Stay in the Word

Stay in the Word.

Why?

Because it is one of our best defenses in a spiritual battle.

Ever felt confused? Ever felt weak? Ever felt too defeated to want to try again? Ever wondered what God was doing? Ever doubted? Ever struggled?

Yeah, me too.

And several recent struggles have led me to this conclusion; I must stay in the Word. Whenever I am out of it for any length of time, I forget the truths which I know to be true. I get overwhelmed with my own failures. I cannot see beyond my own defeats and I forget to recognize that Christ had the perfect faith. I doubt His goodness and I try to figure out what He is doing instead of learning about Who He is.

John 17:17 says - "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."

I've realized that getting into His Word doesn't always mean that the struggle will immediately go away. Yet, I DO know that if I ever want answers to my questions, if I want victory, if I want to live the christian life to the fullest measure with which God intended for me to live it, then I must stay in the Word.

When I don't know what else to do, when my self-will and determination have waned, when my heart doubts, His Word is my defense for the battle. "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

Charles Spurgeon, one of my favorite authors, said this, "Defeat awaits that man who forsakes the Word of the Lord" and "We are to take this sword that we may be able to stand and to withstand. If you want to stand, draw the sword and smite your doubts. How fiercely unbelief assails. Never let satan get you away from the solid ground of the Word of God. If he once gets you to think that the fact of Christ being the Savior of sinners can only be proved by what you see within yourself, he will plunge you into despair.

'It is written.' Stand upon it, and if the devil were fifty devils in one, he could not overcome you. On the other hand, if you leave 'It is written,' Satan knows more about reasoning than you do. He is far older, has studied mankind very thoroughly, and knows all our weak points. Therefore, the contest will be an unequal one. Do not argue with him but wave in his face the banner of God’s Word. Satan cannot endure the infallible truth, for it is death to the falsehood of which he is the father."

So my friends, along with Charles Spurgeon, can I encourage you? Stay in the Word!