Walking in the Power of God's Wordনমুনা

Day Five: In The Wilderness

Jesus knew how important it was to find our refuge in the Word (as we discussed yesterday) because of what He faced right at the beginning of His ministry and was aware that we too would face trial in some way, shape, or form.

It is Jesus, whom we delight in and read of, who pioneered this declarative ‘rhema word’ initiative and so it would be unwise of us to think we have a better idea.

In Matthew, Chapter 4, verses 1-11, we read of Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by the enemy. It's interesting to note that He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness for this very reason. Sometimes, we'll be called into ‘battle’ to be further refined and sanctified. We shouldn't be shocked when this happens, but we must be ready to fight and equipping ourselves with God’s Word helps us do just that.

The devil tempts Jesus three times, and each time, he is rebuked with the same three words...

"It is written..."

These words Jesus spoke each time were in direct opposition to those of the enemy, whom (as we read in verse 6) also knew the Word. The enemy knows the Word of God. He will attack the promises we hold onto because he knows just how powerful the Word can be when someone joins their understanding with faith that God's Word is power.

These rhema words of Jesus are used as both defense and attack against Satan in this instance – as weapons (much like we discussed yesterday in the exploration of Ephesians 6:17).

To unpack this a little more, we note that, found in the section of Scripture in Ephesians 6:13-18, the Word of God (the sword) is the only weapon of offense found in the list. The rest are of defense (shield, helmet, etc.) This again, reminds us of the power and weight of the Word when faced with challenge and is a reminder to us of just how much we need it.

Against all the schemes of the enemy, may we boldly be able to declare ‘It is written.’ In the face of temptation, may we find that the Word is hidden in our hearts and be able to declare Truth over all situations, and as a result, may we find our strength in Jesus who is more than able to bear our burdens.