Jesus was both Word and Spirit

The primary reason why we, as a ministry and as a people, emphasize the true Word and the true Spirit is simple: Jesus himself was both Word & Spirit.

What do I mean by this? Simply that while Jesus walked, and talked, and ministered to people here on Earth, He gave us an example to follow, and the example he set reflects a Word & Spirit perspective of the Holy Scriptures and the Holy Ghost.

Perhaps the most vivid illustration of this occurs in Luke chapter four. What we find here in this passage is an inspired account in the life of our Lord of how he engaged the enemy in spiritual warfare. “And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,” (Luke 4:1).

This begins Luke’s telling of Christ’s temptations in the wilderness. Under the inspiration of the Spirit, Luke emphasizes that Jesus was not only, “full of the Holy Ghost,” but was also “led by the Spirit.” Even after this triumphant standoff with the devil and his enticements to sin, “…Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee…” (Lk 4:14).

But we also see from this passage that he stood firmly on the preserved Word of God. Each time the devil tempted Jesus, He countered each temptation with the words, ” … it is written…” or “…it is said.” Thus, being full of the Holy Ghost, He uttered forth the written Scriptures. The power of the Word combined with the power of the Spirit ignites genuine divine power!

But notice also the small yet crucial detail that Jesus says in the present tense, "... it is written..." / "... it is said..." On the other hand, if Jesus considered only the original writings (called autographs) to be inspired, He would have said rather, '... it was written...' / '... it was said...' This shows Jesus' view that the Scripture was not only inspired originally by God, but also that it had been (and continues to be to this day) divinely preserved as the "...quick, and powerful..." (Heb. 4:12) Word of God that it is.

The word, "quick" means alive or living. Following Jesus' example, we can't "...Resist the devil..." (James 4:7 b) with dead words, like what many today believe the Bible to be ('Once upon a time, long ago, and far away'). No, we need the full assurance and faith that God has preserved His Word just as pure and powerful as when it was first recorded!

This Word & Spirit combination produced real, divine power, which enabled Jesus not only to resist the devil’s temptations, but to go on the offensive and to resist the devil himself!

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Lk 4:8)

Even though Jesus, as the Word made flesh, has divine power intrinsically, he deliberately kept himself under the authority of his Father (John 5:19, 30). He did this only by being led by the Spirit, and by submitting himself to the authority of the written Word of God. This set an example for His disciples to follow, for in God’s kingdom, only those under authority can exert supernatural authority. (see Jude 1:8-9).

Do you see the potential when the Word and the Spirit unite? Jesus resisted and withstood the wiles of the devil by being full of the Holy Ghost and by fighting against the world, the flesh, and the devil by boldly proclaiming the Holy Scriptures.

Jesus wielded the sword of the Spirit with exceptional skill and precision. Even when the devil himself quoted from Psalm 91:11-12, to claim supernatural protection for the Lord’s anointed, Jesus refused to fall into his provoking trap, but instead returned to the Law in order to parry the devil’s attack, and to counter-attack and resist the devil.

In fact, the devil may have been luring Jesus to follow the devil’s quote with the very next verse in context. Psalm 91:13 says, “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” (Ps. 91:13).

The three animals listed here are all personified as the devil throughout Scripture. The lion (1 Peter 5:8); the adder (is always paralleled with “serpent” in scriptural use, Genesis 3 etc.); and the dragon (Revelation 12:9), all refer to Satan, so this verse prophesies of his defeat. However, for Jesus to have uttered and fulfilled this prophecy before God’s perfect timing would have prevented the salvation of millions down through the centuries.

By yielding to the Spirit’s cautions and by continually submitting to the authority of the written Word of God, Jesus demonstrated how to defeat the devil and how to resist temptation.

But Jesus wasn’t the only One to exhibit this divine power by the convergence of both Word and Spirit.

After Jesus ascended into Heaven, the disciples themselves experienced this same power firsthand. “And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness." (Acts 4:31)

Here again we find the unstoppable combined force of the Holy Ghost and the Holy Word of God which literally shakes the whole place!

So, whether it’s power to repel the devil and temptation, or power to witness boldly in the name of Jesus Christ, the combined forces of God’s holy Spirit and God’s holy Word provide exactly what we need.

May each of us study to be skillful in the Word and sensitive to the leading of God’s holy Spirit in order to be more effective disciples of Jesus Christ!

“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”— John 17:17