To honour Kenneth’s Homecoming at this year’s SWBC we’re taking a look back at the first SWBC through articles that were adapted from the teaching of some of its speakers.
Faith in God’s Word
Adapted from 9:30 a.m. teaching on Monday, August 17, 1981 by Norvel Hayes
I know of no better way to kick off a meeting—this Believers’ Convention—than to teach you to have faith in God’s Word. Why? Because that’s the No. 1 way to fight the devil!
If I can talk you into having faith in God’s Word, you can have victory. It doesn’t make any difference what anyone else believes, what your background is or where you’re from. If you’ll just make a decision to stand on the Scriptures for yourself, God will come to your house. He’ll come to your body and your mind. He’ll come to your business; to anything you have and make it successful— if you will only get your mouth straightened out!
God’s Word will work for every person who has faith in it!
Many people think God will come on their scene just because they are born again. Although He’s always on the scene, the truth is, He only responds to faith in His Word coming out of your mouth. You’ve got to KNOW what God has said in His Word about the area of your life where you need victory. What’s more, you’ve got to SPEAK what His Word says about it.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Jesus went on to say in verse 37, “By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.” By your words!
Victory Scriptures
Your victory comes directly from the Word of God that you have in abundance in your heart, and the Word you speak out of your mouth! So the key is to get the Word into your heart.
You may say, “Brother Norvel, how about telling me what the victory scriptures are for my situation?”
There could be a hundred scriptures that would apply to your circumstance. Don’t be lazy—look them up yourself! You see, the only scriptures that will work for you are the ones you “get.” You can ask the Holy Spirit to help you find the right scriptures. But you won’t get them just by reading the Bible every once in a while. Your victory scriptures must be in your heart abundantly. They must become a part of you.
So look them up. Type them out. Then start speaking them until they become like your right arm and then like your left arm. Just like you use your arms every day to get things done, you’ll use the Word of God that’s part of you to accomplish things in your life. The Word of God you speak about healing will work healing in your life day in and day out. His Word you speak about prosperity will work prosperity into your daily life.
“Your victory scriptures must be in your heart abundantly. They must become a part of you”
Fighting the Devil
When I first started preaching, God said, Son, I want you to teach the Church how to fight the devil. Faith in God’s Word and speaking the Word is the No. 1 way to fight the devil. As you speak the Word right into the ear of God, you are also speaking it right in the face of the devil. When you do that, God will come on the scene and run the devil off!
Think about it. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus did?
After Jesus had been in the wilderness for 40 days, the devil came around to try to convince Him that He could bring God’s plan to pass in His life through His own effort. Jesus knew exactly how to get the devil to shut up and clear out. Matthew 4:1-11 tells us how He did it. Jesus countered every attack of the enemy with the Word of God.
“It is written,” He said. Three times Jesus responded to the temptations and mocking of the devil with the Word. He knew the Word—it was part of Him—and He had faith in it to bring victory over the devil.
God wants you to know you can do the same thing Jesus did! Get the Word into your spirit. Make it part of you. Speak it out. Use it every day, like you use your arms. By faith, do it! And you’ll have victory—total victory.
Enjoyed this article? Here’s more: A Faith Generation & 4 Faith Practices For a Victorious 2026
