Thursday, October 27, 2011
How to be strong in the Lord......
1Jo 2:14* I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.
John had written to the fathers, ( those older, and more mature in the faith ) because they had known the Lord from the beginning. They had known the Lord for a long time is apparently what he meant.
And, his writing to the young men, and says three things about them.
First of all he says they are strong. Meaning, powerful, valiant, mighty, having the strength of soul to sustain the attacks of Satan, firm, sure.....
Secondly, and I believe this is the secret if you will of their strength, he says, "and the Word of God abides in you" They had the Word of God in them, it was abiding in them. Abiding, or remain, dwell, continue, not to depart, to be present, held, and to kept, continually. to remain as one, and not to become different.
Thirdly, he says, that they have overcome the wicked one. Or, they had prevailed against the wicked one, the enemy, the devil. They had been able to hold fast against the power and temptations of the devil.
So, we can see that being strong, is really a result of the Word of God abiding in us. This is what Jesus modeled for us when He began His ministry in Matt 4.
As Satan attacked Him, Jesus responded with the Word of God. As a man, Jesus has the Word of God in Him. And, this is what we can do, and if we do, we also like these young men, will find ourselves overcoming the wicked one.
Meditation in the Word is God's way of filling us with His Word. In a non christian sense, meditation means to empty your mind of all thoughts. In the Bible meaning, it means, to fill your mind with the Word of God.
You can do this, and it's the key to victory over Satan. He cannot overcome the Word of God, but can be overcome by the Word of God.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
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