I have been pondering some things as of late that I believe are essential for many in the Body of Christ. This is a difficult place to live in for those who do not know Jesus. Unfortunately, it is also becoming a very difficult place to live for those who do know Him, as well. This ought not to be. I know, I know, I know... Jesus said "in this world you will have tribulation" (John 16:33). However, finish reading the sentence: "take courage; I have overcome the world." The Amplified goes on to say "I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you." Do you believe that today? If we are truly disciples of Jesus (and we are), then why are we letting this world beat our brains in when the Master promised it was powerless to do so?
I am seeing this more everyday: people who are "laying down" and allowing their circumstances to walk all over them because they believe God is trying to teach them some great lesson. Christians are in "survival mode" when they should be in "battle mode." James 4:7 instructs us to "resist the devil and he will flee from you." Are you still resisting him? Or are you assuming that his acts of terror in your life are really divine attempts to "teach you something?" I have been accused of "blaming the devil" too many times. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I am not going to blame God for the horrible things that happen in my life. Jesus draws a HUGE line in the sand in John 10:10. If anything falls under the category of stealing, killing or destroying IT WASN'T GOD! The devil has duped us into believing that God teaches people through tests and trials and pain and suffering and tragedy. He does this because he knows we will fall for that lie and, as a result, we will stop fighting him. You must "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might... and having done everything, to stand" (Ephesians 6:10, 13b). You are commanded to stand and fight in the power the Lord has given you. Do it.
What about Job and his suffering? First of all, let us make one thing very clear: you are not Job. You are not going through a "Job-like" experience. Let me tell you why. First, you have an advantage Old Testament men and women of God never had. You have the blood of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit working inside of you that equips you to overcome the works of the devil in your life. Job never had that. Secondly, the devil was out to force Job to curse God to His face, because Job was so close to God that God was bragging about him. Are you really that close to God that the devil cannot even see you? (see Psalm 91) Thirdly, you know the devil is out to get you; Job didn't. Job and his friends only knew about God; therefore, they unknowingly blamed Him for the devastation going on in the life of Job. Job unfairly blamed God for losing everything (Job 1:21) even though the book clearly states that God did not do anything to Job. Job's friends were latter chastised by the Lord for the things they said (Job 42:7). Don't make the same mistake.
"James says we should rejoice for our trials!" No, it doesn't. Read it here, here, and here. It says to "consider" it joy, because you know something: that you will win and be Blessed all the more because of it. Trials, testings and temptations test your faith. They put your faith to work. They produce the force of patience within you. Patience is not used in this New Testament in the way we teach our children. It does not simply mean you are to wait out the difficulty. It literally means "constancy." You are to remain consistently, constantly the same throughout - developing the character of Jesus within you. When you read on to verse 13, you see the exact same word translated "trial" in verse 2 translated as "temptation." What that says to us is: God is not sending hard times on you; it is contrary to His very nature.
The same greek word found in these two passages is used in 1Corinthians 10:13. This is a verse people use in their attempt to prove that whatever circumstance they have at this moment is directly from God. Again: it is not from God. Just because God allows something does not mean He is the author of it. There are multiple reasons for our circumstances. It may well be our fault. God put spiritual laws into the physical realm we live in. Our words have power to shape our lives. Our actions dictate the course of our existence. Our mistakes can wreak havoc on our destiny. You have a lot more power in your life than you think. You may have easily given the devil license to operate in your life without even knowing it (Hosea 4:6). What gets missed in this verse in 1Corinthians is that God has planned a way out. Go back and read it again: "but with the temptation [He] will also make the way of escape." He has a way out for you. If you will give Him the time to explain it, you can be free from the traps the devil has set in your life. You can be free of poverty, sickness, terminal illness, you name it. You have an enemy who is out to get you every single moment of every single day. He will never stop "shooting" at you. He studies you. He plans for you. He is crafty. The devil only comes to steal, kill and destroy. "The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil" (1John 3:8b). If Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, how can He also use them intentionally as tools to teach us something? That would make him the author and minister of sin. "...Is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be!" (Galatians 2:17b)
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