In the New Testament book of John you can read a story about Jesus giving His followers a teaching that was very difficult for them to accept. Many of these followers were so offended by the teaching that they left Jesus. The twelve disciples were caught in a difficult position between believing their Teacher and yet not understanding His teaching and being offended by it. Jesus asked the Twelve if they would leave Him too. Peter spoke on behalf of the others and said, ''Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.'' Peter did not understand the teaching, but he was devoted to Christ.
There will come a time in your life when you face situations that do not make sense to you. As we mentioned in our last time together, the events and even tragedies of life fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. And, you will be attacked by the devil. The Bible tells us that 'your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour' (I Peter 5:8). How are you to respond to this?
The answer is that you can respond in strength! Like Peter, you can turn to Jesus. Where else will you go to find Truth? Jesus alone has the words of eternal life. Jesus is your strength! Though you do not understand the situation, though it may seem there is no possible solution to your problem, you must trust Him. Jesus is the Answer! There is no problem so great, so powerful, or so difficult that Jesus cannot solve! You will soon learn that even when you are at your weakest, Jesus is strong.
You can trust Jesus. You can believe that He will turn all things to good for those who love Him (________). You can walk in complete confidence that what was meant for evil will be turned by God into good. Your complete devotion to Christ will eventually bring you the victory. The word that describes your trust, belief, confidence, and devotion is faith. You can have faith in Jesus Christ that He will walk with you through the trials and difficulties of life and that He will bring you the victory!
The devil will do everything he can to destroy your life around you. He will bring wars, disease, and tragedies. He will lie to you. He will try to get you to doubt that Jesus loves you or can help you. He will try to make you fearful. But, while he can influence your life around you, he can never touch your heart or your mind. The New Testament book of James tells us to 'resist the devil and he will flee from you.' The way that you resist the devil is to keep your faith in Christ. Keep your trust, your belief, your confidence, and your devotion to Jesus. When you stand firm in your faith then the devil has to flee.
So, how does a person respond when he/she is being attacked spiritually? Here is what you can do: remember that you have a new identity in Christ and that you belong to Jesus. Remember that you have a new Master and want His will to be done in your life. Remember that you have a new perspective of Truth and that the Truth, if you abide in it, will set you free! Remember that you have a new practice of living rightly before God and that the prayers of a righteous person are 'powerful and effective!" Remember that you have a new feeling of peace and that the Living God of the Bible will bring you peace that passes all understanding. In doing this, your faith in the Lord will be your strength. As you travel life's journey, I pray that your faith in Jesus Christ will be your new strength.
