There are some things that always go together. A person and her shadow, two sides of a coin, the blades of scissors, and the Spirit of God with the Word of God. It is the Word of God that establishes God’s will for His creation, and it is the Holy Spirit who enables, illumines, and empowers that Word.
The Spirit was there when God spoke the world into existence (Genesis 1:2b). When early Christians were “filled with the Holy Spirit . . . they spoke the word of God with boldness” (Acts 4:31). Words of wisdom and knowledge are given in the Church “through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:8). And the “sword of the Spirit” is “the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).
When the Bible exhorts Christians to “be transformed by the renewing of their mind,” it means learning to think God’s way instead of the world’s way. It means replacing lies with truth. As we read the Word of God, the Holy Spirit gives understanding that leads to changed lives.