I pledge allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word, I will make it a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path and will hide its words in my heart that I might not sin against God.
This pledge, which I grew up saying in Vacation Bible School as a child, has become something I have revisited a lot in recent years as an adult. When I would say this pledge and pride myself on not having to look at the words on the screen when I was younger, I didn’t know that the pledge itself came from scripture. (Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. — Psalm 119:105; I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. — Psalm 119:11) God’s word is one of my greatest weapons, as well as the best thing I can be equipped with to face whatever comes in my path.
God chose us. He chose me. He chose to cover my sin with His righteousness. He chose to forgive me. He chose to make me His own. The enemy has had full knowledge of this my entire life, and he has sought opportunities to distract me from what God calls me to. The sad news is that there are times I allow him to deceive me, and I fail to be who God has called me to be. The most incredibly amazing news is that I never have to live defeated. I am a child of the invincible God and King of Kings. He defeated sin and death. He cast the enemy to his home in hell. I accepted Jesus as my Savior, and I am empowered by Him. I just need to stand on truth: God, His word, and who He is.
I am continually discovering the omnipotence of God, and I am so humbled that I have access to the Father. His name sets things right. His word is truth. He is God! Giving my life and every step I take over to Him allows me to walk empowered by God as long as I truly choose Him. This should make life easier to live, right? Then why do I struggle? Why do I ever have a bad day or fail to be fully obedient to God?
I think that there are times we treat our salvation as a once-and-done experience, but Jesus even had to remind the disciples (people who physically walked with him every day) to take up their cross daily and follow Him. (Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. — Matthew 16:24) I just can’t get ahead of myself. If we want to get to someone, much less have a friendship, we invest time getting to know the person. Lifelong friends and people who have been married for years can almost tell you what the other is thinking, but they don’t stop spending time with each other. There is always more to learn.
To be close to God and grow closer to Him is a choice. Isn’t it humbling that He knows us to the point that we came to be, yet He never stops paying attention and investing in us? How can I possibly know God, His ways, His truths, His promises, if I don’t choose to spend time getting to know Him? How can I stand strong, be empowered by God and face whatever the enemy tries to throw in my path if I don’t seek God?
Each day I seek my God, I am stronger in Him. I talk with Him, and He begins to allow me to see things in a new light. Every day we have innumerable choices to make. It’s as if God has our time mapped out, but at every single turn, the enemy takes a shot. This, my friends, is our battle — spiritual warfare. The enemy doesn’t have to come into a dark room with a demonic voice for me to call him out. I will tell you. I call him out the moment I see what he is trying to do. Some days I may be a little slow to see it, but I definitely remind that hateful cussword and evil one that I am not his. I am a child of God. I tell him to take all his toys and go back to hell where he belongs. That may seem a little strong, but the enemy is out to kill, steal and destroy. The enemy only wants a foothold. I just don’t want that to be a possibility. I want to give my battle to the Lord. He is my victory!