February 19th, 2024
by Dr. Josh Franklin
by Dr. Josh Franklin
Ephesians 6:17 says, “And take…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word [Rhema] of God”
This passage tells us that there is a powerful weapon that we are to take up like a sword to help us live in victory as Christians. That weapon is called the spoken “word” of God. This literally reads the “Rhema” of God, or a specific “word” from the general “word”. It could be referred to as the “spoken Word of God.” Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word [Rhema] of God.” Faith is expressed in many ways, but one primary way is through our agreeing with God vocally. We say boldly:
I am who the Word of God says I am.
I have what the Word of God says I have.
I can do what the Word of God says I can do.
Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” When we listen to the devil and the culture around us, we will not live the victorious Christian life God intended. In this passage, God is helping us see how we will overcome in this life – through the finished work of Christ on the Cross (His Blood) and the word of our testimony (His Word on our lips). About this passage Dr. Adrian Rogers has said,
A part of the word of your testimony is to see yourself and to speak of yourself as an overcomer. This is important because the me I see is the me I’ll be. We often hear God’s people speak of themselves with what they imagine to be humility. ‘I know I am not much. I know I am no good. I know I am just a sinner saved by grace.’ Well, technically you may be just a sinner saved by grace, but the Bible doesn’t call you that. The Bible calls you the righteousness of God in Christ (see 2 Cor. 5:21). We need to see ourselves as God sees us – kings and priests…redeemed, accepted, empowered… You can say to yourself, ‘I am a child of God. I am Christ’s friend. I am chosen and appointed by my Lord. I am a son or daughter of God. I am a member of Jesus’ body. I am an heir of God. I am a saint. I am God’s workmanship. I am chosen by God, holy and dearly beloved. I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; and I am what I am by the grace of God.’ [1]
Our heavenly Father loves to see that His children have the confidence to take Him at His Word. These daily declarations are designed to help you verbally agree with God’s Word.
David Jeremiah once wrote, “Nothing is more liberating than agreeing with God about how He sees you and how He feels about you. From God’s Word, first know who He is. Then know who you are in Him, what you have in Him, and what you can do through Him. Believe and receive from Him His truth about you.” [2]
Part of your time with God could be spent “rehearsing” these truths out loud. As you declare these mighty promises, let your heart respond like Mary responded to Gabriel, when she said, “be it unto me, O Lord, according to Your Word (Luke 1:38).”
Dr. Bill Bennett taught me, as well as countless other men to recite this “Victory Pledge” and “Pledge to the Bible” which are simply declarations about what God has said about us and what He has said about His Word. I have found it to be a great source of encouragement to internalize these pledges, which is why I print them here:
The Victory Pledge[3]:
I’m too Anointed to be Disappointed
I’m too Blessed to be Depressed
I’m too Chosen to be Frozen
I’m too Elected to be Rejected
I’m too Inspired to be Tired
I have more to shout about than to pout about,
And more to sing about than to complain about!
The Pledge to the Bible [4]:
This is my Bible. It is God’s inerrant word. It is my most valuable earthly possession. I will, therefore, make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and I will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God. The Bible is God talking to me personally. I will, therefore, listen to it carefully and obey it fully. And I will endeavor to internalize it in my life by doing four things:
• I will know it in my head by diligent study,
• I will stow it in my heart by memorization and meditation,
• I will show it in my life by obeying its teachings, and
• I will sow it in my world by my witness.
Hereafter, I will never be the same. Never, never, never! In the name of Jesus, for His honor and glory, both now and forever more, Amen.
[1] Rogers, Adrian, Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority (Nashville: Broadman, 2002), 198-199.
[2] Jeremiah, David, Who I Am in Christ (Turning Point, 1999), 5.
[3] Bennett, Bill, “The Victory Pledge”, www.mentoringmen.net
[4] Ibid., “The Pledge to the Bible”, ww.ringmen.net
*This blog post came from Josh's book "Pathway to Power: a 52-Week Devotional Journal." This book includes "Declarations of Faith", which adapts dozens of Bible verses to become personalized statements about who you are in Christ, what you have because of Christ, and what you can do through Christ's strength!
