Time and time again I have heard the story of Jesus Christ in the wilderness, being tempted by Satan. I have read the book of Matthew many time and have heard sermons preach on it many times too. But as I read it this time, something different jumps out at me. It is so amazing how you can read God's word over and over again and each time you can learn something new. God's word is so amazing like that! Always teaching us; always changing us.
It was a few days back, I was starting the 4th Chapter of Matthew. It starts to tell us how Jesus was in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. Jesus had been fasting for 40 days (which I think is incredible) and it is pretty safe to say he was pretty hungry. Jesus was feeling weak and extremely vulnerable. Satan comes to remind him that he is Jesus, the son of God. That at his command he could turn the stone into bread and eat at any moment. Jesus, remembering his task at hand, unwavered by his weakness comes back at Satan with Scripture. He tells Satan that "it is written man shall not eat by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God". (Matthew 4:4).
Satan tempts Jesus a total of three times and each time Jesus comes back with God's Word. After the third time Jesus quotes the Word of God, Satan flees.
I've always been told that we are to arm ourselves with the word. To hide it in our heart so that we may be ready in and out of season. But! It never occurred to me to arm myself with verses that I can use against Satan. You see Satan will always attack us where we are weak. If we have a tendency to be lazy, he will tempt us in that area. Insecure, he will attack us with whatever we are insecure about. If we have sexual sin, he will tempt us there. It doesn't help either that our culture has so many outlets that make our weaknesses so easy to indulge in.
Laying it all out on the line here:
I decided to write down what my weaknesses are and they are:
I pretty much love to sleep. Really, I do.
I find it easy to become complacent and tend to lack motivation to strive forward.
I find huge comfort in security and truth be told, I adore my American life. Way. Too. Much.
I am a hermit and will do almost anything to stay home. True Story.
So I found scriptures to arm myself against my weaknesses:
Laziness:
Proverbs 13:4 - The soul of the sluggard desireth and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
Colossians 3:23 - & whatever you do, do it heartily unto the Lord and not unto men.
Proverbs 20:13 - Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty, open thine eyes & thou shalt be satisfied with bread.
2 Timothy 2:15 - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Hebrews 13:16 - But to do good & to communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
James 1:22a - Be ye doers of the Word.
Proverbs 14:23 - In all labor there is profit, but the talk of the lips (tendeth) only to penury.
Complacency
The complacency of fools will destroy them. Proverbs 1:32
So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert & self-controlled. 1 Thessalonians 5:6)
Behold, I come like a thief, blessed is he who stays awake. Rev. 16:15
You ought to live holy and Godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. 2 Peter 3:11-12
Reasons to NOT be a hermit:
Ecc: 4:9-10 - Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the one who has no one to help him up.
Proverbs 17:17 - A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 27:17 - As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 18:24 - To have friends, we must be friendly.
Of course there are so many more verses for each and there are verses for every weakness we deal with. Arm yourself with those verses and Satan can't bring you down.
Love,
Your sister in Christ,
Crystal Roberts