A Nugget from New Life Network
(excerpts from Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (May 12, 2017)
Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Timothy 6:12).
The enemy has words. His words are his weapons and they can cut and destroy. They have a purpose and that purpose is to bring fear and discouragement to you. When fear grabs your heart, the enemy has accomplished his mission. With fear, there is no faith. Without faith, there is no victory.
From the time of creation until now, God has not changed. Neither has the devil. From the beginning in the Garden, Satan spoke lies and deception (Genesis 3:1-5). The problem was not that Satan was a liar. The problem was that someone believed his lies. Without the belief of Adam and Eve, the lies would have accomplished nothing. Only when their belief was added to the words of the enemy did the destruction happen.
Today you have a choice. According to Proverbs 18:21, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Your life and your death are in the power of the words you speak. The world you live in today was formed by the words you spoke yesterday. And the world you will live in tomorrow is being formed by the words you speak today.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:34 that we speak out of the abundance of our own heart. Then in verse 37 He said, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” The words that come from our hearts have power because we believe them. Likewise, when we hear the enemy speak words of doubt, fear, and destruction, we must cast those words down and not allow them to enter our hearts. The words we meditate on, the words we repeat over and over, are the words that find their way into our hearts. The words that are embedded in our hearts are the words we believe. And then, when we speak them, they have power — the power to build or the power to destroy.
There is a war of words that wages continually in the realm of the soul. Your eyes and ears are the entrance to your soul. You are the gatekeeper of what enters. The words of the world and the Word of God enter through the same gates. The soul (your mind, will, intellect, and emotions) decides what it keeps and ponders and what it casts down. The words you keep become who you are and frame your world.
You decide what movies you watch and what music you listen to. You decide what minister you hear and you choose your friends. Your life is full of choices and you are the one making them. You may not feel like you are, but you are. God has placed before us life and death and He wants us to choose life. He will not choose it for you. You must make that decision.
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
I heard a teaching recently by a former seminary professor that said Deuteronomy 30:19 only applied to the Jewish people and did not apply to the Church. I was astonished! My heart hurt for all the people that are hearing, and that have heard, this teaching. We still have the choice everyday to choose life or choose death. So as you live your life each day, remember this. The enemy is a liar and his mission statement is to destroy you, your life, and your witness as a Christian. He does this through his lying words. Also remember, his words only have power when you add your belief to them.
When the enemy says all is lost, don’t believe his words. Instead, believe the Word of God. Stand strong. When Jesus said that all things were possible, He added this: “Jesus said… ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.‘” Reject the lie. Meditate on the truth. Speak the truth from your heart, and stand. You will see victory.
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (Ephesians 6:13).
