The Duel

The Duel

I was nine years of age as I hung over the wire, side fence of our yard, watching the removalist’s truck slowly backing up the neighbour’s rough, cement driveway. The small fibro house next door had been sold and new neighbours were moving in. Would they have children? Did they have pets? What were they like? Who were they? I was curious and impatient to find the answers to all my questions. Cars came and went, people came and went. The truck was eventually unloaded. With all the comings and goings and my sporadic watching, it was impossible to determine who the new neighbours were going to be. My anticipation reached greater heights and my inquisitiveness grew. Several days later, our family finally had the privilege of meeting the lovely new neighbours. They were an older, early retired couple with a huge collection of cats, and they had two boisterous grandsons, who lived nearby. There was almost an immediate bond and I was tucked under their wings as an extra grandchild and thus began a very wonderful friendship that continued until more recent years, when they both passed away. 

One happy afternoon their grandson, Andrew, and I, were playing in the backyard when we wandered into the large garage’s side door. Our eyes adjusted to the dimness and as we looked around the garage became a delight of exploration. There were boxes and boxes and a cluttered assortment of belongings from England through to Malaysia and from Australia itself, as my adopted grandparents had moved from country to country. A cat lay snuggly on a wooden work bench near the glass window, soaking up a beam of sunshine streaming brightly in. The lawn mower and rusty gardening tools, presented obstacles to be clambered past, as we looked at one item after another and poked inside one box after another. 

Then we found them. They were shiny and metal, long and thin. They stood abandoned in a darkened corner. They were foils, swords used in fencing. Fencing as a sport uses three different kinds of swords. The foil is a lighter practice weapon used by duellers to hone their skills. The blade on a foil is about thirty-five inches long. It is a lighter more flexible, rectangular blade and a descendent of the light court sword used in the past by nobilities to train for duels. Andrew and I picked them up and looked them over. We were excited. They looked like fun. We decided to have a mock duel. We took them outside into the backyard to play with them. We held their handles, with the circular guards protecting our hands, and we stood in an appropriate posture with our minds on our footwork, with the shiny tips pointed daringly at each other. We clanged our swords together with a resounding clash and in mock duel we thrust the tips towards each other’s torso. We danced in fancy footwork back and forth, hitting our swords and pointing at each other. Suddenly a shrill voice called both our names. We stopped and turned to see my adopted grandmother with an extremely concerned look on her face. We had absolutely no idea that handling swords in an untrained manner and without the safety of a fencer’s uniform was very unwise. The swords were taken from us and placed in a safe spot far away from any further uses we may find for them in the future.

The Bible tells us we have a sword and it “is the word of God” (Eph 6:18). We are advised to “take up the full armour of God” ( Eph 6:14) to protect us in warfare. Can we handle our swords unwisely? How are we to use them? The mighty men protecting Solomon were men who were to “ all hold swords, being expert in war” ( Song of Sol 3:8) We can be experts, but how? 2 Tim 2:15 “Study to show yourself approved to God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Jesus is not just the living Word of God ( John 1:1, 14) but revelation depicts Him symbolically with a sharp two-edged sword coming out of His mouth. ( Rev 1:16)

In Heb 4:12 it 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 marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart .”The word of God is a double edged sword because it is offensive as well as defensive. “Every time you read the Word of God it will become more and more entrenched in your heart - no matter how many times you have read it before. When you speak the Word of God in the face of every attack of the enemy, you are driving a sword through his plans…. The Word will change us every time we read it.” Stormy Omartian.

Ps 45:3 Gird your sword on your side, you mighty one

Psalm 149:6 May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands