If I were a tactical engineer of war, I would study my opponent closely. And the first thing I would seek to undermine would be their source of strength.
Because once strength is dismantled, weakness is easy to exploit.
Isn’t this exactly what Satan does to us?
Our adversary is not reckless. He is calculated, observant, and precise. He has watched humanity for millennia and millenia. (Let that sink in for a second. He has thousands of years under his belt.)
He knows exactly where to strike. Time and again, he aims for the same target: the source of our strength.
That is why what happens in Matthew 4 matters so much.
After forty days of fasting, at the moment of Jesus’ physical weakness, Satan attacked—not with force, but with Scripture. He quoted Psalm 91, attempting to twist God’s Word into a weapon against the Son of God.
Yes—our enemy knows Scripture.
Jesus’ response shows us everything. He did not argue emotionally. He did not reason pragmatically. He answered with Scripture rightly handled, declaring:
“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Jesus made a staggering claim: our survival is directly tied to how we feed our souls.
David echoes this truth in Psalm 119:92
“If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.”
And again in Psalm 1:1a; 2a; 3
“Blessed is the man [whose] delight is in the law of the Lord…on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season…In all that he does, he prospers.”
And lastly in Psalm 119:11
“I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
God’s Word, internalized, becomes both shield and sword.
Let’s bring this into real life.
Maybe you thought you were depressed—until you returned to Scripture and realized, Oh. I wasn’t depressed. I was starving.
Or maybe you were uncharacteristically struggling with anger, returned to Scripture, and suddenly realized, Oh. I wasn’t angry. I was hangry.
Now, a clarification is important here.
Are emotions real? Yes. Do we genuinely struggle with depression or anger at times? Absolutely.
But that is not what I am talking about.
I am talking about the quiet starvation that happens when Scripture slips to the margins of our lives.
Jesus was not exaggerating. He meant what He said. And if we do nothing else in 2026, we must take Him seriously.
Prioritize Bible reading.
Prioritize Bible memorization.
Prioritize knowing His Word so that we are adequately armed to fight our enemy.
After all, Satan has no power when he is pitted against the Holy Spirit living inside of us, speaking truth through the Word of God.
So speak it. Live it. Spit the fire.
If any of this resonates with you, I unpack these ideas and much more in my book, Drowning in the Shallow End: A Guide for Deepening Faith.
If you are feeling spiritually tired, stuck, or hungry, this book was written for you!
Give it eight weeks. Read two chapters a week. And let the Holy Spirit speak directly to you through the Scripture verses contained within.
You can pick up a copy here: https://tinyurl.com/ShallowEndBook
I want to be real with you: I intentionally priced this book very affordably because I did not want cost to be a barrier to anyone growing in their faith. Please reach out on IG if the price is still unobtainable. I don’t want anyone left out!
You’ve got this, friend. Actually, we’ve got this, friend. Because I’m right there in the fight with you to prioritize God’s Word as my daily food.
Let’s make Scripture our daily bread again, and watch what happens to our faith.
Warmly,
Liz
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