This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. The seed along the path are those who have heard and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
Luke 8:11-12
Yesterday, we made a very important point about the seed. We established that the seed is the word of God, as interpreted by Jesus himself. As a key characteristic, the seed is full of life and has the power to grow on its own. The power is embedded within the seed! And if the soil is right, there’s no limit to its power. The devil knows this, and his first strategy is to prevent the seed from ever settling at all, regardless of the soil. Jesus says, “…the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”
Never forget this truth: we are in a spiritual war, and the devil is our enemy. The devil is the enemy of the people of God and works tirelessly for their downfall. The devil is not fiction, but a real and spiritual creature that stands in opposition to the kingdom of God. He does this by ensuring that God’s word never takes root in our heart.
Have you ever sat down to read the Bible or spend time in prayer, only to be suddenly flooded with a host of things demanding your immediate attention? Have you ever experienced a closeness to God, but then, when the moment passes, doubts flood your mind about the authenticity of the experience? You should know that you have an enemy that stands against your spiritual growth.
Each time you receive a Word from the Lord, the devil will attempt to snatch it away. As a spiritual creature, the devil has the ability to inject thoughts into your minds. This ability to inject thoughts is certainly unsettling!. He will cause you to doubt what you’ve heard, or feel silly at believing that the God of the universe can speak to you. The devil is very clever and has been working for the downfall of humanity for many years.The devil hates God, and so he also hates those whom God loves. Therefore, the problem is not that we can’t hear God; the problem is that the devil has snatched away every idea God has worked to implant in us, leaving us weak, powerless and afraid.
Knowing this, what defence do we have against him? We can resist him! James 4:7 tells us to ‘resist the devil, and he will flee from you‘. Be vocal about your resistance. Don’t be quiet! When God sends you a word, continue to declare it, meditate on it and zoom in on it. Write it and paste in strategic locations in your home. By all means, engage with the word until it takes root within you. Then it can grow and bear fruit.”
Lord, help me to hear your Word. But help me also to withstand the devil’s attempts to snatch it away. May I become wise to his schemes and stand against his activity. Let your living Word take root within me and grow to bear fruit!
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