Philippians 1:28-30
...without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved - and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
What does it mean to suffer for Christ? In verse 30, Paul clearly explained that it's the spiritual battle that Christians face daily. Christians often have the wrong concept that only pastors and ministers will engage in spiritual warfare. Paul said here that "you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have." The circumstances in life that we encounter daily are actually the battlefields for spiritual warfare! When John the Baptist was imprisoned, the difficult circumstance was beginning to shake his faith, so he sent his disciples to ask Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" The Lord asked the disciples to tell John about all the signs and wonders He performed, and then told them: "Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me." Is it possible for people to stumble because of the Lord? Of course! When God doesn't answer our prayer according to our expectation, we can easily stumble because of the Lord. That's how the enemy often attack us and accuse us in order to shake our faith.
How do we overcome the enemy in our daily spiritual battle? First, we must stand firm. If Jesus is rooted in the word of God, then we also must stand on the promises of God and proclaim by faith: "I belong to the Lord Jesus! No matter where I am, my God is always with me! I can do all thing in the One who gives me strength!" Also, we must understand that because we long to the Lord, the enemy can only intimidate us, but it cannot take away what we have; it can only attack us, but no overcome us. Therefore, we can boldly rebuke the enemy by faith. The Lord's promise also says that as soon as we reject the devil, it will flee from us! Hallelujah! Are you also in a situation where you are surrounded by the enemy? Don't forget that as long as you stand firm, there's no reason to be intimated by the enemy!
Pray with Pastor Tong
Lord, I thank you because I can proclaim by faith that my God is always with me! May the Lord strengthen my faith and never let my heart depart from you. Let me stand firm on the foundation of your promises and proclaim victory against the enemy each and every day. I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!
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