Bill Johnson - God's Word is Your Weapon
The sword with which we fight is that word; this is what God says over this household. You may declare it over your own. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. This is not optional, and there are no exceptions. You enter that situation with the word of the Lord. You and I are no match for the enemy, but we are more than a match when God is with us. The point is to get the word of the Lord and use the decree.
I have something important to read. It’s actually one of the first ones I read years ago, but I still like it. After digging to a depth of 10 feet last year, New York scientists found traces of copper wire dating back 100 years. They concluded that their ancestors already had a telephone network more than 100 years ago. Not to be out, California archaeologists dug to a depth of 20 feet. Shortly after, headlines in the LA Times read: «California archaeologists have found traces of 200-year-old copper wire and concluded that their ancestors already had an advanced high-tech communications network a hundred years earlier than the New Yorkers.»
A week later, a local newspaper in Texas reported the following: After digging as deep as 30 feet in his 2,000-acre pasture near Montgomery County, Texas, Bubba Rathbone, a self-taught archaeologist, reported he found absolutely nothing. Bubba therefore concluded that 300 years ago, Texas had already gone wireless.
How many Texans are in the room? You’re welcome! I’m really excited about this book, you guys. Thanks for doing this; this is so cool. I love what you guys are doing. All right, are you ready? Open your Bibles. We’re going to look at two portions of scripture. The first one we’ll read is in Romans chapter 12. The second one is in Nehemiah 4, so put a piece of paper in Nehemiah 4; it’ll take me a while to get there. Romans chapter 12 and then Nehemiah chapter 4.
For several weeks now, I’ve been working on a book, and when you spend week after week writing on one thing, you tend to get so absorbed in that one subject that you can’t think of much else outside of it. That’s kind of the position I’m in today. I’m writing on parenting and raising kids. I think I mentioned to you last week or the week before that the title of the book is «Raising Giant Killers,» and I figured it’s either go big or go home, so we’re just going to go for the jugular on this one.
The whole point that got me stirred up for this morning was something I’ve mentioned to you on several occasions, and that is the purpose of all government. All government has two basic functions: number one is to provide protection, and number two is to empower. It doesn’t matter if that government is the government of a nation like this one, or a mom and dad in a household, a pastor, or a CEO of a corporation; those two basic functions are transferable to every responsibility that carries authority.
One of the most interesting things about authority in scripture is that authority is never used for one’s own benefit. Authority is never used for self-promotion. It is not used for the benefit of the person; in other words, it’s not used to increase our self-esteem or our sense of responsibility before people and before God. It is not self-serving. Government authority in scripture is basically the ability to speak on behalf of those who have no voice.
When you think about the nature of Kingdom government, it was the reason Israel: God didn’t want Israel to have a king because they weren’t ready; He knew that the king would be self-serving. Yet the Lord did say that through Abraham’s loins there would be kings, so He had the intention of fashioning kings after His own kingship, which Jesus, as the King of Kings, demonstrated when He stood and washed the feet of His disciples. So it’s a unique posture that biblical kings are to have.
Back to our role of authority: authority is to be used for the benefit of others. When we come to Romans chapter 12, we’re going to look at two very distinct and different passages of scripture. Romans 12 is basically a pastoral chapter; it is where you show mercy, you show kindness, you respond gently to people who deserve retaliation—you don’t give it. Instead, you show mercy.
Then in chapter 13, I’m glad they are next to each other because chapter 13 basically announces that government has been anointed by God with a sword to bring justice. These verses are like three or four verses apart; it’s like God wasn’t confused when He put them together because it’s in the contrast of the two.
The problem that we have, especially now with social media inviting just anybody’s opinion, is that we have leaders who make difficult decisions. I’m so glad I don’t have to make some of the decisions that our nation’s Congress, Senate, president, or governor have to make. I pray that God gives them wisdom, but here’s the point: oftentimes they will make a decision to bring about justice, and there’s whining and complaining in the church about the absence or lack of mercy.
There are times when it’s just not what God has ordained, and we’ll read the scripture in a moment. The Lord has actually anointed a sword to bring about justice, and justice is one of the cornerstones, one of the foundational stones, of society. Without justice, there is absolute chaos. It is necessary; it is essential. It doesn’t erase the need for mercy; it doesn’t erase the need for kindness. Thankfully, we still have both, but the whining and complaining that goes on in the church when justice has been applied is really uncalled for.
