Have you ever been so slammed with circumstances and situations that you feel like you cannot stand it another minute? I have and must also admit these come somewhat frequently. Recently I was talking to someone about a hard situation they were going through; it seemed like an all-out war in the spirit world, coming against them. The consensus of our opinions was, “WOW the devil is going at you, non-stop.”
It seems that insight comes to me at night, a time when my mind is unfruitful and out of the way. When I woke up this morning, I had the thought, “are you sure this is an attack? or is it a trial?” That caused me to take a step back and pull my Bible out. Here is what I found in Gods’ living word. As a Warrior of almighty God we must know how to strategically fight. Who is the enemy? Where is the battle? or is this a test or am I am trial from my Father God?
James 1:13-15 (The Message Bible) concerning temptation;
13-15 Don’t let anyone under pressure to give in to evil say, “God is trying to trip me up.” God is impervious to evil and puts evil in no one’s way. The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood and becomes a real killer.
1 Thessalonians 2:3-5 (The Message Bible) concerning trials;
“ 3-5 (Paul wrote) God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. Be assured that when we speak to you, we’re not after crowd approval—only God’s approval. Since we’ve been put through that battery of tests, you’re guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smokescreen to take advantage of you.
6-8 Even though we had some standing as Christ’s apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else. We weren’t aloof with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. We loved you, dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did.”
With that said, I pose the thought that it is essential to know if you are under attack, or if in fact, God is checking you out to see where you stand. It could be either one, a test, or a temptation. We live in evil times. People are under so much pressure, and like a catsup bottle, when you squeeze, whatever is in that bottle will be what comes out. The same is valid for people. Whatever is inside will come to the outside when we get squeezed.
We are human, and none of us are perfect nor fully mature. It is human nature, and sometimes even emotional survival to blame the devil, blame the boss, blame the spouse or family member that is acting out. But just what if? What if it is none of those things, and God has His eye on you for something that He needs you to do while living on the earth? What will your response be under pressure? Are you and I ready to carry the torch that God has called us to carry? God already knows that answer, but in His infinite wisdom, He knows that we need to know that answer. We will at some time be answering to superiors here on the earth, and how can we go forward if we don’t even have the confidence in our actions and reactions when the pressure hits.
God tested Paul, and God tested Abraham, the Father of our faith. God tested all those that had a call on their life. The Bible and all that it contains is truth, but the days of earthly life are not over. I believe our lives are part of the end of the story, so let’s make sure that we are not so quick to blame the wrong source. It can be empowering to grasp that our God loves us so much that He is making sure we are ready for what is ahead. We need to pass this test so that we can move forward to the next one. It is onward and upward in the Kingdom of God.
Life can be hard, but God is good. Sometimes we need to wrap ourselves in the arms of the one that loves us the most and remind ourselves that He promised that He would never leave or forsake us. Our power is in that relationship. He is Father God. Trust Him to correct you lovingly, trust Him when He said he has given us all power over the enemy. He partners with you, and it’s in HIS name that we defeat the enemy. It is all about Him, and none about us. Our part is to believe, to obey, and to trust. Is it the devil trying to stop you? Then it’s warfare time, and warfare happens with a very strategic action of staying in control, keeping old bad habits out, walking in love, and speaking to the powers and principalities of the darkness. It is an excellent experience when we have that deep down “know” that no matter what comes at us, we will still be safe in the care of our Father God. In that knowledge, we hold power that enables us to react to the hate of others, and the unfair treatment. It gives us the surety that when squeezed, self-control, kindness, love, and strength of who we are in Christ will be how we respond.
And hey, if you failed this test, ask God to forgive you; ask for his strength to enable you and pick up and do it right the next time. It’s just that simple. Father God is not looking to clobber you over the head with a two by four, but instead, surround you with HIS LOVE and HIS strength that enables us all to grow and expand in what He has called us to do.
Let’s pray for each other. Let’s stop talking about what they or we cannot do right, and major on the great God that can-do great things through humble and imperfect people. When you see your brother or sister in sin, pray. The traditional church deserves the bad rap that we have because we are about the only ones that attack their own. Let’s stop that on purpose. Let’s be the ones that steer the conversation to words that are uplifting and edifying. Church buildings have all kinds of names, but those buildings are not the church. WE are THE CHURCH. It’s way past time to put away the rationalizations of why we do what we do and just repent. Our families need healing, and the church won’t get their healing until families do. I suggest we keep it simple. Let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God and turn from our wicked ways. We’d all be pleasantly surprised at how many of lifes’ attacks would stop if we’d just go back to basics and repent and change how we do what we do.
So… is it a temptation or a trial? Thank God for the tools HE gives us that are active and sharper than any two-edged sword. It’s all in the WORD and wielding the sword rightly.
Uniquely You 