This week Pastor Steu speaks about Forging, the work of a blacksmith. He prefaces this with an understanding of how we live in a dark world where our enemy, the devil, is continually working to achieve his mission - that is, to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10). 

As Christians, we are called by God to push back the spiritual darkness in this world by shining His light; we’ve been called to bring the light and life of God’s Kingdom into the world around us. This is not a physical war or a political debate. Jesus refused to fight in this way. Our battle is a spiritual battle that requires us, as Christians, to know who our enemy is, to be aware of his schemes, and be equipped to fight. Our enemy is the devil, not people. Our battle isn't against people, it's against the principalities and powers that are behind them.

As Christians, God has equipped us with spiritual armour. Ephesians 6:10-18 describes this for us. Amongst defensive items, our offensive armour is the shoes of good news and the sword of the Spirit.

The Sword of the Spirit is our other weapon of attack. This is the word of God, i.e. the truth of God revealed.  God’s truth becomes deeply rooted in our hearts by a process of forging. We are the metal in the hands of Jesus the head blacksmith - and He has appointed other blacksmiths (leaders) in the church who are called to equip all believers to do God’s work (ministry) – see Ephesians 4:11-12. The role of the blacksmith (church leader) is to expose the metal (us all) to the fire of the Holy Spirit and then to shape it with the hammer of God’s truth. The fire of the Holy Spirit heats us up, purifies us, and softens us. The hammer of God’s truth, repeatedly connecting with our lives that have been softened by His Spirit, then shapes us. God’s truth can then become deeply rooted in our hearts and we become people who are equipped with the sword of the Spirit, ready to push back the darkness with the light of His truth.

Ps Steu’s prayer is that every one of us will regularly be exposed to the fire of the Holy Spirit and that we will know the shaping of God’s Word. Let us use all opportunities available and be more and more deliberate about allowing space for the Holy Spirit to work and for the Word of God to be imparted into our lives.