God the Father is the giver of Holy
Scripture; God the Son is the theme of Holy Scripture; and God the Spirit is
the author, authenticator, and interpreter of Holy Scripture. ~J. I. Packer
After 4,000 years
of human history, no other book is like the Holy Scriptures in its supremacy
over all books written in the past, present and the future. And although the
Holy Scriptures experienced a lot of attacks and threats, yet it withstood
everything in its path. Now, more than ever, many are turning to its power and
promises for receiving hope, comfort and strength in their lives. How powerful
is the Holy Scriptures? Let’s look at how Jesus utilized the Holy Scriptures
during overcoming Satan’s temptation. Matthew 4:3-4 described, “And the tempter came and said to him, “If
you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he
answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that comes from the mouth of God.’” One thing is certain; the Devil
tempted Jesus to go against God’s word. Bob Jones, Sr. shared, “The Devil did not tempt Adam and Eve to
steal, to lie, to kill, to commit adultery; he tempted them to live independent
of God.” Jesus neutralized the temptation of the Devil by speaking God’s
word and spoke with authority (Deuteronomy 8:3; Deuteronomy 6:16, 13). He knew
what to say and where to stand His ground and as a result, overcame his
temptation.
God’s promise of
victory through His Word is assured because God’s word never fails in
fulfilling its intended purpose: So shall
my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it
shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which
I sent it (Isaiah 55:11). Next, God’s word is reinforced by the power of
God’s Spirit in empowering His people: Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:
Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord of hosts
(Zechariah 4:6). Next, God’s word assured us of eternal life when we put our
faith in Jesus: The promise of eternal
life when we hear His words: Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word
and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment.
Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life (John 5:24).
Jesus knew Satan’s
strategy precisely because Satan used it already at the Garden of Eden with Eve
(Genesis 3). This time, Jesus didn’t fall for his trap. Instead, He stood on
God’s Word, and it paid off. In His encounter with Satan, Jesus provided
everyone who believes in Him a pattern of defeating temptations as well. Dwight
L. Moody emphasized, “The Bible was not
given for our information but for our transformation.”
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The Holy
Scriptures provides practical applications for securing victory through the
Scriptures on a daily basis. First, continually study God’s truth in
safeguarding our freedom in Christ: “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed
him, “If you abide in my word, you are
truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you
free" (John 8:31-32). Next, courageously fulfill God’s agenda for your
life no matter what we face: “Have I not
commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the
Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9). Finally,
confidently live consecrated lives as we await Jesus’ return: “And they have conquered him by the blood of
the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives
even unto death” (Revelation 12:11).
One thing is sure
when our lives become fully anchored in God’s Word; we equip ourselves against
all temptations and attack of the enemy of our faith. If Jesus did it and with
His help, so can we!
Let’s talk again!
