You Are a Weapon Formed, Part 1 by Gene Strite

There is no greater weapon in the world today than you–a child of God. Some followers of Christ find it difficult to believe that children of God can be weapons. However, there is a reason why the apostle Paul encourages us to put on the full armor of God (Eph 6:14-18). Our warfare as believers is different because we contend in the spiritual realm with many things that are contrary to the Kingdom of God. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood but go to battle so that Christ can be revealed in us and His purpose made known. When He is revealed, environments change for the better and lives are transformed. There is absolutely no weapon formed against us that can prosper. This is our heritage from our heavenly Father (Isa 54:17). As His weapon formed, 

• We join with Him in obedience to see His purposes unfold and be fulfilled. 

• The Word (Christ) that has become flesh is our standard by how we live, move, and have our being.

• We see His divine nature and character become manifest in all things that we do and speak.

Before You Were Formed “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you [and approved of you as My chosen instrument], And before you were born, I consecrated you [to Myself as My own]; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5 AMP). In the Garden of Eden, the serpent’s deception led humanity astray, causing mankind to search externally for what he already possessed internally: the image and likeness of our Father (Gen 1:26). This deception subjected all of mankind to constantly seek their identity, destiny, and purpose outside of themselves. The fruit of this is evident globally as people everywhere continually search to discover who they truly are. Our Father, however, who is truth, is our foundation. Before we were formed in our mother’s womb He knew us and placed all of Himself within us. We are a reflection of Him. Once we recognize that we have Him, we realize that there is no need to search externally for our identity. When we choose to know Him, we find ourselves. Everything we need for our lives is within us because His Spirit is our guiding light and will always lead us into all truth (Prov 20:27; Jn 16:13). Our lives are formed through God our Father, and we manifest who He is within us! “For You formed my innermost parts; You knit me [together] in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks and praise to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was being formed in secret, And intricately and skillfully formed [as if embroidered with many colors] in the depths of the earth.” (Psalm 139:13-15 AMP). David is a great example from whom to learn. Considering how he was treated by his family growing up, he easily could have taken offense, developed an inferiority complex, or harbored feelings of not belonging–but he chose a higher order. This is revealed when the prophet Samuel arrived at David’s house to anoint the new king of Israel. When his father Jesse lined up all of David’s brothers to meet Samuel, he left David in the field, watching the sheep, forgotten and rejected. Yet, it was David for whom the prophet came, and no other person than David in Scripture is said to have had “a heart after God’s own heart.” In this psalm he expresses his revelation about who he is in the Father, but not just for himself; he also gives prophetic insight about all of humanity. He understood that in the fullness of time he was made manifest. All things begin with our Father and all things end with our Father! We are all familiar with the story of David and Goliath. The one who fearlessly confronted Goliath was not a little boy with unconventional weaponry in his hands, but a young man filled with the Spirit of the Lord who went forth with the anointing of the Father. While everyone around David saw a great, big, intimidating giant, David, by the Spirit of the Lord, saw a defeated foe. Our position is not of our own making; we stand on the foundation of Christ. We were in Christ before the world was made (Eph 1:4). He has always known everything about us. Our ability to see and know Him empowers us on our journey. Think about it: Christ, the greatest power in the heavens and on the earth, is our portion, and if He is for us, there is nothing that can be against us. Formation Christ, the last Adam, learned obedience by things He suffered (Heb 5:8). It’s always easy to escape from the pressures of going through process, but Christ humbled Himself and made Himself of no reputation. He allowed the Father’s character and nature to become a central point in His life. If there was ever a template for looking at a weapon formed, it could be no other than Christ (Isa 42: 1-4):

• The Father’s Spirit was upon Him

• He never made a loud noise about who He was

• His voice was never heard on the streets

• He did not crush the weakest reed

• He brought justice to all those who were wronged

• He did not falter or lose heart

We who are children of God are not exempt from going through testing, pressure, pain, or suffering. He allows for us to go through these things so that His fullness in us can be made visible. Every weapon in the natural has to be tested so that its impact can be measured; so, too, in the Kingdom of God. He sends His children through the process of purification by fire so that we can carry His eternal weight of glory. Pastor and author Randall Worley, in his book Wandering and Wondering, describes our lives as a tapestry of pleasure and pain, beauty and ugliness, woven over time. He describes how the front side of the tapestry represents the way our lives look on the outside, while the other side of the tapestry is tangled, knotted, and frayed. He makes the powerful point that when people see us at face value, they should see the Father’s countenance, but what they don’t see is all the pain, disappointments, testings, and struggles we endure that brought us to maturity. Course Correction Consider the billions of people present in the world today. The presence of the Father’s beauty in each of us means that we each have something unique to offer! Sadly, many believers’ ability to make an impact has been weakened because much traditional teaching of the Christian church has focused their attention on the idea of simply getting saved to go to heaven. The problem is that heaven does not need believers because we are already seated with Christ in heavenly places. The Lord Himself exhorts us to pray for the Father’s will to be done on earth as it is heaven (Matt 6:10). The new creation/the new man is a reflection of the heavens on the earth. We were made to steward all things that the Father created. He gave us the mandate to subdue the earth and take dominion. Thus, it is a travesty for followers of Christ to take on an escapist mindset versus one of seeing His Kingdom established in every aspect of society. Salvation is the necessary beginning, but we can’t remain stuck there like babies on milk; we must grow into the knowledge and stature of Christ. Part of being born again means that we take on the mind of Christ. In doing so, we choose Him and His ways over our own. He does not give us only a small percentage of Himself; all we who know Him have His fullness within us. Don’t look for Him up in the sky; understand that He is within us, and He is all around us. He takes great pleasure and delight in seeing us achieve great exploits. Christ should be on display in every aspect of our lives: in our personal lives, in our marriages, in raising our children, in caring for our neighbors, in our jobs and businesses, and in our finances. Money is a weapon that can only be used here on the earth. Marriage is a weapon. Jesus was God’s weapon to destroy the works of the enemy and to extend the Kingdom of His Father, along with so many others in the Bible who had to go through the process of becoming a weapon the Father could use. That’s why we need God’s strategy and be placed where He needs us in order to extend the Kingdom and break up enemy strongholds. The precious Holy Spirit continues to shape and sharpen us by His truth. His word is quick, more powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb 4:12). Understanding that we are His weapons brings us to the place of knowing that we are filled with His might, power, and authority, all of which should always be blanketed by His love. He surely meant it when He said “Greater things you will do…” We as His children are not grasshoppers, but we are more than conquerors. His Workmanship “For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us]” (Ephesians 2:10 AMP)

We are living in one of the most intense seasons we have ever faced, yet it is also one of the greatest times to be alive. While the earth and its kingdoms are all being shaken, there is one that is not – the everlasting Kingdom of God. Rather than running away from conflict, we engage it. God’s workmanship is the best. He has created us to be possessors of His inheritance. Each of us is the unique creation of God our Father, and each of us has something valuable to offer the world. We did not come into this world by accident but by the purpose of our Father. Our lives are full of meaning and significance. Consider this: He prepared each of us beforehand for a special assignment that awaits us. At that opportune time when we are needed, what He has formed is ready for His use – His children – who are weapons and make straight the way of the Lord. It is time for us as believers to welcome and cherish the pressure of growth so that we can steward our Father’s resources well. No matter where He has placed us, His weapons are showcasing His glory, His majesty, and His goodness