach you; and whatever I said that you might have forgotten, He will bring to your remembrance. So the record of the gospels does not depend on human memory, it depends on the truth of the Holy Spirit.

“And then again in John 16:12–14, the same thing is brought out. Jesus says to His disciples:
‘I still have many things to say to you but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come . . .’”

And let me point out that Jesus breaks the laws of grammar to emphasize that the Holy Spirit is not an it but a he. I can’t go into that because it’s too complicated but according to Greek grammar He should have said it. And He didn’t, He said he. In other words, please understand the Holy Spirit is not just an ‘it,’ He’s a ‘he,’ He’s a person. You need to relate to Him as a person.

“When He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth, for He will not speak from Himself but whatever He hears He will speak. And He will tell you things to come.”

So again Jesus says, whatever teaching you need that you have not yet received, it will come to you by the Holy Spirit.

“Then He says:
‘He will not speak of Himself [or from Himself], but whatever He hears He will speak. And He will tell you things to come.’
And then the next verse:
‘He will glorify me for He will take of what is mine and declare it to you.’”

And let me point out to you that’s another extremely important mark of the Holy Spirit, He always glorifies Jesus. And if you ever are confronted by spiritual manifestations that do not glorify Jesus but give glory to a man or in some other direction, you can be sure that it’s not the Holy Spirit. Because the supreme ministry of the Holy Spirit is to reveal and to glorify Jesus. That’s one good way of testing the spirits. The Bible says we are to test the spirits. And you can test if a thing is from the Holy Spirit. One sure test is it will glorify Jesus. If it doesn’t—it may sound very good; it may sound very spiritual; it may be uttered in a loud, resounding voice; but it isn’t from the Holy Spirit because He will not glorify anyone but Jesus. And the moment human personalities begin to take glory to themselves the Holy Spirit says, ‘Sorry, but I have to leave. You can carry on but I won’t be here.’ That’s how many, many ministries have gone astray in living memory . . . my living memory, which extends a lot further than some of yours. I could not count the number of ministries that have ended in ruin because men took the glory which the Holy Spirit will only give to Jesus. I want to tell you I’m very, very conscious of that myself. I’m continually examining myself, ‘Am I giving the glory to Jesus or am I trying to persuade people that Derek Prince is someone important?’ Derek Prince is a sinner saved by the grace of God.

Now, let’s go on to a really interesting and important theme which is the nature of God’s Word. This is very, very interesting. In Hebrews chapter 4:12 we get a kind of analysis of the nature of the Word of God. Hebrews 4:12:

“For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword . . . You’ll notice it’s compared again to the sword.
. . . piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow; and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

So the Word of God is not dead, it’s not just black marks on white paper, it’s not just sounds that come from a preacher’s mouth; it’s alive, it’s living, and wherever it comes it brings life. The Word of God is alive and powerful. Thank God it is powerful. It’s more powerful than all the lies with which Satan has filled the world. The Word of God is the ultimate answer.

“And then it says:
. . . piercing even to the division of soul and spirit . . .”

This is very interesting, I must not get sidetracked on it. But, the Bible reveals that man is a triune being: spirit, soul and body—a triune being created in the likeness of a triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But, the only way we can learn to distinguish between the soul and the spirit is by the Word of God. It’s the only instrument that’s sharp enough to penetrate and separate what is soulish from what is spiritual. It’s very important because if you study the New Testament, and we don’t have time to go there, you’ll find that the soulish in many ways is in opposition to the spiritual. In 1 Corinthians chapter 2 Paul says the soulish man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are spiritually discerned. So, it’s important that we learn to distinguish between what is spiritual and what is soulish. But only the Word of God can do that.

It can also divide between the joints and the marrow. So the Scripture can penetrate where no surgeon’s scalpel can penetrate and no psychiatrist’s probing can penetrate. It’s the only thing that takes us right into the very depths of human personality.

“And then it says:
. . . it’s a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.”

To discern means to analyze, to see into the very nature of something. And somebody said years ago when I was a young believer, and it’s always stuck with me, ‘Remember, when you’re reading your Bible your Bible is also reading you.’ It’s a two-way transaction. It was so vivid to me because I started to read the Bible simply as a professional philosopher treating it as a work of God. But as I went on reading, and I found it very dreary and only my determination that no book would ever defeat me kept me reading, I began to feel quite different about myself. I thought up to that time I really had the answer to everything.

Philosophy could provide a solution to everything. But as I went on reading the Bible I became less and less self-confident. I couldn’t understand what was happening to me. I thought I was getting old before my time, although I wasn’t even twenty-five at the time. I didn’t realize while I was reading the Bible, the Bible was reading me. And at the end I felt like Belshazzar at his feast when the writing appeared on the wall, ‘You’ve been weighed in the balances and found wanting.’ My self-conceit, my pride, my arrogance, my intellectual assurance, all began to wilt before the Scripture. And yet, I didn’t believe it at the time but it was still doing its work. So, bear that in mind, when you read your Bible, your Bible is also reading you.

Now let’s turn also to 1 Thessalonians for a moment, just for one further aspect of what the Bible will do. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2:13. Paul is writing to the believers in Thessalonica who had responded in a wonderful way to the message of the gospel. He says:

“For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which also effectively works in you who believe.”

You understand that what the Bible will do in you depends in part on how you receive it. If you receive it as the word of man it will not work its full work in you. But if you receive it as the word of God it works effectively in you. When you read your Bible, take time now and then to say to the Lord, ‘I believe this is your Word. I receive it as your Word, let it work in me everything you’ve sent it to do, in every area of my being—spirit, soul and body—because I believe it.’

And then we need to see a remarkable statement that Peter made in 2 Peter chapter 1, one of the most remarkable statements, I think, anywhere in Scripture. Just verses 3 and 4 of 2 Peter chapter 1. And it’s in the middle of a sentence. The apostles wrote rather long sentences. I think Paul wrote the longest but Peter came up with some pretty long ones, too. In English we usually have to divide them up. So, I’m not going to go back into the beginning of this sentence, I’m going to start in the middle.

. . . His divine power [that’s God’s divine power] has given to us all things that pertain to life and

“godliness through the knowledge of Him who has called us to glory and virtue . . .”

That’s an amazing statement. It says God’s divine, omnipotent power has already given to us everything we’re ever going to need!

Announcer:

Be sure to listen to tomorrow’s broadcast when Derek Prince in his teaching on ‘The Authority and Power of God’s Word’ will show us that God’s full provision is in the promises in His word. He will also tell us of his first confrontation of that truth. This week’s message is available on audiocassette RC4161 and also on video. Out special offer again this week is Derek’s book If You Want God’s Best, which gives us godly principles we can live by to receive from God what He desires for us

To receive your copy of ‘Authority and Power of God’s Word’ write today and include a contribution of $5.00 or more for the audio cassette RC4161 or $14.95 for the video teaching. Include a gift of any amount for the book If You Want God’s Best. Derek Prince also welcomes your letters and your prayer requests.

Our mailing address is Derek Prince Ministries, Box 19501, Charlotte, North Carolina 28219. That’s Derek Prince Ministries, Box 19501, Charlotte, North Carolina 28219. In Canada write to Derek Prince Ministries, Box 8354, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 5M1. The Canadian address again is Box 8354, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3K 5M1,and please give us the call letters of this station when you write.

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