Some believers are quick to think that the devil is fighting them in every sphere of their lives – in their health, marriages, finances, and so on. Yet they are oblivious of one vital area of their lives that he attacks – the word of God in their hearts. In the parable of the sower Jesus said that the seeds that fell by the roadside are those who heard the Word and immediately Satan came to take away the Word from their hearts because they did not understand it (Matthew 13:19).
Once the enemy succeeds in stealing the Word from your heart, he does not need to fight you because he knows you cannot go far without the Word. You cannot practise the Word that has been stolen from your heart; and if you cannot practise the Word, you cannot see the desired change in your life. Consequently you will become frustrated, thinking that the Word is not working for you. So we must begin to renew our commitment to the Word of God.
Jesus said in Matthew 11:12, “And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize — a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion]”.
The Kingdom of God is the realm of God’s absolute dominion. A share of the Kingdom therefore is the ability to function from God’s realm on the earth right Now. For example, Jesus’ earthly walk was nothing less than absolute mastery over the circumstances of life, because He functioned from the Kingdom (God’s spirit realm of dominion) all the time. To take a share of the Kingdom means you are in control of the circumstances of this life, not subject to them. It means that you are not subject to sin and its effects – sickness, poverty, shame and all that Satan represents. But you cannot take your share of this kingdom by being a passive Christian; you will need to apply intense exertion.
“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates” (Deuteronomy 6:5-9).
The above scripture indicates what it means to be intense with the Word – keeping the Word before our eyes and in our ears. It is studying, confessing and meditating the Word. It is not sufficient to keep the Bible on your phone or your iPad; keep reading and listening to it constantly; when you are on the road, at home with the family, in the kitchen – the Word must be with you at all times! Paul said in Hebrews 5: 14, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” The Word you use is the Word you own.
Napoleon Bonaparte said “the Bible is no mere book but a living creature with power that conquered all that opposes it”. The word of God can make such a significant impact on you and the generation after you, if you engage the Word with intense exertion – if you ensure the Word is always on your mind and becomes how you think. Anybody that has this kind of relationship with the word of God will not be ordinary. The devil knows this, and that is why, in the parable of the Sower, he immediately took the Word out of the hearts of those who did not understand the Word they have heard.
How do I do this?
“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). The Grace of God is not a substitute for labouring. Grace is the energy of God; the divine enablement that takes hold of your spirit to help you do the things you could otherwise not do. While there is no short cut to intense exertion in the pursuit of God, Grace is available to help you make the Word a priority in your life.
Apostle Paul admonished Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:15, “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all”. If you desire to see a change in your life and in your circumstances, resolve to change your level of commitment to God’s word. Be more intense, and as you do, you will become significant in life.