“What do you do as a Christian when these attacks occur?” And they will occur!
Scripture: Ephesians 6:11 – “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”
In Ephesians chapter 6, we learn there various pieces of the armor God gives us to fight spiritual battles. But there is one piece of equipment that is absolutely essential to winning spiritual battles. In fact, unless you use this piece of equipment you will not be victorious in your life. You will not be able to resist temptation. You will not be able to rise above discouragement. Without this equipment you will sink into defeat, which is right where Satan wants you to be.
What is this equipment? Paul called it the “sword of the spirit.” Which is the Word of God. The Bible.
Maybe you feel let down. Maybe you were hoping for something else. If you feel that way, it is because you haven’t realized the power of God’s Word in your life. Maybe you have read a little of it, but you have never made it a part of your daily life. You’ve never used it in your life as God intended.
Many people do not understand the importance of God’s Word in their lives. A Gallup poll reports:
•16% of Americans say that they read the Bible every day
•21% say they read it weekly
•12% say they read the Bible monthly
•10% say less than monthly
How is God’s Word a weapon for fighting spiritual battles?
1. It destroys Satan’s lies.
God’s Word exposes Satan’s deception every time. He has perfected his craft. He knows exactly what to say, how to say it, and when to say it. Why does he continue to do this? Because much of the time he is successful. It works! If you listen, if you give place to his lies in your mind, if you believe what he tells you, then he will keep doing it.
But when you have truth in your heart, when you have filled your mind, when you have it in your life everyday, the light of God’s Word exposes the darkness of Satan’s lies.
2. It removes the power of temptation
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
Jesus taught us how to fight Satan’s temptations in Luke 4. Three times Satan tempted Jesus. All of his temptation were based on a lie. Jesus modeled for us how to respond. He say, “It is written….”
Jesus did not pull out his pocket OT when he was tempted. He didn’t say, “Hang on a minute, I know there’s a verse somewhere in Deuteronomy. No. He just quoted it. He had it in his mind.
Quite possible the single most important thing you can do as a Christian is to memorize bible verses that will help you be strong.
3. It gives us encouragement to keep trusting God in the hard times.
You may be tempted to give in to your despair, discouragement, and feelings of defeat, but God’s word always brings us back to the truth that God is in control.
Today’s Challenge: The Bible is your sword. Use it and you can fight against the forces of evil. When we rely on what the Bible says, we are not standing in our own strength, but in His. We are not relying on our own wisdom, but on God’s. One thing you can be assured of: Your opponent is fully armed and is extremely dangerous. Every single day you must stand in God’s strength. You must put on your armor, and you must use the sword of the Spirit.
Discussion Questions: