Ephesians 4:26-28 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
Wearing The Sheath
But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place….” Matthew 26:52. Topos! That’s the Greek word that is used in this verse from the Gospel according to Matthew, Topos! It is a very versatile word, which is translated in many places simply as PLACE! The context is quite obvious here in Matthew though and therefore, as it refers directly to the PLACE you would store your sword, the obvious inference is that of a ‘sheath.’
Over the centuries the body has been referred to by many writers as the ‘Sheath of the soul’ or the ‘Sheath of the spirit.’ The body is but the outward storage space of that which is the truly important. The sheath may be plain or it may be bejeweled, it may be leather, wood or brass or some other substance either of greater or lesser value, the point is that whatever it is made of and however it is outwardly adorned, it is simply irrelevant, because it is but the sheath, the protective house of that which is truly important.
Now beginning at our text for tonight, allow me to connect some dots that I think are there! You see, our text for tonight says ‘do not give PLACE to the devil,’ ‘do not give TOPOS to the devil,’ ‘do not give ‘your sheath to the devil,’ ‘do not give your body, no part of your body, to the devil!’ Now I would like to link this use of the word PLACE directly to mean specifically the sheath for the sword, or rather, the body as the sheath for the soul and spirit. I kind of think that this is a great way for us to view our bodies, as sheaths for our very own double-edged, eternal sword of soul and spirit! Are you with me so far? Good!
Now unfortunately we view our sheath as that much more important than our weapon! Yes indeed, in fact we wield the sheath as the weapon, no, more than that, we allow the sheath to wield the weapon! Are you getting this? We have it the wrong way around. We should be using the body as our protective servant of the soul and spirit. We should be in control of our sheaths. Indeed, I think the Scriptures as a whole clearly say, “Make sure it is only your sword that rests in your sheath. Do not give the devil a foothold, a short-term lease, access, uses, utilization of your sheath or any part of it in any way, for any period of time!”
Maybe if we began to view our bodies as simply sheaths for that which is most important, it might help us to take more control of the temporary and apply more honour to the permanent? Your body, your sheath and every and any manifestation of constituent parts, must not be inhabited or polluted by any part of the devil.
Tell me, what have you been doing with your sheath today? Who has been using it?
Listen:- Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. Romans 6:16-19 NKJV
Pray:- Lord, I yield to You my all, O my God come and take full possession of your blood bought purchase. Lord I give you my all, every part of my being, every room and corner of my spiritual house and my sheath like abode. Amen!
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