I Have My Sword

“God and his word are the reality we need - the Rock under our feet.” John Piper

"It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.' “ Jesus Christ - Luke 4:4 NKJV

Today’s teaching is the story the song, I Have My Sword. The song came to me on July 16, 2016. The story behind this song is very simple. I woke up the morning of July 16, 2016 with the awareness that I needed a new song for our free monthly song-give-away. As I began to ponder which new song I needed to release, I felt an urging of the Holy Spirit that He would give me a new song...that very day! I had no idea what the song might entail...until a friend asked me to review a movie trailer she had created depicting the need for training in spiritual warfare. Coupled with the fact that in three days we would be celebrating our nation’s independence from tyranny, I was overwhelmed with the need for the body of Christ to wake up to the reality of spiritual warfare. In the film trailer, much of the action depicted entailed sword fighting as a visual representation of a spiritual truth. God’s Word is my Sword. As I meditated on that Truth, this song was born. It is a hymn of declaration and faith.

Spiritual warfare is real. We have the Truth of the Lord God Almighty being opposed by the lies of the enemy, Satan, the Liar. The goal of this Liar is to cause us to be tempted into living our lives by anything other than the Word of God. It is the wise believer who understands this reality and receives the weapons of that warfare from the Lord…from His Word…that lives an abundant life. In fact, I would surmise that the Word of God is THE weapon of weapons in our spiritual arsenal. In God’s Word, we have everything we need to vanquish the lies of the enemy. In God’s Word, we have been given the keys to the kingdom of God by which we are able to unlock the prisons of the lies we have believed and find freedom for our minds. The reason I say freedom for our minds is because of the simple most fundamental truth of spiritual warfare. The battleground is our mind. The war is won or lost on the basis of what we think…about Who God is…and about who He says we are.

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 NASB

When I am feeling something negative, I immediately trace that feeling back to the thought that put it in motion. If that thought does not align with the Word of God, I lop it off with the truth of God’s Word and replace it with the truth of God’s Word…and move on down the road! Let’s be honest here. Most of our battles are connected to what we perceive to be our identity. I can either allow the Liar and the current humanistic ideology to determine my identity or I can allow the Word of God to determine who I am. As I have said many times in my life, one of my personal rules concerning my thought life is this: Dennis Jernigan does not get to call himself something His Father does not call him.

Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. Philippians 4:8 NASB

In order to renew my mind - which I believe is simply spiritual warfare birthed out of intimacy with Christ - I must recognize the real battleground. As I have already mentioned, the real battleground of every human that has ever existed or ever will exist, is the mind. It is imperative that I understand this truth if I am to walk in victory or settle for victimhood. Yes, I battle the physical malady of Parkinson’s. My physical body - my flesh - would have me focus all my attention on the physical pain and weakness, but I have come to understand that the real battle is for my thoughts…so I use the Word of God to overcome the suffering of the flesh by filling my head with the truth of God’s Word. This does not necessarily ease my physical pain or suffering, but it does give me the vantage point of the big picture. God wastes nothing…and, living or dying, I am with Him! I use the Sword of God’s Word to take every thought captive because I understand the true essence of where the ward is taking place. 


For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NASB

Yes, I suffer physically due to my sickness, but I am bound and determined to use even the sickness for the kingdom of God. Yes, I am physically weak a great deal of the time, but I boast in my weakness that God might be glorified. My weakness is then replaced by the strength of God. Another great paradox and mystery of knowing God: When I am weak, He is strong.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual [forces] of wickedness in the heavenly [places.] Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil [one.] And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesian 6:10-17 NASB

If I understand the battle is for my thoughts and that it is waged in my mind, I must also understand that God has not left me defenseless in this battle. We have been given everything we need to defeat the lies of the enemy. I won’t belabor the point. Here is your spiritual armor and arsenal, overcomer:

• Loins girded with Truth. Why the loins? In a physical sense, this represents the conduit for creating new life. Our God is all about life and wants us to live it abundantly in spite of our circumstances. Let Truth guard your spiritual life.

• Breastplate of righteousness. This covers our heart. We are to guard our hearts with all diligence. This simply means understanding that we stand unashamed regardless of our past because Jesus became sin on our behalf and made us, as new creations, the righteousness of God! Guard your heart by proclaiming who and Whose you are…often!

• Shod your feet with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. Wherever you walk in this life, you are standing on the holy ground of who you are in Christ and have been equipped to tell your story - the Good News/Gospel - of what Christ has done for you.

• The shield of faith. Hebrews 11:1 NASB says, “Now faith is the assurance of [things] hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” This shield is like a forcefield around your mind which is used to dispel the fiery darts - the lies - of the Liar! All you need is a mustard seed’s worth!

• The Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Jesus used the Word of God to put down the lies and the temptations the Liar presented to Him. We have been given the mind of Christ. That means we are equipped to do the same thing!

We really have been given everything we need to overcome the lies of the enemy. And the best news of all? Jesus is our Mighty Warrior who has already sealed and ensured the ultimate victory for us!

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 2 Peter 1:2-3 NASB

Looking back on my life to this point gives me a better perspective on what I am facing now. Throughout my past - when I have faced middle-of-nowhere moments in my life - I have been rescued and found solid ground for my thoughts by virtue of putting off the lies of the enemy and by wielding the Sword of God’s Word. He is faithful and true to His Word…and keeps His promises. He did not promise me an easy journey, but He did promise me He would never leave me or forsake me or give up on me.

For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of [the] divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust. Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in [your] moral excellence, knowledge, and in [your] knowledge, self-control, and in [your] self-control, perseverance, and in [your] perseverance, godliness, and in [your] godliness, brotherly kindness, and in [your] brotherly kindness, love. For if these [qualities] are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:4-8 NASB

Reality is that I still experience persecution. Reality is that I still experience the pain of a mortal body. Reality is that I still have moments of fear. Reality is that I sometimes feel like giving up. Reality is as long as I live in this human body I will be faced with storms and middle-of-nowhere moments of life…but the greater reality is this: I win. I am more than a conqueror. I am soaked in and surrounded by the love and presence of God. And I have my Sword…

Dennis Jernigan

Listen to The Dennis Jernigan Podcast on this subject and hear the song, I Have My Sword, at

John Piper Quote - https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/word-of-god

Photo courtesy of https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2019/02/26/19/52/sword-4022804_1280.jpg