Nearly seventeen hundred years ago, a young Christian named Evagrius Ponticus went deep into the desert to fight the devil. Evagrius had taken seriously the biblical narrative of Jesus going into the desert to combat the devil and intended to do the same. After some time, Evagrius’ fame spread, and he became a renowned spiritual guide.
Before Evagrius died, he revealed to a fellow monk named Loukios the strategy and tactics necessary to combat the devil. He even wrote a little book titled Talking Back: A Monastic Handbook for Combating Demons. In essence, his strategy was to soak himself in biblical teaching to the point of total absorption so that his internal thought patterns and external habits were fully formed by God rather than the world.
Evagrius was right: our ability to fight the Evil One and become spiritually resilient is inescapably tied to Scripture absorption. Christian Scripture is the unshakeable foundation upon which the sturdy Christian life is built (2 Tim 3:16-17), our primary nourishment for the battle (Mt 4:4), and the infallible guide to spiritual growth (Jn 17:17).
Scripture Absorption and the Early Church
Evagrius’ approach was by no means novel. In fact, the early church had developed an approach to spiritual fitness called lectio divina,” or the “spiritual reading of Scripture.” Given the formidable enemies the early church faced—Satan himself, Roman persecutors, and a secular society that considered Christianity wired and even evil—they knew they needed to soak themselves in God’s word to stand firm. After all, the Bible is the primary way God speaks to us, nourishes our souls, and equips us for the battle we face.
For the early church, a genuinely spiritual reading of Scripture was quite different than the everyday reading of an ordinary book. If we want to read spiritually, we must engage in something more than mere intellectual exercise. We must engage the Bible fully so it transforms our hearts and minds. So, they outlined four steps for believers: read the Scriptures, meditate on the Scriptures, pray the Scriptures back to God, and allow the Scriptures to penetrate us so deeply that our lives are changed.
Guess what? It worked! The early church was able to stand strong amid severe bouts of persecution. They faced an often hostile Roman government and a secularized society that ostracized them. Yet, because they had nourished themselves through the spiritual reading of Scripture, they could stand firm and eventually experience explosive growth in the most unlikely of empires.
Scripture Absorption and the American Church
All of this is to say that what worked for Evagrius and the early church will also work for us. No matter how powerful the secular forces arrayed against us, God and his word are far more powerful. Through a daily habit of reading Scripture spiritually—absorbing it so thoroughly that it penetrates our deepest thought patterns and transforms our actions and impulses—we can meet any challenge life throws at us.
This is why, at Back to the Bible, we have developed a simple, practical program to help believers make the spiritual reading of Scripture a daily habit. Similar to the early church’s pattern of Bible reading, our Four-Step Daily Spiritual Fitness Program consists of the following steps:
Receive
We begin by receiving God’s Word into our hearts and minds. We read the Bible slowly and attentively, listening to God’s words for all they’re worth. As we read Scripture, we acknowledge our need for God’s truth and allow it to penetrate our hearts. This is more than just a casual reading of the Bible; it is an intentional act of opening ourselves up to God’s voice. We read Scripture expecting that God will speak to, challenge, and comfort us.
Reflect
The second step is to reflect on the passage we have read. This involves engaging deeply with the text and considering its meaning and relevance for our lives. We ask questions like: What is God saying to me through this passage? How does this truth apply to my life? In what ways do I need to change or grow in response to this truth? Reflection helps us internalize the Word of God and discern how it can shape our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.
Respond
After reflecting on Scripture, we move to the third step: responding. Having listened attentively to God’s word and reflecting on it, we respond to God in prayer and through action. As we pray and seek God’s guidance, we commit to living out the truths we have learned. This is where transformation happens, as we allow God’s Word to influence the way we live. It could mean changing a behavior, adopting a new attitude, or stepping out in faith to obey God’s commands. Responding to Scripture is about putting our faith into action.
Reveal
The final step is to reveal what we have learned and experienced to others. This is where the spiritual reading of Scripture becomes not just an inward journey but an outward expression of faith. We are not meant to keep God’s truth to ourselves; we are called to share it with others. This step involves sharing the gospel with unbelievers and strengthening the faith of fellow believers as we share what we have learned from Scripture with those around us. Whether through conversations, teaching, mentoring, or simply living out the gospel in our daily interactions, we reveal the truth of God’s Word to others—the truths we have encountered in God’s presence overflow into our relationships and communities.
The Four-Step Daily Spiritual Fitness Program is a simple but powerful way to bring the spiritual reading of Scripture into our daily lives. By engaging with God’s Word intentionally, we can become spiritually fit and equipped to face the challenges of life and the spiritual battles that wage war against our souls.
Conclusion
The practice of lectio divina is more than an intellectual exercise; it is an intimate encounter with God that transforms us from the inside out. Moving Scripture from mere knowledge in our heads to deep-rooted truth in our hearts empowers us for spiritual growth and fortifies us for the battles we face daily. This spiritual reading of Scripture isn’t a quick-fix solution or a set formula for instant success. Instead, it is a lifelong journey of drawing closer to God and allowing His Word to shape us, protect us, and equip us to stand firm against the forces that seek to derail our faith. Just as it did for the early church, this practice can strengthen us to face whatever challenges we may face—so that we may be transformed and, in turn, transform the world around us.