The devil is alive and active. Peter tells us that he is, “as a roaring lion, walking about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). Do not underestimate Satan. He is crafty and shrewd, and he is the most skillful liar in the world (John 8:44). He also has years of experience, so he knows what works best when it comes to tempting the people of God. If we try to stand against the devil alone, de-feat is inevitable. Fortunately, we do not have to because we have one who is much greater than Satan on our side.
1 John 4:4 (ESV)
4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
With God in us, we can overcome Satan and sin. How does God dwell in us? He does so the same way the Son and the Holy Spirit dwell in us, that is, through the medium of the Word. This highlights how important the Word of God is in our defense against the devil. Read what Paul said about putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17). If you observe each part of the armor, you will notice that they are all directly, or at least indirectly, related to God’s Word. Without the Word of God, we are defenseless against the devil; however, with it, we are undefeatable. The key is allowing God’s Word to dwell in us. David understood the value of this.
Psalm 119:11 (ESV)
11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
John teaches us that as long as the Word is in us, we will not live in sin.
1 John 3:9 (ESV)
9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
The seed is the Word of God (1 Peter 1:23). John does not say that we will never sin if the seed is in us, but that we will not practice sinning. If you are sinning regularly, that shows that, at some point, you spewed out the Word of God and disposed of it, leaving you vulnerable to the attacks of the devil. He has taken advantage of that and now you have become his servant again (Romans 6:12-13). No wonder we are encouraged to allow the Word to dwell in us.
Colossians 3:16 (ESV)
16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
This does not happen by accident. The only way to keep the Word within us is to study the Bible regularly. Yes, that takes time, and we might have to rearrange our busy schedules to do it, but it is worth it. The Word of God can defend us against all the schemes of the devil and help us to defeat the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:10-12), but we must study the Bible.
The Word of God can defend us against false teachers and their doctrines, against the harmful philosophies of this world, and against the temptation of immoral living. That is the value of the Word of God. Do your part by studying the Bible on a regular basis and reading it every day.
As you wind down for the night, think on these things.