You see, what’s necessary is that the church responds to need with mercy, and then we pray for our government leaders to be able to use justice appropriately. Let’s take a look at the scripture, and that will help you to know that’s not my opinion. All right, let’s start with verse 17 of chapter 12. Did I tell you Romans 12? Yes? All right, if I told you 13, just back up to Romans 12:17: «Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; some translations say leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, ' says the Lord.»
«Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.» That verse is so funny to me: show kindness because when you do that, you’ll just burn their brains out. You just pour coals on their head; that’ll teach them. It’s kind of like a sneaky way of getting justice.
As I understand biblical culture, what would happen is there would be a community that had a fire in the center, and that fire would be tended throughout the day. There would always be coals on that fire, so when it came time to cook a meal, people from every household could come, get the coals, and take them back to their stove to cook. Those who lived on the outskirts would come to the city square to get the coals, but by the time they got home, those coals would often burn out.
What this is saying is that person on the outskirts, who would hurry home knowing their coals were burning out, would see their own fire and say, «Well, I have enough to share,» so they would take coals and put them into the container on their head as they passed by to go home. It’s not a sneaky way of afflicting people; it’s a way of sustaining people, of providing life for people.
When the Bible says, «Don’t take vengeance on yourself, but leave room for God’s wrath,» God isn’t saying, «Get out of the way; I want to destroy people.» What He is saying is that if you use your authority to vindicate yourself and to pay someone back, then God is called to defend that person because you’re misusing your authority. Your authority has been given for the benefit of people, not for their destruction.
If we use our authority for the destruction of individuals, then God will defend that individual. However, He says, «Leave room for the wrath of God.» What does this mean? This means that if I, as a person, refuse to vindicate myself but instead stand as the encourager—the one who supplements strength for this individual—then God can come with wrath and bring discipline because they’ll survive the discipline. They have someone to care for them; they have someone to love them; and they have someone to refurbish and rebuild them. God can address the issues of the heart knowing they have strength around them so that the discipline turns them into righteousness.
Does that make sense? When the Lord says, «Leave room for the wrath of God,» He’s saying, «Leave room for my discipline; don’t you do it.» You stand there as the lover, as the supporter, as the giver of mercy, because if you take that posture, you’re using authority correctly. It’s for the health, well-being, building up, and sustaining of life for the individual. Justice is an essential part of life.
Now let’s go into chapter 13 and read verse 3: «For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil.» Do you want to be unafraid of authority? «Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same; for he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain.»
Now listen to this phrase: «He is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.» Put that one on your refrigerator! Claim that promise. God anoints individuals in governmental roles to avenge wrath and establish justice. Again, that does not mean mercy cannot or should not be shown; it’s just that justice is essential.
People say, «Well, you can’t legislate morality.» Yes, in part that’s true, but how many of you think there would be more murders if murder were legal? If it was legal to cheat on your taxes, how many more people do you think would? Yeah, nobody here, but others would, for sure, outside this room.
You get the point: justice enforced helps hold the standard for those who don’t know how to live with the internal standard God has written in their hearts. Those who live under the rule of God live under grace; those who live unrighteously live under law. It’s true.
Now notice what it says here: punishment on the wicked, praise on the one who does good. In 1 Peter 2, we have a similar passage. Let me read it to you: «Governors are those who are sent by God for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do good.»
What’s the point? Government has two functions: to empower and to protect. Everybody in this room carries some measure of authority, and God is looking for you to implement those two basic tools. As I said earlier, it doesn’t matter if you’re a parent in a home or a CEO of a company; it doesn’t matter what it is; we all have responsibility.
But now we have another area or element of responsibility, and that is we are actually members of one another. When Cain killed Abel, God came looking for him and spoke to him, and Cain had this classic response: «Am I my brother’s keeper?» Well, the answer is yes, because we are members of one another. We actually have responsibility outside of ourselves.
