Monday, September 27, 2004
Several years ago, I had the privilege of visiting Old Jerusalem. And as I walked through the city, I saw this curious sight. I saw some Israeli soldiers who appeared to be on a holiday because they had their arm around their girls and they were laughing and shopping. The curious part was that they each had a gun strapped over their shoulder, an UZI, with a full clip of ammunition. Those Israeli soldiers know they always need to be prepared for war, even when they're taking a day off. So, they always carry their weapon.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Never Without Your Weapon."
Our word today from the Word of God comes from the 119th Psalm, which is the longest chapter in the Bible, and it's appropriately devoted to the power of the Word of God. Verse 9: "How can a young man keep his way pure?" You may or may not be young, but I'm sure you've asked that question. "How can I win over this temptation?" Here's the answer. "By living according to your word, Lord." Then he says, "I seek you with all my heart. Do not let me stray from your commands." Lord, I really want to do the right thing, but sometimes, you know, I get off on a detour.
Here's the strategy for winning that battle. "I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." Here David is talking about memorizing the words of God from the Bible and actually making them part of your personality. That's the weapon you use to fight sin and temptation. You say, "Well, I read the Bible." No, no! This is talking about knowing the Bible by heart, memorizing it. I've memorized Ephesians 6:10-18, that great spiritual warfare passage, and many mornings as I've been getting ready, or haven't been feeling all that great, or I've been facing some gloomy prospects, or a heavy load, I've quoted that passage. And many times, it has turned the spiritual tide.
D. L. Moody said, "When you think sin, think scripture." You can't do that if you don't have scripture buried in your personality by memorization. You can't always reach for your Bible, but you can reach in and pull up whatever you've made part of you. This is like portable spiritual power, wrapped up in scripture committed to memory. If you haven't been consciously, consistently committing verses to memory, you're spiritually a lot weaker than you need to be.
Learn some of the promises of God to stand on in those moments when worry is winning. Memorize Psalm 55:22, for example. "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He will sustain you. He will never let the righteous fall." I've sent that verse to the door many times when worry's been knocking. Learn His promises to fight with when temptation is winning, like 1 Corinthians 10:13. "There is no temptation taking you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful; he will not allow you more than you are able, but will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it." Try James 4:7, "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." Memorize that passage in Ephesians 6.
Learn the warnings of scripture to fight sin when it looks inviting. For example, James 1:15 says, "Desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is full grown, gives birth to death." All of a sudden sin is revealed as the killer it really is. Write verses you want to memorize on a card. Learn them by a subject - a title. Keep the card in places where you always go and review, review, review. And then try it on as many people as you can.
Those Israeli soldiers are respected all over the world for their military ability. That day in Jerusalem, I saw one reason why. They know something every follower of Christ has to remember. We have to always be prepared for war, and it doesn't stop because you're relaxing. Always carry your weapon - the artillery of God's words loaded in your heart.