03/05/2020
Satan is a wily sort, and on occasion he is known to use scripture, God’s own Word, against us by taking it out of context, or misrepresenting its interpretation. When Jesus came out of the wilderness we saw Satan tempt Him in just this way, and in similar fashion we see this happening today. Scripture is powerful, and the adversaries of faith attempt to string convenient verses together to undermined the truth in God’s Word. Knowing the Word is our defense against such attack.
“and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, "'He will command his angels concerning you,' and "'On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.'"”
Matthew 4:6 ESV
In this account we read where Satan is trying to use a particular verse pulled from Psalm 91 to bait Jesus into testing God by making Him prove to Satan who His Son is. The verse the tempter is quoting here is pulled from a beautiful Psalm in which God is extolled for protecting us against all harm and evil, to include Satan himself, so it is almost laughable that it would be used by the very one that this scripture is speaking of protecting us from to tempt the Son of God. As we read the verses before and after the one selected to tempt Jesus we see the larger picture, and we realize that the stone being referred to here is temptation itself, and the broader passage speaks to the defeat of Satan.
“There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.”
Psalms 91:10-13 KJV
Ask yourself, “who is the lion, and adder that is referred to in this passage?”; as a hint, the adder is spoken of earlier in the Bible in the a Garden of Eden when God is pronouncing the consequences of her sin to Eve, and we can read in Nahum 2 who young lions really are. What I am saying to you, by pointing to other scripture for answers, is that sometimes a single verse builds on the understanding and knowledge you have gained elsewhere.
So Jesus does something we too should do when challenged by the very words of our faith... He answers in like kind! Jesus uses his understanding of scripture to rebuff Satan...
“Jesus said to him, "Again it is written, 'You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.'"”
Matthew 4:7 ESV
When Jesus says “it is written” he is referring to this particular piece of Old Testament scripture...
“"You shall not put the Lord your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you.”
Deuteronomy 6:16-17 ESV
A while ago, I was watching the evening news and they broadcast a video taken by the body camera that a police officer was wearing while he was fighting for his life against a criminal. The man had grabbed the officers own gun and meant to shoot him with it, and the two were wrestling for control of that weapon. If the officer lost this fight he would most certainly been shot, and likely killed. This was a life or death struggle, and not too dissimilar to the struggle we are in over control of scripture.
“and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”
Ephesians 6:17 ESV
In our opening scripture Satan was struggling with Jesus for possession of the sword of the spirit, and Satan’s intention was to mortally wound Him with it. When people use scripture against us it is the same struggle, and it is more than a war of words, it is a spiritual struggle between good and evil, and can cost us our spiritual lives. It is a war as old as time... are we prepared to do battle?
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12 ESV
Prayer:
Father, thank you for your full spiritual armor that protects us each day. Thank you for your Word which is our defense, our sword, and keeps the darkness at bay. Help us Lord as we do spiritual battle, and during those times when we must struggle for control of our sword. Strengthen us for the battle Father, and heal every wound we receive as we combat temptation and sin. Let your Holy Spirit, deliver us, and give us victory. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God whose Word is truth, and whose might cannot be overcome. Praised be your name Father for sending your Son Jesus who lives within us. We implore you Merciful Father to hear His Prayers of intercession on our behalf, and give us victory. All glory is yours Lord, and as we wield your Word against your enemies, and ours. May the songs of your glorious exploits on the battlefield of my life bring you great joy, and pleasure. So with wounds now bound and healed, battles won, and your sword at my side, I pledge myself to you forevermore, and pray you use me once more.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ESV
Rich Forbes