It doesn’t mean in a sick way carrying an undue weightiness of burden that’s devastating; to carry burdens that are not yours in an unhealthy way, to feel responsible for everything that goes on around you—that’s unhealthy. But it is healthy to be moved by the difficulty of a friend, a relative, or someone you care for.
What Nehemiah did is very profound. We’re going to read it in a moment. Nehemiah was released by the king to go back to Jerusalem to help rebuild the city. Seventy-two years earlier, Israel started rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Let me back up on the story: Israel had been taken captive by an enemy nation because of their rebellion against God, and after the period of time was over, God released them to return and rebuild what was destroyed.
They went back, and the first thing they did was offer sacrifices to the Lord. After they offered the sacrifice, they rebuilt the temple. What happens in your life and mine when we come to Christ—the first thing that happens is we sacrifice our will. We give an offering to the Lord and say yes to being saved, yes to being forgiven, yes to turning from sin and following after Him.
The first thing He does in that response is rebuild the temple in our life; in other words, He takes up residence in us, and our body literally becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit. But what He’s looking for is to build up walls of strength, walls of integrity, and walls of morality around an individual life.
Picture this: in biblical days, a city’s strength was represented by its wall; in other words, if the wall was tall and thick, it was a stronger city. There were some cities where the walls were so wide that on top of the wall, they could actually race chariots. Sometimes they even built houses into the wall.
If you have four walls with three sides and no wall on one side, where’s the enemy going to attack? That’s the point. We want strength on all sides. In every issue of the heart, there should be strength, because in that integrity, in that discipline of personal well-being, there is actually safety.
Picture living in a city with massive walls. You could have your biggest enemy on the outside hurling rocks, shooting arrows, and throwing spears—cursing and doing all this stuff at the wall—and you’re on the inside. You don’t even know you’re under attack, because the wall insulates you from knowing the adverse conditions that exist outside of it.
It’s absolutely true there is a place of personal integrity and strength where you can exist in the middle of conflict and not be affected at all. I’m not trying to imply that if you’re affected by things, there’s a broken wall. I’m not trying to suggest that. But I am saying the purpose of these walls is to create a place of safety and personal strength.
Now let’s turn to Nehemiah chapter 4. I’m reading these verses only because they emphasize these two postures of protection and empowering. Verse 13 of Nehemiah 4: By the way, Nehemiah’s name means comforter, and he’s a picture of the Holy Spirit.
Israel tried for at least 72 years—perhaps it was 76; I don’t recall right now, but let’s say 72 years—to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. What would happen is they would build some during the day, and at night an enemy nation would come in and tear down what they built. It was a lesson of futility. What they built was torn down overnight.
Nehemiah comes—the comforter comes—and he rebuilds the wall completely in 52 days. They completed in 52 days what they couldn’t accomplish in 72 years, in an entire lifetime, under the guidance, leadership, and empowering of the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Now, chapter 4, verse 13: «Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall at the openings, and I set the people according to their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, 'Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord! ' Boy, do not be afraid. Remember the Lord! You’ve got one of two ponds you can drink from: fear or remember the Lord. You can’t do both. You can’t consider Him and be afraid.
'Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord—great and awesome—and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.'»
It happened when our enemies heard that it was known to us that God had brought their plot to nothing that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. Last verse: «So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked on the construction, while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and wore armor. The leaders were behind all the house of Judah. Those who built on the walls, those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction and with the other held a weapon. Everyone of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built.»
What’s the point? These two concepts of protecting and building, empowering—these are the roles of all government. It doesn’t matter to me if you’re a brand-new disciple of Jesus who’s just been saved for one week or you’re the president of a nation. You have been given a responsibility by God to be a protector and an empowerer, a builder.
We have interesting pictures here that Nehemiah describes of his own servants. On one hand, the work they were doing in building required all of their attention. In that case, Nehemiah would release that person to build, but he would give that person a soldier to stand by them with a sword, spear, armor—everything—and they would work to protect this one who is doing the work.
So there’s that role. The others could carry a load up the wall, but they could also carry a spear. They would carry a load with one hand and have a spear in the other. We have individuals that do both at the same time, while others were able to do work but have a spear at their side and be ready.
