I saw a movie a long time ago where a couple who grew up on a deserted island were discovered. One part I remember in particular is an altercation that took place between the native male and one of the male “discoverers.” During the fight, the native wrestled a gun away from his attacker. I remember the part because upon receiving the gun, he held it in a funny fashion and began thrusting it like a spear; that was all he was accustomed to doing. He had never seen a firearm before and no idea what it was capable of; for years he had been using his spear to hunt and fish. The memory of the scene fades at this point, but the lesson stands firm in my mind: It is one thing to have a weapon, but it is an entirely different matter, however, to be proficient with it.
We are in the midst of a great spiritual battle against Satan and his minions (Ephesians 6:11-12). No firearm will aid us in this fight, only “the sword of the spirit” can avail (6:17b). When the time comes for us to engage the enemy, if we are not proficient with our weapon, that is, if we have no knowledge of God and no relationship with Him, we will be destroyed, just like Israel was destroyed (Hosea 4:5). If we wish to fare better than Israel did, then we must become proficient with the sword; that is, we have to study the Word of God. If we are to survive the coming conflicts, we must present ourselves before God as workmen who are not ashamed (2 Timothy 2:15), and we must always be ready to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15).
