2 Tim 2:24-26 - “24And the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome (fighting and contending). Instead, he must be kindly to everyone and mild-tempered [preserving the bond of peace]; he must be a skilled and suitable teacher, patient and forbearing and willing to suffer wrong.

25He must correct his opponents with courtesy and gentleness, in the hope that God may grant that they will repent and come to know the Truth [that they will perceive and recognize and become accurately acquainted with and acknowledge it],

26And that they may come to their senses [and] escape out of the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him, [henceforth] to do His [God's] will.”

Have you ever struggled with the Word (trying to figure it out)? We argue over it sometimes (even though we're not supposed to as it is written above), and yet we're really supposed to use it in battle, like Jesus did, against the evil one!

Jesus said "34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword." Matthew 10:34

Sometimes we may need to wield the Word (or sword of the spirit) because the devil uses God’s Word as a weapon, too! Hmmm

The devil uses God’s Word to trick us, so we won’t believe parts of the bible that do apply to us. For instance, let’s think about the promises God has made to all of us who choose to believe in Jesus and that He has died and risen, and is our Lord and Savior.

God’s Word says that His promises are our armor AND protection.

Psalm 91:4 “4 He will cover you with his feathers.

He will shelter you with his wings.

His faithful promises are your armor and protection.”

We have those promises in Deuteronomy 28 and they are for us!

“Deuteronomy 28 - Blessings for Obedience

“If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations of the world. 2 You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:

3 Your towns and your fields will be blessed.

4 Your children and your crops will be blessed.

The offspring of your herds and flocks will be blessed.

5 Your fruit baskets and breadboards will be blessed.

6 Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed.

7 “The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you. They will attack you from one direction, but they will scatter from you in seven!

8 “The Lord will guarantee a blessing on everything you do and will fill your storehouses with grain. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

9 “If you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in his ways, the Lord will establish you as his holy people as he swore he would do. 10 Then all the nations of the world will see that you are a people claimed by the Lord, and they will stand in awe of you.

11 “The Lord will give you prosperity in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, blessing you with many children, numerous livestock, and abundant crops. 12 The Lord will send rain at the proper time from his rich treasury in the heavens and will bless all the work you do. You will lend to many nations, but you will never need to borrow from them. 13 If you listen to these commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today, and if you carefully obey them, the Lord will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always be on top and never at the bottom. 14 You must not turn away from any of the commands I am giving you today, nor follow after other gods and worship them.” Deuteronomy 28:1-14

We can claim God’s promises only if we are obeying Him.

Deuteronomy 29:9 - 9“Therefore, obey the terms of this covenant so that you will prosper in everything you do.”

Let’s talk about Jesus, Who is our example, and the One we should be seeking to be more like.

Didn’t He use the Word to counter-attack the darts of doubt and deceit that the devil used against Him?

In fact, in my bible, which is the Amplified version, it tells me that Jesus used Scripture from Deuteronomy each time He spoke the Word to the devil when He was being tempted during His forty day fast. What a great example. We should consider His example and use it ourselves.

When you have time, read these examples.

Matthew 4:4 – “4But He replied, It has been written, Man shall not live and be upheld and sustained by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.” (Reference Deuteronomy 8:3)

Matthew 4:7 – “7Jesus said to him, On the other hand, it is written also, You shall not tempt, test thoroughly, or try exceedingly the Lord your God.” (Reference Deuteronomy 6:16)

Matthew 4:10 – “10Then Jesus said to him, Be gone, Satan! For it has been written, You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him alone shall you serve.” (Reference Deuteronomy 6:13)