The war of words.

Language is the soul of culture and every language in the world is made up of words. The universe was created with words. Physical and spiritual communication occurs by words. They carry power, and are used to perform miracles. Words condemn or acquit men via court judgements. They bring people into power by conferment and swearing-in ceremonies. In Africa, words spoken with a negative spiritual backing can cause insanity. You can cause a lot of destruction with your words. Christian language dictates Christian culture. Words like ‘i am finished’, ‘i am poor’,’ nothing works for me’; should not be used by Christians and everyone who wants to succeed. Try cursing yourself and say the opposite of your prayers for two weeks, the results will surely be profound and unpleasant. Death and life lie in the power of the tongue. Nature has a way of creating around us the picture that we paint with our tongues. Careless words destroys destiny irrespective of your spiritual orientation, this is how powerful ‘mere’ words are. Positive confession is not a denial of reality; it is an affirmation of it. Optimism is the rhythm for the miraculous. Words unspoken (thought of) in the heart can be as effective as spoken words, therefore you should guard your heart and not only your tongue, for as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. The weight of a word depends on the person who speaks it. God’s first line of action in the process to transform situations and bring deliverance is His word; which reflects His power and personality. God’s word is equal to God and in His kingdom; knowledge of the word is power.

Believers need to study the Word. Study it more than you study for exams. Apply God’s word to circumstances of life. Know it, let it be in your heart, meditate upon it, because you often won’t have time to look for a hard copy at critical moments of urgent application. Josh. 1:8 says don’t let it depart, ensure it is in your heart day and night. Know and understand the word, read the bible in context. Do not isolate verses and promises. Seek to know what happened before and after your selected verse. Many believers claim Phil. 4:19, urging God to supply their needs. They forget the preceding verses that indicate that the prayer was said for a church that that was generous towards the work of God and servants of God. Like this piece, most of God’s promises have conditions attached to them. The blessings promised in Deut. 28 are extensive, however service to God and obedience are the basis for claiming them. The bible was written by 40 people who lived at different times. It is therefore like several pieces of a puzzle that fit together. Why then should we concentrate on a few pieces and discard the rest? This will leave us with an incomplete picture that won’t make a lot of sense.

The bible is the template for Christian life. All you need to receive God’s promises and blessings; good health, peace of mind, victory over sin and fulfillment are in God’s word; Acts 20:32, Deut. 8:18, John 14,  Is. 53:5, Ps 107:20, 3^rd John: 2. This means that if you have any challenge, you should seek for the solution in God’s word! Search for it, find it, and pray the Word. When Satan says you will die, respond that Ps. 118: 17 says you shall not die but live. Whenever I feel the symptoms of sickness, I confess the words of God and I am healed. For those with delay in childbirth, the Word says in Ex. 23:26 : ‘there shall be no miscarriage and barreness in the land.’ He has given us all that pertains to life and godliness. He promised to raise a standard against every onslaught of the enemy in Is. 59:19. He promised to rebuke the devourer and cause us to experience increase and abundance when we pay tithes and first fruits to Him. He even promised us wisdom above our teachers. Ps 119:99. When Elijah commanded that it will not rain for three and a half years, it appeared to be an outstanding demonstration of power and indeed it was; however what he did was to simply enforce the word in Deut. 11:16-17 that says drought is a consequence of idolatry and disobedience to God, for Israel followed baal in the days of Elijah.

God’s word is a weapon of warfare, Heb. 4:12.The devil often speaks to men suggesting evil circumstances and occurrences. If you do not speak the right words to counter satan’s negative speech, his words will manifest and create negative circumstances around you. Never allow the devil have the last word! Jesus ensured during his temptation that satan did not have the last word. Three times satan tempted Jesus, each time Jesus spoke a corresponding counter word quoting the bible. We must do likewise.  In the discourse between David and Goliath in 1 Sam. 17, Goliath cursed David in the name of his gods and promised to give his flesh to the animals. David wasn’t quiet after this threat, he responded accordingly, recounting testimonies of God’s help and deliverance in the past. He used his words to divide Goliath’s body (and the philistine army) while he was alive. He claimed the head to himself, gave his flesh to the birds and wild animals. He spoke many more words than Goliath did. The situated played out afterwards exactly as he predicted because he had the last word.

This tells us that life is typically a war of words before actions are taken. Goliath was a skilled and experienced warlord; he however cursed David and destroyed him with words before attempting a physical onslaught against him.  David would have died that day if he was quiet after Goliath’s verbal assault. Words are powerful, so is silence. The bible tells us of a king whose words were not only powerful, his silence also was. If you stepped into his presence without an invitation, and he said nothing, you were summarily executed! Similarly, mankind lost her place and began to experience hardship after Eve yielded to satan’s temptation. Her grave error was to allow satan have the final say when she was tempted. Satan is under the authority of God’s word and he must submit to it. Any Christian that is under an attack of the devil and doesn’t apply the word of God has been defeated already. Satan doesn’t respond to pleas or tears, he does to the Word alone. Jesus did not promise a trial-free life for His children, He however promised deliverance via His word. Every kind of deliverance begins with God’s word. He gives a powerful assurance of the fulfilment of His words towards us in Josh. 21:45. No wonder Mary said ‘be it unto me, according to your word’ when the angel visited to announce the coming of the Lord through her.

Beyond reading the bible, it is imperative to know God’s will and word by revelation. Apart from the bible, you need to get personal words from God. Know what God is saying concerning your future, destiny, location, friends, family, current or prospective marriage, e.t.c. Get a word from God at the beginning of each year. Get God’s word concerning the lives and destinies of your young children so that you can guide them accordingly like Samson's parents. The word will help you to hold on in stormy weather, it reassures us that we will sail through; Acts 27:13-26, Is. 43:2.

Jesus said ‘my sheep know my voice’, do you know His voice? Spend the next few minutes creating your desired future with your words.