I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. –Psalm 119:11
James 1:14-15 reminds us that “each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and sin when it is full grown, gives birth to death.” If it is our evil desires that begin the cycle of temptation, what causes evil desires? I say that our evil desires often come from our thoughts, which come from different things we hear and see.
When I was in college, I often felt like I was two different people. Whenever I spent time with my “non-Christian” friends, I became very much like them. I cursed, lied, fooled around, etc because it just seemed like the thing to do. However, whenever I got around “solid Christians,” I desired to be more like them, I felt more conviction, and the other lifestyle became more and more repulsive to me. As time went by, I knew that I had to make a choice on what lifestyle I wanted to lead. I chose the latter. I began to attend Bible Study with some friends, and my life truly began to change. I certainly had moments when I fell back into old habits because I did not want to lose my old “friends,” but the more I walked with the Lord, studied scripture, and surrounded myself with believers; it became easier to fight the temptation of reverting back. The Holy Spirit constantly called out to me and spoke to my conscience, warning me against potentially sinful situations.
The author of Psalm 119 learned how to fight the temptation of sin. In verse 9, he wrote, “How can a man keep his way pure? By living according to Your word.” To live according to the word of God, He had to know the word of God, and to know the word of God, he had to learn the word of God. Not only did the Psalmist learn the word of God, he memorized it and meditated on it constantly, and this perhaps became the standard by which he measured his thoughts and decisions against.
I believe that Jesus also hid the word of God in His heart. When He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness as outlined in Matthew and Luke 4, He fought back with the word of God that was stored up in His memory and His heart. In Luke 2:46, we read that at twelve years old, Jesus “was in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.”
Where is the word of God in your life? Is it sitting neatly on your mantle or have you begun to store it in your hearts so that you might not sin against the Lord? Paul encourages us in Ephesians 6:17 to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. The enemy has got his sword, which built with lies and temptation, and is ready to battle you for your attention and your life. Are you prepared to fight back? I dare you to take up the sword of the Spirit today! Hide His word in your heart! It is the only weapon that you can use to defeat the enemy!
Grace and peace be with you.
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HIDDEN IN MY HEART