Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 314

November 10;      Matthew 4:4;      4/260;      ‘It is Written’

Matthew 4:4  “But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ “

(Ephesians 6:17)  The sword of the Spirit, God’s Word, is an offensive weapon (It is the only offensive weapon in the Armor of God). When Jesus was in the wilderness, being tempted by the devil, He defended Himself and drove off the devil by quoting the Word of God…“It is written….,” (He said this 3 times). Remember, Jesus is our Example of how we are to live.

If Jesus used the Word of God to drive off the devil, we are supposed to do that as well.  In order to do this, we must know the Word of God.  Back in the Garden of Eden, the very first recorded words of the devil in the Bible, is him speaking to Eve and challenging God’s Word (Gen 3:1 “Has God indeed said…?). The Word of God teaches us who we are because of the redemptive work of Jesus. The Word teaches us what belongs to us and it teaches us that Jesus defeated the devil and gave us, His Church, authority over the devil.  John 8:31-32 teaches that the Word is truth and the truth we know makes us free. God’s Word cannot make us free unless we know it. Some people are very smart and knowledgeable about their interests or endeavors, and that is admirable. But the truth is, the only information that the devil fears is the Word of God!  ‘Religion’ is one of the greatest tools of the devil to deceive people. Religious information sounds ‘godly,’ but if it does not line up with the Bible, those religious teachings will be weak and helpless in times of trouble. In order to live a victorious and overcoming life, make reading the Word of God a daily priority in your life. The Lord Jesus loves it and the devil hates it.