Text: Psalm 119:81-104, Hebrews 4:12-13, Ephesians 6:10-17, Proverbs 30:5
“Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:11-12 NIV
Why do we bother to memorize Scripture? If Jesus came and conquered death, is there anything else to worry about? We believe; we live as Christians; we go to heaven.
It’s not quite that simple, is it?
Our Christian lives are a constant struggle. The battle is ongoing and it won’t end until the day Jesus returns to complete the defeat of Satan. As the Reformation Study Bible notes, “The forces of darkness are defeated, but not yet harmless.”
In Ephesians, Paul instructs us on how to put on the “full armor of God,” covering ourselves with the things of God, from feet to head. In the end, we are told to “take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). The Bible does not need us to defend it. We need the Bible to help us stand firm in Christ.
Putting on the full armor of God is more than belief. It includes studying God’s Word, letting the Holy Spirit guide our hearts and minds as we read it, and being in prayer about having our hearts and lives changed through it. The Bible is meant to actively change us, actively change our world, and prepare us for the resistance we will meet in this Christian life.
We will fight, but we will not fight alone.
His Word is living and active, and it fights for us.
But that’s not all.
The writer of Hebrews also uses the imagery of the sword, describing God’s Word as “piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). This living, sacred text not only guards our hearts, it penetrates and knows them, too. Reading Scripture and meditating on it, storing it up in our hearts and minds, is not mere Christian duty. It is our privilege.
I am so glad I found SRT never have I been so dedicated to reading the bible and I love how the devotional really explains the text and puts everything into perspective. I am so glad God will fight for me as long as I wear his armor. It’s so comforting to know that he will always have my back. I am finally understanding that I can’t do it all on my own and it is such a relief because I was and still am failing. So I am so thankful God is there for me.
I feel the same exact way Emery! I never have enjoyed reading His word so much! But now I get excited!
“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12
What a beautiful way to illustrate the active power of God’s holy word.
Love it hey Liz
There is a great website (I promise I don’t spend all of my time on the internet) called learnscripture.net that has really helpful ways of learning scripture and you can come back daily to retest yourself on the verses. I strongly recommend it as a good way of getting Scripture lodged in your “mental armoury” :)
Thanks for sharing that site!!
This is a great article to inspire us to memorise Scripture: http://www.challies.com/quotes/5-great-reasons-to…
I loved this!! Thanks so much for sharing! It’s very relevant to today’s plan, and holds so much truth. Part of my daily prayer is giving me the knowledge & understanding to memorize what I am reading. I find this one of the more difficult tasks. How do I memorize!! How do I not let a verse slip my memory?!
I love this. And God is awesome for making the person who made this app!
It ís our privilege! God ís really speaking that to my heart today.
we will fight but we won’t fight alone! Amen!