04 Bearing the Name of the Lord

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, bearing the Name of the Lord.

To all who love Him in sincerity and walk under His banner — grace and peace be multiplied to you.

When Scripture warns, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” (Ex. 20:7), I once understood this mainly as avoiding His Name as an expletive. But in prayer a few years ago, the Lord opened my eyes to something far deeper—something that touches every part of a believer’s life.

I saw a vision of a vast ancient army spread across a hillside. At its center stood a banner marked with the image of a lion. The banner-bearer fell, and another instantly took his place so the army could continue forward. That banner was not decorative. It represented the King, the kingdom, and the cause.

So it is with us.

When we confess Jesus as Lord (Rom. 10:9), we take up His Name, and we bear it from that moment forward. Scripture says, “His banner over me is love” (Song 2:4), and “You have given a banner to those who fear You” (Ps. 60:4). This is not a banner we lose by misplacing it. The only way to lay it down is to reject it entirely. Otherwise, whether seen or unseen, it is upon us.

Because we bear His Name, every action we take—and every action we refuse to take—reflects on the King.

As Paul writes, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17).

Taking the Lord’s Name “in vain” therefore means far more than speech.It means carrying His Name without weight, without reverence, without obedience.

Jesus said, “Let your light shine before others” (Matt. 5:16).

The Apostle Paul exhorts us:

• “Walk worthy of the calling” (Eph. 4:1).
• “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19).
• “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 13:14).

Early Christians in the generations immediately after the apostles understood bearing the Lord’s Name the same way—your life was meant to match your confession. They believed, as Scripture teaches, that holiness matters because we belong to the Holy One (1 Pet. 1:15–16).

That is exactly what the New Testament calls us to: a life that reflects the One whose Name we carry.

Using the Lord’s Name “in vain” is therefore not merely speaking carelessly—it’s living carelessly. It’s living in ways unworthy of the King’s banner: deceit, envy, gossip, slander, sexual immorality, pride, bitterness, or anything else born from the flesh (Gal. 5:19–21).

But when the Spirit leads us, His fruit becomes our banner: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Gal. 5:22–23).

I can look back at times in my life—moments, relationships, seasons—where I did not carry the banner of the Lord in a way worthy of His sacrifice. Moments where my words or actions did not reflect the love of my Father, even though His Name was upon me.

Through the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ, I am forgiven (1 John 1:9). But if there is anyone I have wounded or left hurting by acting in the flesh instead of by the Spirit, I ask for your forgiveness and pray peace over you in the Name of the Lord.

May God strengthen us to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him” (Col. 1:10), honoring the holy Name we bear.

God-willing, I will write again soon.

In the love of Christ.