The point is that these two roles are very distinguishable in the builders of the wall, and they are marks of responsibility and privilege for every believer in this room. Everyone who watches by Bethel TV, the privilege and responsibility we have is that we’ve been called by God to build and to protect, to protect and to build.
Sometimes we have a friend who is just in the heat of the battle and trying their best to get something out of their life. Maybe you have a friend who’s pouring themselves into an individual who’s going through hell, and they’re there, counseling and praying. You, as the soldier, stand as a watchman to protect and pray and contend.
Sometimes you’re the one carrying the sword in the trial. You’re working on building, you’re bringing encouragement, and you’re looking for the promise of God for an individual, while also having skin in the game, ready to fight. Notice Nehemiah positioned people to the part of the wall that was closest to their home. They have a personal investment; they’ve got this wall that they will not only benefit from but, more specifically, for their children, grandchildren, spouse, brother, sister—all those people in this family unit.
«I’m working on this wall. Why? Because I’m building a place of safety for my family.» All of those who matter to me—and I realize not everyone in this room has children or grandchildren, but we all have friends. We have people we’re connected to—people we’re willing to fight for.
We feel rocked when we see, «Oh man, I hate what this person is having to go through right now.» So we pick up the sword, we pick up the trial, and say, «God, give me a word for this person. Give me a promise that I can fight with.»
Interestingly, the sword that we fight with is the word of the Lord. The building material we use to build and fight for is the word of the Lord. The sword that we fight with is that word; this is what God says over this household. You can say it over your own. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. This is not optional, and there are no exceptions.
You enter into that fray, into that situation with the word of the Lord. You and I are no match for the enemy, but we are more than a match when God is with us. The point is to get the word of the Lord and use the decree. And so here we have these interesting two roles: protection and building, protection and empowering. Both use the same tool; both use the same tool.
The sword that works to destroy the powers of hell here builds up and edifies here. It’s the same word! So good! I think this morning, if I’m not into making wishes—I’d rather pray—but if I could have one wish this morning, it would be that everyone in the room would hear a word from God. It’s just that when God has spoken, every other voice loses its power and effect.
It’s the need of my heart. I think I can say this absolutely certainly: in almost every situation I get into, the first thing I do is ask, «What has God said, or what is He saying?» I’ve got to know what He said. I will review tapes—I mentioned to you a week or so ago—I’ve got my iPhone, and I have so many things in there. I’ve got a lot of music, I’ve got prophecies, you know, Bob Jones prophesying to me. I just put it in my car and let it play randomly; whatever is recorded. I could program it, but this is more fun.
It’s better to have the Beatles singing «Yellow Submarine» one moment and then have Robin McMillan prophesying over me the next. I’d rather have that combination; it just seems healthier to me. I love sitting there re-hearing, «Oh yeah, that’s right.» Benny and I were ministered to by Mike Bickle about 10 years ago, and he and his team began to prophesy. I’ve heard them a few times this week, and it makes me want to drive around town, looking for another prophetic word to randomly play.
I had a weird experience last week. I had an appointment with a friend of mine who flew in from out of the area to meet. On my way to the appointment, literally, a lady I’d never met before or since recorded a prophetic word, and she described this individual I’d be meeting. Here she gave me this word like five, six, seven years ago, and I’m driving into the restaurant hearing her prophesy about this meeting.
I just think Siri and Jesus work together; that’s all I know. They work hard to bring me the mind of the Lord in any given situation. So, sorry for the Apple commercial—I’m sure yours will do the same.
It’s fascinating, though, that the building material you use to build in the child you’re fighting for, or that friend you’re fighting for, is the fact that you’ve heard from God. You just take what He says and minister: «This is what the Lord is saying.» If you can’t find what He’s saying, find what He said. Just use His word as the building block in that broken situation.
But the same is also true in the battle. Paul said to Timothy, «Fight the good fight of faith with the prophecies previously made concerning you.» Timothy, you’re in the middle of a war; grab hold of what’s been declared over you and use those like a sword. Make your decree; make your pronouncement. You’re not a wimp waving a straw; you’re a soldier waving the word of the Lord, and it is the Lord Himself who backs up and supports the decrees He has made.
