"Then Jesus said to him, "Away with you Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.'" Matthew 4:10

Can you imagine warriors in the old days going to battle without any weapon? Sure, they could fight with their bare hands, but likely they'd be far more effective wielding a sharpened sword.

It's the same with us when fighting temptation.

In Matthew 4 we see Jesus being tempted after he had been in the wilderness for forty days and nights. Not only that, He had been fasting, so was probably at a weak point physically.

When Satan throws various temptations at Him, Jesus consistently responds using the Word of God. Notice that He doesn't simply use His willpower or strength (which He may not have felt He had much of!) He relies on the word of God. That, in essence, is His sword to fight back with, and He succeeds in running Satan off.

So if Jesus needed to use the word of God to fight temptation, why do we feel we can simply use our human willpower to do so?

Do you have an arsenal of verses you can use when you feel tempted? Memorizing Scripture is easier for some than for others, but you can come up with a plan that works for you. Find simple but meaningful verses and work on one at a time...one a week, one a month. Carry it around with you. Use an app like "Remember Me." Refer to it often.

Sharpen your sword. You'll  need it when the enemy attacks.

(This blog post complements our current Break Time Bible Study series in the book of Matthew. This week's reading is chapters 1-4.)