 Ephesians 6:17 says, "taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." This tells us that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit, but how does the Christian transform his or her Bible into a sword? The word “Word” here is “rhema”, which means the spoken Word of God. Your Bible will become a sword, as you internalize in your mind and heart, and then speak that Word out of your mouth. When it comes to defeating your enemy, the devil, understand that the Word of God internalized must answer the accusations, lies and deception of the enemy. The devil, who is the father of lies, will tempt the believer with some half-truth or whole-lie to defeat and imprison us. The only way we can be prepared for those lies is through storing God’s Word in our hearts before we need it so it will be there when we need it. I recently read of a Christian young man whose band performed on a Caribbean cruise. One night his buddies tried to entice him into the ship’s bar, but Chad, whose mother was an alcoholic, had memorized verses from Proverbs about alcohol abuse. He explained to his friends that addiction ran in his family, then he had the courage to quote Scripture to them: “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.” (Proverbs 20:1) They replied, “Come on, Chad. Just one beer won’t hurt.” He replied, “At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like a viper” (Proverbs 23:32). They accused him of rejecting their company, to which he said, “If sinners entice you, do not consent.” (Proverbs 1:10) “Leave him be,” he heard one of the young men say to the others. “He’s so full of Scripture we can’t do a thing with him!” Remember the promise found in Psalm 119:11, “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against God.” John 14:26 also tells us that the Holy Spirit will bring to our remembrance the Word of God in our time of need. For the time spent, I have never found anything more valuable to my Christian walk than endeavoring to systematically store God’s word into my heart and into my mind. Dallas Willard agrees when he writes, “If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs.”[1] Chuck Swindoll has also written, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture… No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified.”[2] Billy Graham once said, “Like Joseph storing grain during the years of plenty to be used during the years of famine that lay ahead, may we store up the truths of God’s Word in our hearts as much as possible, so that we are prepared for whatever suffering we are called upon to endure.”[3] Lorne Sanny once shared why Scripture memory was so important in his life: “We don't always have our Bibles with us when we need deliverance, victory, guidance, or a truth to help others. But Scripture memory puts the Word in our hearts, food in our minds, a light on our path, a weapon in one hand and a tool in the other.” Take time to store your mind and heart with God’s Word, and pull them out the next time the enemy attacks. Primary Lies of the Devil (with the Scriptures that answer his accusations):[4]
Lies Specifically about Lust and Sex (with the Scriptures that answer these lies):
[1] Williard, Dallas, “Spiritual Formation in Christ for the Whole Life and Whole Person” in Vocatio, Vol. 12, no. 2, Spring, 2001, p. 7 [2] Swindoll, Charles, Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994], p. 61 [3] Graham, Billy, ‘Til Armageddon (Minneapolis: WorldWide, 1981), 9. [4] Compiled from multiple sources, but primarily “Lies and Truth” by: Fellowship Bible Church. This blogpost is taken from "Pathway to Power". Click below to order a copy:  |
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