5 Ways to Live Outside the Enemy's GraspSample

Key 3: Work Hard Toward Wisdom

To live outside the grasp of the devil, we need to labor for wisdom. 

In 1 Kings 3, Solomon’s attitude was, "I don't need all of the stuff. I just need wisdom. I know that, more than anything, I'm going to need the wisdom of heaven. I'm going to need the knowledge of heaven; and yet, wisdom is of the utmost importance."

There is a great difference between knowledge and wisdom. “Knowledge” pertains to accumulating the facts, but applying Scripture to those facts enables you to operate in wisdom.

It is not the Christian with the most knowledge who is best equipped to battle the enemy’s temptations. Instead, it is the Christian with the most wisdom who is equipped to battle Satan's temptations. 

For example:

• You can have every Sunday School lapel pin that exists, but still not have wisdom. 
• You can be a regular churchgoer who never misses a Sunday at church—but still not have wisdom. 
• You can have plenty of knowledge, but still not have wisdom. 

The wisdom of God gives you discernment.

God's wisdom gives you the ability to recognize things in the Spirit realm. Someone who is well-versed in discernment and wisdom can walk into a room and smell any demons that are there.

I think Solomon understood this, or he would have never asked God for wisdom. He told God, "I want Your wisdom. Above all else, I want Your wisdom." Then, God said, "Okay, since you asked for wisdom, I'm going to give you everything that you desire in your heart. I'm going to give you all of it simply because you put Me before yourself; because you asked for My wisdom." 

The Bible tells us that, like Solomon, we can actually possess the wisdom of the Creator of all things. 

We just have to be willing to pursue it and work toward it. 

My grandmother and grandfather were extremely wise Christians. Whenever you look at a family that raises children who are all in the Lord, there is always a godly foundation of wisdom in that family. It doesn't mean there wasn't any struggle. It doesn't mean there wasn't any failure. It doesn't mean there weren’t any mishaps. But, in those families you will find a cord of wisdom throughout the family’s generational line.

The cord of God's wisdom goes from generation to generation. 

That's why it's so important that we sit under godly teaching and godly knowledge. It’s never too early to start developing godly wisdom. We need to start asking God for wisdom wherever we are, so that we can create a cord that exists from generation to generation. Establishing generational godly wisdom is a big part of how you resist the devil. 

When my wife, Pastor Judy Jacobs Tuttle, was young, her dad would get up early in the morning on their farm. He would get up even earlier than chore time because he had to pray for all of his children and his grandchildren. He would go up into the top of the barn, and his family could hear him praying all the way in the house. 

While he prayed, he would lift up his voice and call out every name: the names of his daughters and sons, their wives and husbands, and even every child. My wife even remembers listening to hear her daddy call her name in prayer. That’s the heritage of prayer and godly wisdom!

If your family doesn't have a heritage of godly wisdom, the cord of wisdom can begin with you.

You can start building future generations for good right now. You can start your own thread of wisdom in your household, setting a new standard going forward. 

Go ahead and break the curse of past generations' mistakes! Break the old mindset. Break the idea that says, “This is the way it's always been, so this is the way it's always going to be.  I'm always going to be a victim; my dad was this and my mom was that.” Break that thinking off yourself right now!

My life hasn’t been a perfect walk. 

However, I learned far enough in advance that my mom and dad knew something that I didn't know. Their secret had to do with righteous living—righteous living made possible by godly wisdom. And their wisdom passed generationally has made all the difference in my generation and in the lives of my children as well. 

Will you stop today and ask the Lord for His wisdom—and ask Him to give His wisdom to your descendants and family as well? He is ready to hear and answer your prayer!