The Word

Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to do battle with the evil one. He had just been baptised in the river Jordan and the Holy Spirit had descended upon Him like a dove. God had publicly declared His pleasure in Him: ‘My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’ Then He was led into the wilderness where He spent forty days alone being tempted by the devil. The final, decisive words that Jesus spoke to His adversary were, “Away from me satan. For it is written, ‘worship the Lord your God and serve him only!’” Then the devil left Him, and angels came and ministered to Him (Matthew 4:1-11).

Jesus overcame the enemy by the Word of God and the assurance that His Father was with Him. We can do the same. When we consider the promises of God through His word, and as the Holy Spirit gives us revelation of where we are in Him, we can ask Him to help us in times of trouble.

First of all, we need to be assured that God is with us. Scripture tells us we can’t hide from Him even if we wanted to. ‘Where can I flee from your presence?’ (Psalm 139:7). ‘The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you’ (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Not only is He always with us, but He’s reaching out so that we can also be with Him. His eternal nature is love; an unchangeable, all embracing love that is extended to each one of us and is constantly looking for a response. He’s the ‘Father of compassion and the God of all comfort’ (2 Corinthians 1:3), waiting for us to allow Him to extend His loving arms around us so that we may rest safely in His peace and protection. A love that will never let us go.

Let’s open our hearts to receive what He’s offering and just waiting to be claimed: the eternal legacy of God, paid for by the precious blood of Jesus. ‘I came that they may have life and have it abundantly’ (John 10:10). And if we’re not living in this abundant life of Jesus then, perhaps, we are missing something, or something is in the way. We can ask Him to show us and we can bring those things under the covering of Jesus so that we can live through Him. ‘I can do all things who through Him who strengthens me’ (Philippians 4:13). When Jesus was lifted up on the cross, He drew us to Himself, and we became His (John 12:32).

`Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world` (1 John 4:4). As we live in our new identity, we can know victory in all circumstances. Jesus confronted the enemy by the truth of the Word of God. Now we too can live in that truth and know we have complete confidence in Him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your eternal Word. The Word that created the universe out of nothing; the Word that became flesh and lived among us; the Word that proclaims Your truth and wins our freedom, and never fails. Please help me to store Your words up in my heart so that I can live in their power every day, in Jesus’ name. Amen.