DAY 8 – Word! (How Jesus Won)

Devotion

Yesterday we talked about being victorious over the plans of the enemy by simply saying “No.” Today, we’re going to look at how Jesus actually did that. He is the ultimate example, so if there was a plan that He used, then it should be our plan too!

In a moment, you’ll read in the scripture about how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. The thing you should notice though is how Jesus responded. Each time the devil tempted Him, He replied with, “The scriptures say…” In other words, He used the Word of God, the Bible, against the enemy and won the victory.

A few days ago we read in Ephesians 6 about the armour of God. The only weapon it mentions that goes with this armour is a sword. It’s the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. In other words, the one thing that we can all carry with us to cut down/defeat temptations and anything else that comes against us, is God’s Word. But it’s not talking about using the book itself or your phone, or whatever you’re reading the Bible on. It’s talking about getting those words into your heart and mind so that the Holy Spirit can remind you of them when you need them the most!

Here’s some simple things that can help:

1. Go back over the scriptures that we’ve read each day. If there’s any that really stand out to you, try and memorise them. Screenshot them and put them as your background or save them in a note on your phone!
2. When you are facing a temptation or challenge, even something as simple as just Googling “What does the Bible say about (your problem)” will help!

Scripture

Luke 4:1-13

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry. Then the devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone.’” Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms and authority over them,” the devil said, “because they are mine to give to anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will worship me.” Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’” When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he left him until the next opportunity came.