Becoming Like Jesus: Scripture MemorizationSample

Combating Lies

What happens when your view of yourself is distorted?

Well, if your view of you is the thing that drives everything you do, then a distorted view of yourself will naturally produce distorted behaviors. That is what our spiritual enemy, the devil, is counting on. From the very beginning, he has been hell-bent on disrupting God’s plans and destroying our lives. How?

The devil attacks our identity and targets our desires with lies and deception.

This is the strategy he used against the first people, Adam and Eve, in the Garden of Eden. It’s the strategy he used against Jesus during His time in the wilderness. And it's the strategy he uses against us today.

Today, we’re going to see how Jesus used the discipline of Scripture Memorization to resist the devil’s lies and reinforce His identity during their showdown in the wilderness.

Let’s jump in.

Pray …

Heavenly Father, help me to see myself the way You see me. I want to trust what You say about me more than I trust the devil’s lies and my own insecurities. Jesus, thank You for showing me how to stand firm against the evil one. Holy Spirit, give me the strength and the wisdom I need to follow You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Read …

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:1–4 NIV

Consider …

This temptation in the wilderness takes place right after Jesus’ baptism. Think about the timing. Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, where God the Father speaks love and truth over Him, He marches into the battle, where the devil tempts Him with lies and deception.

Notice the first thing that comes out of the tempter’s mouth: “If you are the Son of God …”His opening move is to question Jesus’ identity. Why? Because the devil understands how powerful an identity rooted and anchored in the love of God is. So, he looks for a way to dig out the roots and cut the anchor. How? By targeting Jesus’ very real desire for food: “… tell these stones to become bread.”

The devil begins with something that doesn’t seem like that big of a deal. He suggests Jesus use His powers to meet His own needs. Is that really so bad? By itself, probably not. But it never stops there. That’s just the way the enemy gets his foot in the door.

But Jesus isn’t falling for it. He sees through the enemy's schemes and doesn’t give an inch. Without skipping a beat, Jesus quotes Scripture to the devil.

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4 NIV

This pattern repeats itself two more times. The devil attacks Jesus’ identity and targets His desires with lies and deception. And each time, Jesus counters his lies with God’s truth.

Jesus had been preparing His entire life for this moment. He knew that fulfilling His purpose would bring Him into conflict with the forces of darkness. From an early age, Jesus trained Himself to internalize the truth of God’s word by memorizing Scripture. This wasn’t just a hobby for Him. It was a habit.

As His followers, one of the wisest things we can do is take our cues from Him. So, if you want to reinforce your identity and resist the devil’s lies, make Jesus’ habits your habits. Commit to internalizing the truth of God’s word so deeply in your heart that when the enemy shows up, you’ll be ready.

Practice …

Let’s continue internalizing the truth found in Ephesians 2:8–10. Pull out that notecard or flip back to that page in your journal. Copy the verse down in a different color and say it out loud as you write. Combining the acts of writing, reading, speaking, and hearing those verses does wonders for aiding us in memorizing them.

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:8–10 NLT

If you’re using an app or another memorization method, keep doing what works for you! The point isn’t to follow a particular style of memorizing Scripture, but to accomplish the goal of getting the truth of God’s word buried deep in our hearts.

Listen …

Set a timer for 5–10 minutes.

Create space in your mind and heart to hear from God. Lead into your listening by using those verses from Ephesians as a prayer:

God, thank You for saving me. Your grace is a gift and I am so grateful for it. You didn’t save me because of the good things I’ve done, so I have no reason to boast. You saved me because You love me. You are a master artist, and You’ve made me into a masterpiece. Because of Jesus, I have been made new. Now, I can do the good things You planned for me to do before I was ever born.

Next, ask God to speak to you. And then, simply listen.

When you get distracted, come back to Jesus by reading the verses or repeating the prayer above. Say them out loud. Focus on each line and let the truth you are learning redirect your thoughts.