It’s best for us to take the posture of the word of the Lord. We all have friends facing different things, and that doesn’t mean I take ownership if I have your problem, but it means I pay attention to that tender place in my heart that moves when I hear, «Oh, someone is going through this,» or «This crisis happened here,» or «This promotion has happened there.»
The wisdom is to gather together the building blocks of my life and begin to release through decree, «This is what the Lord is saying. This is what I’m willing to fight for.» When I’m with my kids, my grandkids, or any of the younger people that I contend for, I just build. But when I’m alone, I pull out the sword.
You’ve got to know when to fight. When I’m with them, I just build; when I’m alone, I pull out the sword: «This is what God says over this household. This is what the Lord says over this family, over this individual.»
You know, we wear two hats: we’re construction workers, contractors, architects, builders, but we’re also military agents representing the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, bringing about the influence of His will and purposes into the earth.
Don’t ever downgrade the role that you play. It’s not about you; it’s about Him being known for who He is in the earth. Do you know that every time you and I represent Him well, His majesty is released, and His name becomes revealed? The beauty of who He is as a perfect Father becomes known by many.
This is the great privilege of every believer: to make Him known. What is He like? They don’t know; they think He created cancer. They think He created disease to teach people a lesson. They don’t see Him as a Father that heals, disciplines, but also heals and brings strength. You and I have the privilege.
We’ve got a little bit of time left. We’re going to have just a little bit of ministry, so I’m going to ask if our ministry team can come quickly to the front. Everyone else, please stay seated for a moment. This will be a quick transition, but I want our ministry team up here real fast. If you can make your way up, that would help us out.
Everyone else, just hold your place for a moment; that’ll be a great help to us. There is nothing more important this morning than the greatest miracle of all, and that is the salvation of a soul—an individual being forgiven by God and brought into His family. He’s the great reconciler. He’s the great redeemer. He’s the adopter. He’s the one who chooses and brings us into His household.
This greatest miracle of all is available to anybody, either watching on Bethel TV or here in this room or in one of our overflows. This is available to every person. I want you to consider: is there anyone in this room who would say, «Bill, I don’t know what it is to walk with God. I don’t know what it is to be forgiven. I don’t know what it is to turn from the way I live to follow Jesus, but I want to. I want to give myself completely to Him.»
It may be someone here who has walked with the Lord but, for whatever reason, you’re going this way and He’s going that way, and you would say, «This has got to end. I don’t want to leave this building till I know I’m right with God.»
If there’s anyone in those two conditions right now, I want you to raise your hand. By doing so, you’re saying, «Bill, I don’t want to leave until I know I’m at peace with God.» Put your hand up real high.
We had a couple in the first service; way back here, there are two people. Bless you; that’s wonderful! Amen to that!
Anyone else? Real quick, anyone else? If I–I know sometimes it’s hard; raised hands meld into faces, and I can’t see all. All right, this is what I’m going to ask you to do.
If you would stand with me very quickly, we’re going to call out certain conditions to pray for. I want everyone to stand, and I want to ask for the two—if there were others who put your hand up—I want you to come right over here to my left. Come up here real quickly, and I have friends that we know and trust who will talk with you and pray with you, and it’s going to be wonderful. It’s going to be glorious!
Come on up here, church! Bless them as they come. This is beautiful—the greatest miracle of all.
Is there anyone here with a terminal disease of any kind? You may have six months to live; you may live 10 more years, but the point is you have something that will ultimately take your life. I want to have you come forward for prayer—not just prayer, but a miracle. I feel we’re supposed to draw a line in the sand and say, «Let’s go after this thing.»
So if you have any kind of terminal condition, come quickly to the front. Come to one of the team members here; they will pray for you.
Anyone with diabetes—sugar diabetes—for some reason that condition seems to be spreading, and what you tolerate dominates. We want to draw a line in the sand on this one and just declare, «No more.»
Digestive issues may be food allergies; it could be Crohn’s disease or any other digestive condition.
Now, if you have any need at all, I want to encourage you to come forward as soon as you are released, but these folks, I want to come right now. Just come on up to one of these folks here, and they will minister to you—there’s healing in the house!
All right, for digestive issues or food allergies, whatever it is, come up quickly! Tom, why don’t you come and wrap this up for me?