Have you been in the fight too long? Has the battle been overwhelming? Are you tired and hopeless? Jesus’ biggest weapon will give you victory too!

The sun-scorched His already burned face, His mouth so dry He couldn’t swallow, yet it was in this moment He faced one of the two greatest battles in His short life.

As Satan strategically crafted each wilderness temptation, our Savior’s flesh screamed for refreshment. Forty days without water or food leaves one with barely energy enough for breathe.

Yet Jesus overcame. Somehow, He was victorious. We can say it was His divinity responsible for victory, but His flesh struggled like any other mortal’s against hunger and thirst pangs as cavernous as the Judaean desert in which He wandered.

Luke 4:1 – “And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit… was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” Luke 4:13, “And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.”

Luke stated something profound at the close of this legendary confrontation, “…until an opportune time.”

Jesus was tempted with “every temptation” at one of His weakest human moments and prevailed using the Word of God as His weapon and armor,

but it wasn’t over.

If Jesus, King of the Universe, of whom demons begged for mercy, didn’t have a “one and done” experience with the enemy, what makes us think we will?

As I worked through some very difficult issues these past two years, I recently sat in my counselor’s office and bemoaned, “I can’t believe it happened again. Before I knew it, I was back in the same pit.”

She wisely reminded me, one victory does not mean it’s over. Our enemy will never rest from tempting us with the same distractions, lies and deceptions.

She then related this metaphor, “If we went to our enemy’s home, we would be hyper-vigilant to prepare and protect ourselves.”

In verse 6, Satan says to Jesus, “To You, I will give all this authority… for it has been delivered to me….” There we have it; we live on our enemy’s turf.

BUT, we have a Savior who has already won the war!  He fully defeated Satan on the Cross.

He rose from the dead, declaring and displaying His full and complete victory.

Jesus’ heart for us is to always guide and protect, granting us wisdom and discernment when we ask. But Scripture is clear, we still have to fight.

“Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you…” I Tim.6:12a.

How do we fight? With His Word tucked away in our hearts, just as our Savior did.

Did you know scientific research is showing we are facing distractions like never before in human history?

In our fast-paced culture, we have been conditioned to think a few minutes with God a couple of days a week is all we need to fill our spiritual tanks. And then we are baffled when we continue to struggle with the same sin over and over.

This life is comprised of small battles, won by standing on the power of His Word.

We can either fight armed and ready, as Jesus did, or we can succumb to the world’s temptations.

But this will always leave us in distraction, disappointment, disillusion and defeat.

So, what’s keeping you from His Word?

Can we be intentional to carve out a few minutes this week and savor a few of His Words* to equip and arm us?

He is the One who will speak truth and refreshment to our soul, filling us with His Spirit, reminding us of who we are in Him, how beloved we are, and the wonderful purpose for which He created us.

These truths will arm you for the struggle and give you victory, every time!

Dear friend, it’s not how you fight, but how you prepare for the fight that most often determines the victor.

You have permission to take a few moments to prepare today, and every day.

“I hide your word in my heart, that I might not sin about you.” Psl. 119:11

*One resource I love using to stay in God’s Word is The Bible App – YouVersion. It has several Bible translations such as NLT- my current favorite, and thousands of excellent Daily Devotions from well-known authors and pastors. You will find daily encouragement from the Word to fight the good fight!