I used to be afraid of the dark. At bedtime I would “imagine” shadows on the walls. Strange noises coming from
under the bed, over the bed and at times all around me. (Now that I know there is a spiritual world and demons do
exist I believe some of these things weren’t just “imagined.” But, that’s another column.)
Many times I was so frightened that I would just pull the covers over my head and hope “it” would lose sight of me if I was real still. Then I would think to myself, “No wait, I want to see what’s about to charge at me. I could … throw my pillow at it???” Now there’s a plan! When I got a little older, nine or ten, I was given an adult size Bible. FINALLY! Something I could use to beat back the darkness! And that’s precisely what I did on a few occasions. I would actually hurl the book toward the corner of the room harboring the offensive entity. (“Ah, take THAT you spineless, shapeless void of matter and gravity deprived … thing!!!”) Well, I had the right idea. The Bible is the only effective weapon against evil. I just didn’t know that the power is not in the binding but rather in the written words inside, those have the power to bind demonic spirits. I want to share a little bit of history with you about the Bible and why it’s so powerful with this short message effectively named- THE POWER OF GOD’S WORD Luke 8:11, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.” (In context- Luke 8:11-15) It is through the reading of the Word and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit that Christ in His fullness is known.
What a privilege it is today to have God’s Word in our own language. Six hundred years ago there was no English translation of the whole Bible. Thanks to the efforts of John Wycliffe (1384) and William Tyndale (1523), today we are able to read and understand the writings of the apostles for ourselves. Men gave their lives to bring us God’s Word.
We should take advantage of this wonderful privilege. The piece of armor known as the “sword of the Spirit” is the only piece of armor that has the ability to cut, wound, and hurt our enemy, the devil. It’s not the Bible lying on your coffee table that makes the enemy flee. (Or even a cross like in the movies.) But it is the Word of God hidden in your heart, activated by the power of the Holy Spirit, and spoken in an appropriate situation. It’s similar to what was spoken when Jesus said in John 6:63, that “…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” The Word by itself doesn’t make us free. It is the Word we know (intimacy with) and speak that will deliver us (Jn. 8:32).
Why is the Word so effective? It has authority, because it is indeed the WORD of God. God’s Word supersedes all authority of the church, of reason, of intellect, and even of Satan himself. It is the Holy Spirit that wields this Word as it is spoken in faith. Speaking God’s Word in faith brings the Holy Spirit into action. In Luke 4, when Jesus was tempted by the devil for forty days, it was the Word of God that Jesus used to defeat the enemy in the time of His temptation. Jesus constantly met His temptation by quoting from God’s Word as He repeatedly stated, “It is written.” Likewise, the Christian soldier must avail himself of God’s Word by placing it in his heart, so that the Holy Spirit may bring it forth at
the appropriate time to accomplish a complete and total victory. It’s yours! The mysteries of God are not hidden from us but preserved for us who choose to believe and become His children. I wish I had the word of God “written on the tablet of my heart” when I was a child, then I could have gotten born again, instantly becoming a child of God with
Christ living on the inside of me. Such love and affection flooding my heart with light it would glow in the dark. His glory in me shining so bright all darkness around me would have to flee! Then when some stupid demon came near with threats and lies I could have simply opened my mouth and started swingin’ away, “It is WRITTEN!-I was not
given a Spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. HE that is in me is greater than he that is in the
world. I have been given authority and power over all the power that the enemy possesses; and NOTHING in anyway shall harm me!” Because … I know who I am. Righteous in Christ! Perfect Love HAS cast out ALL fear.” Was blind but now I see …”Thank-you Lord Jesus. God-night.” (The “Power of God’s Word” was taken from an Andrew Wommack Ministries daily teaching. www.awmi.net. 2 Tim. 1:7, Proverbs 7:3, John Chpt. 3, Luke 10:19, 1 John 4:4, 4:18)
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
