Do you have any conception of how powerful those 3 words are? Jesus effectively used them to defeat satan at every turn and temptation. These words are also ours to wield as our offensive weapon to defeat our enemy. But this was a lesson that took me some time to comprehend and then use. Sometimes we don’t realize the lessons from scripture are actually available to us today, now, to defeat our enemy. As we read and understand scripture, it can become a potent weapon.
One of the most effective phrases to follow those words that Jesus uttered is: “Man… shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3) Because Jesus knew the power of the word, He used it to defeat satan… But… do we? Do we act on a belief in the power of the word? If we do then we can say, with authority, “If God be for me, who can stand against me!” (Romans 8:31) “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37) “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:17) And those are only 3 examples from 1 chapter in Romans. Scripture throughout states Who are God is and what He does for us.
It would be my contention that we, as a creation, tend to take things into our own hands – whether or not we can really have any effect. God uses the words, ‘stick necked people’, to describe His people in the Old Testament. However, I think that ‘attribute’ is still accurate. We can dig in our heels quickly when things aren’t going the way we think they should… regardless of whether our way or the other is the best approach. With this mindset we set ourselves apart from our most effective ‘ally’.
“It is written…” is not a meaningless phrase. It can literally move us into a position of strength and confidence. Perhaps it’s the last attribute that is the most important. As we grow in confidence that the Word is not just a ‘story’ but is our manual for a fruitful and abundant life that we can overcome now and not only when we go to Heaven. Knowing how difficult our lives would be apart from a personal relationship, God made provision. Then He says… “It is Written”, and all we have to do is to believe and stand on this.