This passage tells us that there is a powerful weapon that we are to take up like a sword to help us live in victory as Christians. That weapon is called the spoken “word” of God. This literally reads the “Rhema” of God, or a specific “word” from the general “word”. It could be referred to as the “spoken Word of God.” Romans 10:17 says that “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word [Rhema] of God.” Faith is expressed in many ways, but one primary way is through our agreeing with God vocally. We say boldly:
I am who the Word of God says I am.
I have what the Word of God says I have.
I can do what the Word of God says I can do.
Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” When we listen to the devil and the culture around us, we will not live the victorious Christian life God intended. In this passage, God is helping us see how we will overcome in this life – through the finished work of Christ on the Cross (His Blood) and the word of our testimony (His Word on our lips). About this passage Dr. Adrian Rogers has said,
A part of the word of your testimony is to see yourself and to speak of yourself as an overcomer. This is important because the me I see is the me I’ll be. We often hear God’s people speak of themselves with what they imagine to be humility. ‘I know I am not much. I know I am no good. I know I am just a sinner saved by grace.’ Well, technically you may be just a sinner saved by grace, but the Bible doesn’t call you that. The Bible calls you the righteousness of God in Christ (see 2 Cor. 5:21). We need to see ourselves as God sees us – kings and priests…redeemed, accepted, empowered… You can say to yourself, ‘I am a child of God. I am Christ’s friend. I am chosen and appointed by my Lord. I am a son or daughter of God. I am a member of Jesus’ body. I am an heir of God. I am a saint. I am God’s workmanship. I am chosen by God, holy and dearly beloved. I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation; and I am what I am by the grace of God.’ [1]
Our heavenly Father loves to see that His children have the confidence to take Him at His Word. These daily declarations are designed to help you verbally agree with God’s Word.
David Jeremiah once wrote, “Nothing is more liberating than agreeing with God about how He sees you and how He feels about you. From God’s Word, first know who He is. Then know who you are in Him, what you have in Him, and what you can do through Him. Believe and receive from Him His truth about you.” [2]
Part of your time with God could be spent “rehearsing” these truths out loud. As you declare these mighty promises, let your heart respond like Mary responded to Gabriel, when she said, “be it unto me, O Lord, according to Your Word (Luke 1:38).”
Dr. Bill Bennett taught me, as well as countless other men to recite this “Victory Pledge” and “Pledge to the Bible” which are simply declarations about what God has said about us and what He has said about His Word. I have found it to be a great source of encouragement to internalize these pledges, which is why I print them here:
The Victory Pledge[3]:
I’m too Anointed to be Disappointed
I’m too Blessed to be Depressed
I’m too Chosen to be Frozen
I’m too Elected to be Rejected
I’m too Inspired to be Tired
I have more to shout about than to pout about,
And more to sing about than to complain about!
The Pledge to the Bible [4]:
This is my Bible. It is God’s inerrant word. It is my most valuable earthly possession. I will, therefore, make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and I will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God. The Bible is God talking to me personally. I will, therefore, listen to it carefully and obey it fully. And I will endeavor to internalize it in my life by doing four things:
• I will know it in my head by diligent study,
• I will stow it in my heart by memorization and meditation,
• I will show it in my life by obeying its teachings, and
• I will sow it in my world by my witness.
Hereafter, I will never be the same. Never, never, never! In the name of Jesus, for His honor and glory, both now and forever more, Amen.
[1] Rogers, Adrian, Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority (Nashville: Broadman, 2002), 198-199.
[2] Jeremiah, David, Who I Am in Christ (Turning Point, 1999), 5.
[3] Bennett, Bill, “The Victory Pledge”, www.mentoringmen.net
[4] Ibid., “The Pledge to the Bible”, ww.ringmen.net
*This blog post came from Josh's book "Pathway to Power: a 52-Week Devotional Journal." This book includes "Declarations of Faith", which adapts dozens of Bible verses to become personalized statements about who you are in Christ, what you have because of Christ, and what you can do through Christ's strength!
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