PERSECUTED, BUT NOT FORSAKEN

Post date: May 14, 2012 4:18:54 AM

The bible affirms that the devil has only three ways to carry out any of his missions against believers who are truly in Christ Jesus. These ways are either to kill, to steal or to destroy. He uses these three methods alternatively in various ways with direct assistance of his cohorts. Where they cannot kill physically, they will try stealing your most pressures spiritual or physical gift from God, (not your most important property) and when they fail, they will try their third method to destroy. The devil does not go where there is nothing at stake. He tries and tempts only those with covenant spiritual and physical promises and those with distinguishing missions on earth  

By God’s grace the devil knows he cannot succeed in killing those with a covenant relationship though he often makes them think and feel they are going to die in their pains and circumstances. Based on this truth, he is presently using the next two methods in an alarming rate, to destroy and to steal through fear and false believe he is going to kill them. Look, the devil has never recovered from his regret in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ and will never want to repeat such a mistake again in you.

In order to carry out his plans, he deploys many things to distract our areas of concentration to discover the most vulnerable areas in our life to take advantage of, find fault with, so he can condemn us. The apostles gave us a rundown of satanic activities against them and the results. Their result gave a great hope in all our troubles today and in the future. It tells us that there is hope despite the odds, there will be joy despite the frustrations, and there will be an opening despite the present delays and fears.

These were their words: “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.”  2 Corinthians 4:8, 9

Since he cannot kill us, he causes us to be pressed on every side by mounting troubled every day and everywhere with the aim of distressing our lives, but even in it, God will make a way. He makes us often very perplexed by our many mistakes and weaknesses, yet in such mistakes and weaknesses, we are not despair. He also comes with various kinds of persecutions and accusations, but despite that also, we are never forsaken by our Lord Jesus Christ. He makes us feel like failures by casting down our hopes and aspiration, but even in that also, we are not and will never be destroyed. He brings condemnation and feelings of guilt, but still, we will still keep pressing on.

Whatever he brings, our confidence is not in our physical or spiritual strength or is it on our acquired knowledge of the scripture. Our confidence is only on the assurances, and in our belief in the scriptures. The scripture assures us of the continuous love of Christ when we continue in Him “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:1

Despite all the schemes of the devil, I have a strong hope in Christ Jesus for your victory. Despite your past and present failures, all the delays and frustrations in life, despite the sicknesses and pains, despite the near miracles every day, and despite the condemnations by men and the devil, since Christ has not condemned you, there is hope of an overwhelming victory for you. Despite what you are going through right now, you will be victorious because of the love that Christ Jesus has for you. And because Christ Jesus has not condemned you, the condemnations of men are of no effect. Despite the persecution, Christ Jesus has not forsaken you.