— It is written—-It is written—- it is written-–  Matthew 4:4,7,10

As you face a new day one thing is for certain– you will face some temptation. Being exposed to such great danger you better be prepared. Thankful our text tells us how. Consider these comments from the daily devotional “A Good Thing”:

It is striking that Jesus, who later asserts that He could call down twelve legions of angels to assist him at any time, chooses to face the temptations of the devil in the wilderness with nothing but the Word of God — which is the same, and only, weapon that we have against Satan’s temptations, as well.

It is as if Jesus is showing us just how powerful, just how effective, God’s Word is in the midst of spiritual battle, so that we will trust it’s strength for our own struggles. Jesus three times faces Satan’s three temptations by quoting the Bible. What other tool could we hope for than the very one Jesus himself wielded in times of personal temptation?

But these verses do not just magically appear to our minds in the moment that we need them. We must be reading, memorizing, listening to, absorbing God’s Word in every way we possible can. We must be people of the Book, Bible-steeped soldiers in the kingdom of Christ.

Jesus knew the right answer, from God’s Word, at the right time for the right temptation; we must strive to know and do the same. It is only then that we will be able to, with authority and conviction, repel the approaches of Satan effectively.

Many people forget this, and are forever worrying about difficulties which they foresee in the future. They expect that God is going to make the way plain and open before them, miles and miles ahead; whereas He has promised to do it only step by step as they may need. You must get to the waters and into their floods before you can claim the promise. Many people dread death, and lament that they have not “dying grace.” Of course, they will not have dying grace when they are in good health, in the midst of life’s duties, with death far in advance. Why should they have it then? Grace for duty is what they need then, living grace; then dying grace when they come to die.

They prevented me in the day of my calamity; but the LORD was my stay.—Psalm 18:18

Aged believer, you and I can look back—and wonder how it is that we are where we are, and what we are: how we have held on, and held out until now. Here is the whole secret of the case—“But the Lord was my support!”

In the seasons of my greatest difficulty,
in all my times of sorrow and danger,
when I was filled with fears and doubts,
when in deep trouble and afflictions,
when all creature help failed me,
when my heart worried and vexed me,
when my enemies were just ready to overwhelm me,
when my feet were almost gone,
when my steps had well near slipped,
in my darkest nights,
in my dreariest days,
—then the Lord was my support!

My journey has been long,
my road has been peculiarly difficult,
my heart has been weak,
my enemies have been strong,
and long ago I must have perished in my afflictions—or been a prey to my foes—but the Lord was my support!

I would have fainted under my heavy burdens,
I would have yielded to my enchanting temptations,
I would have fled before my powerful foes
—but the Lord was my support!      —James Smith, 1859

Many consider a lack of faith as nothing more than a minor flaw rather than a major fault. That is a big mistake. Without faith it is impossible to please God. It is also impossible for us to receive and do the things that God desires for and from us if our fail in faith. These words by Matt Chandler, in “The Explicit Gospel” serve to remind us of how important faith is:

Every good gift the Father gives—every richness from Christ, every blessing from the Spirit—flows from the gospel and is received through faith.

• We receive righteousness through faith (Rom. 3:22).
• We are justified through faith (Rom. 3:30; Gal. 2:16).
• We stand fast through faith (Rom. 11:20).
• We are sons of God through faith (Gal. 3:26).
• We are indwelled by Christ through faith (Eph. 3:17).
• We are raised with Christ through faith (Col. 2:12).
• We inherit the promises through faith (Heb. 6:12).
• We conquer kingdoms, enforce justice, and stop the mouths of lions through faith (Heb. 11:33).Heb. 11:33" href="http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Heb.+11%3A33" target="_blank">
  
• We are guarded through faith (1 Pet. 1:5).

We live through faith, and we die through faith. Everything else is garbage.

When you are confronted with what seems to be an overwhelming problem, how do you react? Do you cower in fear and look for a different way to reach your goal, or do you charge ahead, confident in what God has called you to do? It is impossible for us to win the victory apart from courage.

Famed World War II tank commander General George Patton said, “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.” If you give in to your fears, you are on the path to defeat. If instead you stand strong in spite of your fears, you are on the path to victory. And we must never forget that we are not in the battle alone. With the power of God on our side, we cannot be defeated.

When David went out to fight Goliath, the Bible says he “hasted, and ran…to meet the Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:48). Even though Goliath was huge and heavily armed and David had only a sling, David’s faith gave him the courage to face and defeat his foe—and faith will do the same for you.— Daily in the Word