The Double-edged Sword

‭Key Scripture 

Psalms 149:4-9 

[4] For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory. [5] Let his faithful people rejoice in this honor and sing for joy on their beds. [6] May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands, [7] to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, [8] to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, [9] to carry out the sentence written against them— this is the glory of all his faithful people. Praise the Lord.

Supporting Scriptures

Revelation 19:13–16

14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS

‭Hebrews 4:12-13 

[12] For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword,  [13] And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

‭Revelation 1:16

[16] In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

Revelation 2:12

12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,

‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:

Revelation 2:16

16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

2 Thessalonians 2:8

And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

Ephesians 6:17

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Isaiah 49:2

2 And He has made My mouth like a sharp sword;

Isaiah 11:4

But with righteousness He shall judge the poor,

And decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,

And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

‭Hosea 6:5

[5] Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light.

The passages that speak of the two-edged sword contain imagery of war and conquering, becausevthey are speaking of the spiritual war that is taking place between God and Satan. This war cannot be won by physical weapons of war, but only by spiritual weapons. 

God has given His people a double-edged sword to slay the wicked, to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them. This is the glory of all his faithful people. 

The double-edged sword is the word of God. Unlike the worldly weapons of war, which are used to forcefully conquer a nation, the word of God conquers the person by piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. The double-edged sword is not only for our own personal use and benefit, but it is to be used to pierce the hearts and souls of others, "bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). 

If we want to see the end to evil nations and people, we do not use missiles or bombs to destroy them, but we use the sharp double-edged sword to conquer their hearts and save their souls.