Twenty years later, I can still picture my husband Michael as a boy, jumping up in a roomful of cross-legged students and shouting, “Got it!” Moments before his triumphant cry, the teacher had yelled, “Swords in the air!” to which we all heaved our Bibles toward the ceiling, elbows slightly bent under the weight of the Good Book. The room transformed into a wave of uplifted skinny arms and Scripture. When all “swords” were thus unsheathed, the teacher shouted a book, chapter, and verse reference, and we would drop our Bibles into our laps in a race to be the first child to find it. I was a shy girl, so I faked my participation in Bible drills, whereas Michael clearly relished the idea of winning. I laugh at the memory of it now, but I also realize the formative nature of this early experience with God’s Word—how, in a way, we were taught to view our Bible as a weapon.
There is scriptural precedence for this. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and of marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Paul uses this war and weaponry language in Ephesians 6:16-17 when he writes of putting on the full armor of God: “In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (ESV). Most biblically literate Christians are familiar with the imagery and Paul’s words, but we don’t always consider how this description can subtly affect the way we approach Scripture. The weaponization of the Bible against other people is a centuries-old temptation.
Throughout history, the Bible has been used to justify all manner of evil, including slavery, genocide, and the subjugation of minorities and women. Singular verses have been taken out of context to suit a particular goal or purpose, with little thought regarding the nature of the text, the intended audience, or the historical context. I’d like to believe this is no longer the case in modern society, but the nightly news often tells a different story.
For centuries, brothers and sisters in Christ have used the Word of God to foster a culture of infighting and division.
Sadly, in today’s politicized landscape, where aggressive culture wars rage on year after year, we see God’s Word used as a tool for division. Various groups with various belief systems all claim the pages of Scripture, using them to justify their position and condemn their opponents. It leaves me wondering how we can avoid further division. As believers, how can we use Scripture to sow peace?
We need to acknowledge that this weaponization isn’t something we do only to non-Christians—we also do it to each other. For centuries, brothers and sisters in Christ have used the Word of God to foster a culture of infighting and division. Our rifts cast a shadow across the Bible and the church alike, shrouding the good news as if in a dense fog. How, instead, can we bear witness to this good news rather than bury it? To this gospel hope that is our offering to a despairing world as it stands back and watches?
It’s unfortunately easy to forget or overlook that when Scripture talks about itself as a sword, the target is not fellow humans. Paul reminds us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). According to Paul, we fight against evil in the realm of the spirit. Scripture is a sword meant to be used on our knees in prayer. The enemy is Satan himself.
The difficult truth is, when we feel as if we are wrestling against flesh and blood, it is often our own we’re contending with. We fight against our flesh and its sinful impulses on a daily basis. In those moments, the sword of the spirit should be aimed not away but toward the darkness of our own heart. Scripture is our means of renewal, the gift from God by which both heart and mind are recalibrated to shape right thinking and holy living—transforming us into instruments of redemption and peace.
Scripture is a sword meant to be used on our knees in prayer. The enemy is Satan himself.
In Isaiah 2:4, the prophet gives us a vision for a peaceful kingdom when he writes, “And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they learn war.” These images are compelling when applied to our use of Scripture as a weapon. A sword is a tool of destruction, whereas a plowshare is a tool of creation—a necessity for growth and cultivation of the entrusted kingdom.
The Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai transforms this imagery even further in his poem “An Appendix to the Vision of Peace”:
Don’t stop after beating the swords
into plowshares, don’t stop! Go on beating
and make musical instruments out of them.
Whoever wants to make war again
will have to turn them into plowshares first.
As I rethink my deeply ingrained perception of the Bible, I’m reminded that the first time God speaks in Scripture, it is through an act of creation. His speech is generative, giving light and life. Those of us who follow Christ are called to be His instruments in the physical realm, working toward a world where justice seeking and peace building are the hallmarks of His kingdom. A world redeemed will come about, not through the weaponization of God’s Word against one another, but rather through creative cultivation and a commitment to the sweet song of peace.
Illustration by Sr. Garcia
