Daily Delight
A few evenings ago, my husband Tyler and I were talking about just how crucial it is to know God’s word. He reminded me that when Paul talks about the armor of God in Ephesians 6, the sword of the Spirit (the word of God / the Bible) is the only offensive weapon we have against the enemy.Then he asked me this — “How can we fight back if we aren’t familiarized with our weapon? How can we navigate the battle if we don’t first navigate God’s word?” (I know, I know. I married a good one!)
He’s right. Like he’s totally, totally right.And in his wisdom, I couldn’t help but be reminded of Jesus’ wisdom in the desert as He faced the enemy Himself.In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus is tempted by Satan. Basically, Satan is trying to appeal to Jesus’ humanity and get Him to veer from God’s plan and forsake it all for earthly riches and notoriety. But Jesus just isn’t about that life. And He also isn’t about negotiating with the devil either.In His infinite wisdom, He replies only with Scripture. He doesn’t try and talk back or come up with fancy quips to get the devil off His back. Instead, He quotes straight Scripture back to him and starts every reply with, “It is written.” Over and over and over again — three times total — Jesus rebukes the devil with nothing but God’s word. And do you know what happens?The devil leaves.When I think about this story I am instantly reminded of James’ instruction to us. James tells us to submit to God and to resist the devil. He promises that if we do this, the devil will flee. Jesus’ experience in Matthew 4 completely challenges my understanding of the word “resist.”If Jesus resisted the devil by speaking Scripture back to him, why would it be any different for us?If Jesus knew God’s word well enough to spout it out in times of trouble, why should it be any different for you and me?
“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” -James 4:7 (ESV)
About the Author
Diana Carter is a writer and teacher enamored by the vision of a generation of women boldly embracing their Biblical identities. She spends her weeks as a Communications Director at a large multi-site church in Charlotte, NC where she lives with her husband, Tyler.Diana founded Because I’m His, an online community committed to equipping women in their true identities, in 2016. In between all of the serious stuff, you can usually find her with Tyler: shamelessly binge-watching Bravo! or brewery hopping with friends.You can connect with Diana on Instagram here and follow along with the Because I'm His tribe here.