Parents know that if they want to get a child to drop something, they need to offer something better in its place.
We can apply the same principle when sinful thoughts come our way. Scottish minister Thomas Chalmers called this, “the expulsive power of a new affection.” This means that something is so powerful that it’s more attractive to us than the other thing.
In other words, we push the old stuff out of our lives and say, “I don’t want that garbage in my life anymore. I have something far better in its place, which is knowing God.”
Remember, when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness to turn stones into bread, Jesus responded, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matt. 4:4).
Then the Devil took him to a high point of the temple and essentially said, “Why don’t you jump off here, and the angels will catch you?”
But Jesus said, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God’” (v. 7).
Then the Devil wanted Jesus to fall down and worship him. So, Jesus told him, “Get out of here, Satan. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him’” (v. 10).
How did Christ defend himself against the onslaught of temptation? He used the Word of God. That’s why we need to know Scripture. The psalmist wrote, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119:11).
While it’s a good thing to carry a Bible in a purse, backpack, or briefcase, the best place to carry the Word of God is in your heart. Memorize it. Fill your mind with it. Know the Word of God.
This article originally appeared on Greg’s blog and is reposted here by permission.