Using the Sword

January 21

(Luke 4:3-12 NIV) "The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." {4} Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" {5} The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. {6} And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. {7} So if you worship me, it will all be yours." {8} Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" {9} The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. {10} For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; {11} they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" {12} Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'""

(Ephesians 6:16-18 NIV)  "In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. {17} Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. {18} And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

When dealing with temptation, one of the keys to winning is the word of God. Jesus used God’s word as a shield and a sword against the devil’s schemes in the wilderness. Christ was tempted in three different ways. Satan even tried to use Scripture as a justification for Christ to sin. Jesus repelled each temptation with properly applied verses from the Old Testament. Jesus used Scripture correctly because He knew the heart of God. One of the keys to winning against temptation is knowing God’s word. But more important than knowing God’s word, is knowing the God of the word. If we do not know the Lord, we will likely end up misusing the word of God, just as Satan did. But when God has our heart, and we begin to know His heart, the word of God can be properly used to combat temptation, rather than justify it. Do you know the Lord? Does Jesus truly have your heart? -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day