When the Devil Takes the Word Away

Are you facing spiritual warfare? Do you find yourself listening to the word of God but never actually believing or understanding it? Do you find challenges in applying the word of God in your life because you are forgetting what is written in the word of God?
What do you do when the devil takes the word away?

Luke 8:5 NKJV
“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.

Luke 8:11-12 NKJV
“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

From the seed that fell on the wayside; to the seed that fell on the rock; to the seed that fell on the thorns; to the seeds that fell on good ground – these scenarios that Jesus gave are both a picture of spiritual challenges / warfare and also the level of one’s relationship with God.
The word of God is spiritual food. The word of God is meant to make you spiritually healthy and it is meant to help you to grow spiritually in your relationship with God.
When Jesus was tempted by the devil to turn stone into bread, Jesus responded from the word of God by saying: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4 NKJV. So the word of God is food for your spirit or heart.

So therefore in the parable of the sower Jesus says “The seed is the word of God”. Therefore YOU are the RECIPIENT of the seed (which is the word of God).
The seed mentioned is NOT money. But the seed is THE WORD OF GOD. And it is YOU who must RECEIVE this WORD. The word of God must be PLANTED in YOUR HEART so that you GROW and bear GOOD FRUIT.

WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF YOUR HEART?
Is your heart; mind; soul; attitude and spirit in the right condition to receive God’s word so that you can bear fruit? Or have you hardened your heart so that when you hear the word of God you neither understand it nor receive it? Are you so set in your own ways and in your own way of thinking that the word of God cannot penetrate itself in various areas of your life in order to help you to grow?
Any seed that is planted must have the right soil conditions for it to germinate & grow. Other factors include the right temperature, light, oxygen & water. In the same way if your heart is not in the right condition to receive the word of God, Jesus says that the devil will come and he will take the word out of your heart before the word can have a chance to make a difference in your heart.

The thing you must know is that even the devil knows the VALUE of the WORD OF GOD in a person’s life. That is why the devil will come and try to take the word from your heart. Remember that Jesus said “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” John 10:10 NKJV.
Therefore a thief does not steal something unless he believes that what he is stealing has value.
So if the enemy sees the value of God’s word, then YOU too must see that value and ensure that the word of God is enabling you to bear fruit and to have a close relationship with God.
And Jesus says that the devil steals the word from people’s heart because the devil is afraid that they “believe and be saved”.
So ultimately the devil doesn’t want you to believe and to be saved in your life or in whatever specific situation you might be going through. The devil knows that if he can hide the truth of the meaning of God’s word for your life, then he can prevent you from being freed through the knowledge of the word.
Hosea 4:6 says “My people perish for lack of knowledge…” so you need to ensure that you have the right heart; that your heart is like good soil.

HOW DO YOU GET THE RIGHT CONDITION FOR YOUR HEART
Your heart must always be ready to receive the truth; that is the word of God.
The following verses below teach you how to condition your heart

Proverbs 3:5-8 NKJV
“TRUST in the LORD with ALL your HEART, And lean NOT on your OWN UNDERSTANDING; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR OWN EYES; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”

Psalms 1:1-3 NKJV
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he MEDITATES day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that BRINGS FORTH ITS FRUIT in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.

To make the conditions of your heart right, you must
1. Trust in the Lord; believe God even if you do not fully understand; Have faith in God.
2. Don’t lean on your own wisdom or understanding; you don’t know everything; only God knows everything
3. Revere the Lord; Don’t live as if God does not exist
4. Delight in the word of the Lord
5. Meditate on God’s word – day and night
6. Hide the word of God in your heart
7. Submit to the leading and will of the Holy Spirit in your day to day life

The results will be that
1. You will be healthy spiritually
2. You will bring / bear forth fruit because your heart is like the good soil
3. Whatever you do shall prosper

When you do the above, the devil will fail to take the word away from you.