“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
Believers in war-torn Iraq share, “Hard times are not coming — for us, hard times have been here for years.” They have known hardships for generations and they have learned to cling to faith. Because they have put on the whole armor of God, they are equipped to withstand evil and preach the gospel to those around them.
We must be fully aware of the enemy’s schemes and methods. The most powerful weapon in Satan’s arsenal is a vicious lie — from the master liar! What is his biggest lie? That God is not faithful to His people.
Just as he has done throughout history, Satan wants to attack our homes, our marriages, our children, our health, our jobs and careers, our very belief in the Lord. Jesus told Peter, “Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat” (Luke 22:31).
“But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail” (Luke 22:32). To me, this is one of the most encouraging verses in all of Scripture. Peter was enduring a severe trial and Jesus was assuring him that no matter what he might face, his faith would not fail.
Even though Peter had denied Christ, God did not forsake him — not for a moment. This once-fearless disciple, now broken and anguishing over his failure, was never for a moment on his own. And, beloved, neither are we!
We have a tender, loving Father who is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. Even Jesus wept in His trying hour. He knows our pain firsthand and He has sent His Holy Spirit to comfort us and speak hope and peace to our souls.
Interestingly, the world observes us as we face challenges, and expects us to sing a song in the midst of our hardest times. We see an example of this in the Word.
This is the text in the original Hebrew for Psalms 119: “When designing pursuers approached me, who are far from thy law; then you, O Jehovah, wast near with all thy faithful commandments” (Psalm 119:150-151, Helen Spurrell Translation).
Demonic principalities and powers had surrounded David, trying to bring him and Israel to ruin. Yet this man of God testified that as the enemy drew near, he trusted the Lord to draw even nearer.
Songs of victory sung after victories are not true songs of faith. Why? Because our doubts are not dealt a deathblow by our experience in victory. You see, when we experience victorious deliverance, we have a temporary flush of thanksgiving. We are naturally joyful because our God has mercifully acted on our behalf despite our doubts. Yet, what happens to our doubts? They are merely submerged deeper into the heart.
Let there be no misunderstanding: Our God is a tender, loving Father. There is a time to weep, a time to vent our fears. And right now many in the Body of Christ are overcome by fears of the future, fears about how they’re going to make it through.
As a pastor for many years, I didn’t take this issue lightly. Often I prayed, “Lord, are You demanding that Your people rejoice when they’re unemployed and losing their homes? They are in despair because they’re suffering. They don’t feel like singing. Can’t You cut them some slack?”
The people of God were at the Red Sea mired in despair. At that moment how the Lord must have longed for someone like Gideon to rise up in that frightened camp and remind everyone of God’s faithfulness in the past. A few generations later Gideon had only a small army of three hundred men against an army, yet he shouted in faith before the battle (see Judges 6 and 7). You see, as far as the Lord is concerned, the time to stand is in the darkest moment. It is when everything seems hopeless, when there appears to be no way out, when God alone can save and deliver.
Trapped between two mountains and facing the Red Sea, the children of Israel were in a hopeless predicament as an angry Pharaoh and his iron chariots closed in on them from behind.
This is a very familiar story, one you have heard your entire church life. God had led Israel into a horrible crisis where they were being chased by a fierce enemy. Incredible as it seems, the Lord had purposely led His people into this precarious spot. I believe it is a story with great importance for the Church today, indeed at this moment in history.
David wrote in a psalm that the Lord “counts the number of the stars; He calls them all by name” (Psalm 147:4). Think of it: David is telling us, “When you’re in pain, stop and look up. You’ll realize, ‘If God can do this, He certainly can meet my need.’” I agree. If in your pain you focus on the majesty of God, you will receive more than any answer a preacher could give you.