5/15/2023 0 Comments Prayer against enemies coversSanballat, the governor of Samaria, became furious and very angry (4:1, 7). Our text reveals at least six types of opposition: If you know Jesus Christ and attempt to accomplish anything for Him, the enemy will oppose you. We will look first at the various forms the opposition takes and then at how we are to respond.ġ. The first defense against the enemy is to be aware of the kinds of opposition that he uses. If you yield to the opposition, you will quit the race in discouragement or settle in for a mediocre Christian existence. If you respond properly, the opposition will drive you to greater dependence on the Lord and to greater determination to do what He has called you to do. Even though it is God’s will for you to grow strong in faith and to labor to advance His kingdom, God does not remove the opposition. Even though it was God’s will for the wall to be rebuilt, He did not remove the opposition. The enemy will try to get you sidetracked or to give up completely. This cycle shows that the Christian life is a conflict. There is a cycle of advance and setback through chapters 3-6: Chapters 4-6 show us some of the problems that had to be overcome in the process of rebuilding the wall. “So-and-so built this gate, and these people built the wall to this point, and next to them, these people built the wall further, etc.” It sounds as if there were no problems. If we only had chapter 3, we would get the impression that the work on the wall went without a snag. When the enemy opposes us as he surely will, we should respond with prayer, work, vigilance, and focus on the Lord. We need to be ready for such opposition and know how to respond to it. But when a pastor preaches the gospel that convicts sinners of their sin in the presence of a holy God and points them to the cross of Jesus Christ, look out! When a pastor calls the flock to obedient, holy living in this wicked world, look out! When a pastor directs the vision of the flock toward the unreached nations who are waiting to hear the gospel, look out! The enemy is committed to opposing that kind of work. Those churches are no threat to his domain of darkness. Satan doesn’t mind when churches gather to sing and to hear soothing sermons about how to use the Bible to achieve personal success. This also applies to churches and church leaders: Whenever godly leaders attempt to rally God’s people to advance His kingdom, opposition will hit. But the minute you wake up from your spiritual lethargy, shake off the worldly mindset, and commit yourself to radical obedience to Jesus Christ, you will encounter spiritual opposition! You can go to church and even pray and read your Bible, and he won’t mind. As long as you live with one foot in the world, living according to the world’s values and for the world’s goals, Satan won’t trouble you. But if you come on fire for Christ, look out! The name “Satan” means “adversary” he is committed to opposing God and His people, especially when they are zealous to exalt God’s glory. Satan never bothers with half-hearted people who are content with a ho-hum spiritual existence. Nehemiah would have loved that sign! His story shows that whenever you try to accomplish anything significant for the Lord, you will face strong opposition. The bumblebee does not know this, so he goes ahead and flies anyway ( Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations, by Paul Lee Tan, p. In his American plant, he posted this sign:Īccording to recognized aerotechnical tests, the bumblebee cannot fly because of the shape and weight of his body in relation to the total wing area. He went on to build the first helicopter. When Igor Sikorsky was 12, his parents told him that competent authorities had already proved human flight impossible.
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