Joyce Meyer - The Word, the Name, the Blood

Unless otherwise indicated, all Old Testament Scripture quotations are taken from The Amplified Old Testament. Copyright 1965, 1987 by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Used by permission.

Unless otherwise indicated, all New Testament Scripture quotations are taken from The Amplified New Testament. Copyright 1958, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habre, California. Used by permission.

Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

Warner Books Edition

Copyright 1995 by Joyce Meyer

Warner Faith

Hachette Book Group

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New York, NY 10017

Visit our Web site at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

The Warner Faith name and logo are registered trademarks of Hachette Book Group

First eBook Edition: November 2003

ISBN: 978-0-446-54920-2

One day several years ago, God suddenly impressed upon my heart the need for His people to be well informed concerning the power in His Word, His name and His blood. He quickened within me the idea to produce three music tapes: one containing songs about the Word, one that featured name songs and another highlighting the blood.

He began to show me how important it is for His people to hide in their hearts songs and Scriptures about the Word, the name and the blood so they will be well equipped for end-time warfare.

Although our ministry is primarily a teaching ministry and not a music ministry, I knew that God had spoken to me, so we proceeded to carry out our assigned task. In consultation and cooperation with our worship leader and other talented singers and musicians, we produced the first tape titled, Oh, the Blood. Every song was about the blood of Jesus. A while later, we produced the second tape titled His Glorious Name, containing songs about the name of Jesus. Then, finally, came The Living Word, featuring songs about the Word of God.

During the production of these music tapes, which are now available to the Body of Christ through our ministry, the Lord also began prompting me to write a companion book on the Word, the name and the blood. I offer this book in humility, knowing that these are precious topics. I pray that I may receive grace from Almighty God to do justice to each one as I approach them with reverential fear and awe.

You will find these pages filled with Scripture referenceshide them in your heart and they will be available to you when you need them.

Surely we are living in the last days, and the Bible teaches us that Satans attacks will intensify during these perilous times. How do we defend ourselves? What are our weapons of offense and defense? How can we as Christians protect ourselves and our loved ones during these end-time attacks?

Satan launches very personal attacks. He attacks our marriage, our children, our job and our personal property. Our mind is also a favorite target, as well as our emotions and our physical body. Actually, the list is endless.

The enemy is a master of deception. He lies, cheats and steals. (John 10:10, John 8:44.) He plans a strategy and is willing to invest long periods of time in working his plan.

Has God left us defenseless? Do we need to spend all of our time fighting the devil, or can we really enjoy life in todays world?

I believe God has a glorious plan for His people. He has established in His Word that His children are to be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath. (Deut. 28:13.) God intends to work through us to defeat the enemy. He will do it, though us! Ephesians 3:10 gives insight into this truth: [The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere.

God is wise; He is wisdom, and wisdom has a plan that will restore all things to His original plan and purpose. He is going to execute that plan through the Church. He will defeat the devil through His many-sided wisdom, which He will make known to principalities and powers through the Church.

Christ is the Head of the Church, and we are the Body. We, like the physical body, are to listen to the Head and act accordingly. There are many aspects to spiritual warfare. My purpose in this book is not to cover them all, but to bring to your attention three specific areas that are of utmost importance the Word, the name and the blood weapons of attack and defense against the enemy and all of his hosts.

THE WORD

CHANGED BY THE POWER OF THE WORD

S o get rid of all uncleanness and the rampant outgrowth of wickedness, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

James 1:21

Once a person is born again, God is not finished with him; He is just beginning. After the New Birth, the individual is turned over to the Holy Spirit for transformation. The tool the Holy Spirit uses to bring about this transformation is the Word of God.

The spirit of the new believer has been reborn, brought back to life; that person will go to heaven when he dies. Now he needs to work out [his] own salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12 KJV). In other words, his soul needs to be saved. The soul is often defined as the mind, the will and the emotions. Each of these areas needs salvation. According to the Scriptures, the mind must be renewed by the Word of God.

RENEWING THE MIND BY THE WORD

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

Romans 12:2

God has a good plan already laid out for each of us, but we will never enjoy it unless our mind is renewed with the Word, which is His thoughts and ideas about things. When our mind is renewed with His Word, we think His thoughts and not our own.

When the mind is renewed, one area of the soul has been saved. The Holy Spirit relentlessly works to bring the whole man into Gods perfect will. This process is referred to as sanctification or the salvation of the soul. Not only does He work to renew the mind, but also the will and the emotions.

RENEWAL BRINGS LIBERATION

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom).

And all of us, as with unveiled face, [because we] continued to behold [in the Word of God] as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another; [for this comes] from the Lord [Who is] the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:17,18

In these Scriptures we see that the Spirit desires to bring us into freedom and to liberate us completely. We also see that this liberty is accomplished as we look into the Word of God. We are transfigured, ever changing from one degree of glory to another. This change is the work of the Spirit, and His tool is the Word of God.