BIBLE PASSAGE:
I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
(Psalm 119:11)
MEDITATION:
Remember when you were a kid and you had fantasy battles against the
bad guys? In your imaginary world, it could turn into a fierce battle, but
when you pulled out your secret weapon, the evil guys would tremble in
fear, because they knew you were going to be victorious over them. Your
special weapon could protect the good folks and subdue the bad ones.
It may have been a special six-shooter, a whip, a laser weapon, etc.
Whatever it was, you had confidence that it would instantly and
consistently protect you from the bad guys. Wouldn’t it be nice to
have the same kind of weapon in our adult world to protect us from
the assaults of the evil one?
Once we are saved, we discover that Satan is a formidable opponent;
one who is bent on destroying our lives as much as possible. We realize
that he is clever enough to know of, and consistently attack us at our
weakest points; he doesn’t fight fairly.
He is like a snake in the grass waiting for our curiosity or passion to
cause us to examine and experience some sin. He may tempt some
with alcohol or drugs, because they are weak in that area. Others he
may tempt with impure thoughts or acts (lustful acts such as infidelity
or pornography). He may delight in tempting some with covetousness
and greed. He might tempt some with uncontrolled anger or selfishness
which devoid of a loving attitude.
Whatever our weak area might be, when we are tempted, we need a ‘secret
weapon’ to prevent this difficult and tenacious opponent from robbing us
of happiness and peace (the things that God desires for those in His family).
When Satan has victory over us and seizes some level of control, our lives can
become miserable, and our misery often spills over and affects those around us.
We know we are not living in a fantasy world, but in a world of reality,
and we need help in defending ourselves against the relentless attacks
from Satan. The good news for followers of Jesus is, our loving and
caring Heavenly Father has provided us with the help we need.
Our strength can be found in His Word. Reading the Bible is an important
starting point, but its effectiveness goes much deeper than that. We need to
‘hide His Word in our heart’. Hiding it in our heart means we are applying
His principles to our lives.
When we read God’s Word, we need to search for scriptures pertaining
to our areas of weakness. Next, we need to memorize those verses, so we
can recite them to Satan when we sense an attack. This is exactly how
Jesus fought Satan when He was under attack – He recited scriptures.
Two things we should learn from Jesus.
1. If Satan attacked Jesus, we know he will delight in attacking us.
2. If reciting scriptures worked for Jesus,
then it should be the nucleus of our defense system.
ACTION:
Question to consider:
– Have I given up in my attempts to repel the attacks of Satan?
If so, then realize that ‘giving up’ is one of his strategies for defeating
us. Instead of feeling defeated and hopeless, we need to start using our
‘secret weapon’.
We need to spend time in God’s Word and start applying His
principles to our life. We shouldn’t just read for volume or to
gather information; instead, we should read looking for, and
expecting our life to change. We need to pray before reading,
and trust the Holy Spirit to direct us to key scriptures that we
need to memorize in preparation for the battles.
As for God, His way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless; He
shields all who take refuge in Him.
(Psalm 18:30)
Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. Help me to develop
a greater appreciation for the power and effectiveness of Your Word.
Teach me how to read the bible with an intent to change, and an
expectation that I will experience new levels of righteousness when
I apply Your principles to my own life. Help me to find and memorize
key scriptures that I can recite to Satan whenever he attacks me in
the areas where I am weak. As each of his attacks are turned away,
give me an increasing confidence of Your power to intercept and
repel his attempts at causing me to fall. Remind me often that I am
weak independently, but I become strong when I depend on You!”
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