"Whenever I am tempted to do something wrong, I quote verses I memorized from God's Word," says Kendall, 10. "Once, I was tempted to run away, but I knew it was wrong, so I quoted verses I had memorized, and the devil went away."

You have good company, Kendall, because Jesus used the same strategy of quoting Scripture when the devil tempted him in the desert. The Bible reveals an unseen but real conflict in spiritual realms for people's hearts and minds.

In this spiritual war, the Apostle Paul sounds like a general giving commands to the troops: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." (II Corinthians 10:4-5)

When the writer of the Book of Hebrews compared the Word of God to a two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12), he probably had in mind the Roman soldiers' famous weapon. Many opposing armies carried bigger swords, but the disciplined Roman army wielding the smaller, well-balanced blade usually won.

Memorizing Scripture and reading the Bible is akin to a soldier training for combat. Don't wait until you're in the midst of a battle to prepare. A soldier would be foolish to go into battle without part of his equipment. The Apostle Paul said, "Put on the whole armor of God. ... And take ... the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:11,17)