The Bible Is My Weapon

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Introduction

Today, we’re closing out our series on how God’s Word is relevant to our lives. With Scripture, we have a very powerful weapon at our disposal! Let’s find out how we can use God’s Word as a weapon to fight against our spiritual enemy.

Group Activity: Rock, Paper, Scissors

In Rock, Paper, Scissors, the weapon you choose determines how successful you are.

It’s the same in our spiritual life, too.

God’s Word reminds us that a real battle is going on.

The tools we use to fight determine if we’ll be successful.

Let’s take a look at a time in the Bible when Jesus used Scripture as His weapon. Let’s see what we can learn from Him.

We Have a Real Enemy

Luke 4:1–4 (NIV)

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.

The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”

What details jump out at you from this story?

You may remember back in Genesis when Adam and Eve faced temptation in the Garden of Eden.

They failed to overcome the temptation of the enemy.

Many years later, we find Jesus facing our spiritual enemy, the devil, in the wilderness.

In life, we will encounter temptations and challenges. However, we can look to Jesus as an example of standing firm against the devil by using God's Word as a weapon.

Turning a stone into a loaf of bread doesn’t seem like such a bad thing on its own.

Yet, in that moment, Jesus knew the temptation was about more than only food.

What are some temptations the devil uses in our lives that at first don’t seem to be a big deal?

During Jesus’ time in the wilderness, He fasted from eating food for forty days.

Fasting is pausing one thing you normally do, like eating meals, to focus on spiritual things instead.

After fasting from food for so long, Jesus was hungry!

By telling Jesus to turn the stone into bread, the devil was using a natural desire Jesus had as a source of temptation.

The Enemy Tempts Us to Disobey God

While Jesus was fasting in the wilderness, the devil was determined to distract Him from His mission.

The devil wants to do the exact same thing to you and me.

What are some areas people are susceptible to temptation in our world today? How might the devil use these natural desires to tempt us to sin?

The devil doesn’t give up easily. As we read on, we see that the devil tempted Jesus two more times in different ways.

Luke 4:5–13 (NIV)

The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.”

Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written:

“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you

to guard you carefully;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

The devil’s goal is always to steal, kill, and destroy.

Knowing the devil’s tactics is important.

But knowing and using Jesus’ tactics for overcoming temptation is the key in our own battles.

Two of Jesus’ temptations began with the devil saying, “If you are the Son of God.”

The devil tempt us by questioning our identity

That is why we have to be rooted in the identity that scripture tells us we are

John 1:12 (NIV)

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

God’s Word Helps Us Fight Temptation

After every temptation, Jesus responded by quoting Scripture.

He didn’t have to come up with some clever answer on His own.

The right words had already been provided in God’s Word.

In the third temptation, the devil showed he is familiar with Scripture, too.

However, he twisted Scripture to fit his own agenda instead of obeying it.

In response, Jesus once again used the Scriptures as a weapon against the enemy.

We see Jesus was tempted for forty days.

That is a long time to fight against anything!

Even after Jesus quoted Scriptures, the enemy kept coming back at Him.

Which is why we have to always be ready to face temptation

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Conclusion

Every single one of us faces temptation.

We might be tempted to twist natural desires into sinful ones.

We might want to chase after earthly possessions and the things of this world.

Or the devil might try to get us to worship something other than God.

No matter how we’re tempted, Jesus has shown us how to respond by using Bible verses as a weapon.

We have to hide God’s Word in our heart so we don’t sin (Psalm 119:11).

Jesus showed that God’s Word gives us the pathway to victory when we’re tempted.

Just like any tool or weapon, the Bible is only effective if you use it.

Salvation Opportunity

Thankfully, we don’t have to fight against the devil or temptation on our own.

The first step in this spiritual fight is to turn your entire life over to God. If you haven’t done that, God wants you to know He loves you so much.

No sin you have ever committed can cancel His love for you. All He asks today is for you to surrender your life to Him.

Is there anyone here that we can pray for who doesn’t have a relationship with Jesus or wants to renew their relationship with Him?

Ending

As we close today, ask God to help you use His Word in your own battle against temptation.

In those times of temptation, the Holy Spirit can help you remember the right Scriptures you’ve learned for exactly the right moment.

In what areas of your life are you most vulnerable to temptation?