A dagger of a Bible verse
Turn Away from What Is Worthless
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Turn my eyes away from what is worthless.
Revive me with your word.
Psalm 119:37 (NET)
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If the Bible is the sword of the Spirit, this verse feels like a dagger.
Something small you can quickly snatch & defend yourself with.
The Bible is the best defense against the temptations of sin.
You could make an argument for the shield of faith, if you’re sticking with the armor of God metaphor.
But I’m partial to using the same weapons Jesus used to fight off the temptation from the devil himself. They could have used all kinds of weapons in their battle, yet chose the Word of God.
That tells you how powerful it is.
A verse like this one is useful when you don’t have easy access to a Bible and you see the temptation coming your way.
It’s annoying that the Enemy doesn’t attack us when it’s convenient for us to defend ourselves.
Almost like he attacks when we’re weaker and more vulnerable instead of when we’re strong.
This is why memorizing the Bible can be such a boon.
(That’s a good word, haha.)
If you’ve got it memorized, then it’s always hidden in your heart, ready to shine a light on your path so you might not sin against the Lord.
Which, of course, is another great verse to memorize in Psalm 119 -- but you’re probably very familiar with that one.
This one may be just as valuable.
Bonus: it works well as a prayer to cry out to God when facing trials & temptations.
Pay attention to these little “dagger” verses, they can be quite useful.
— Ricky Ketchum
Copyright © 2026 by Ricky Ketchum. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication prohibited.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible® copyright ©1996, 2019 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
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