Most times we give the enemy glory he doesn't deserve. When things go wrong in our lives or it seems like we are being attacked by some outside force, we are quick to jump to the conclusion that it must be the devil. Without discrediting the fact that we are in a spiritual battle and there are spiritual forces out there warring for our allegiance, we must be conscious of the fact that not all 'attacks' are from the devil. The devil only has the power to tempt us to sin, to entice us, but in actuality he has no power to touch us unless we remove Gods covering over our lives; or unless God removes it himself. Satan has no power of his own, everything he has is given to him by God. Just like we see in the book of Job. If you are in the kingdom of God you are in the hedge of protection. The enemy can not get through the hedge without permission.
In many tragic cases in the bible, God is recognized as the one who brings these trials. As in the book of Ruth, Naomi calls herself Marah which means bitter, because the Lord dealt bitterly with her by taking both of her sons and her husband. God shut up Hannah's womb because she was favored by her husband. God allowed everything to be taken from Job. There are so many other accounts of God sending or allowing seemingly bad things to happen to his people. But why? Well what does scripture tell us judgements and corrections are for? Proverbs 20:30 Physical punishment cleanses away evil; such discipline purifies the heart.
Judgment is fire. When God sends fire into our lives it is to purify and refine us. He doesn't send it to destroy us, but to burn away the evil parts of our hearts. This is why he must judge Israel by fire, to purify and purge her of her sins. Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
Job 23:10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.
Proverbs 17:3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
This verse is not there to make us think that everything is going to be okay here on earth and we Christians will never have to worry about anything bad happening to us. This verse is talking about a purging process. Unbelievers would be destroyed by Gods fire, but we know that when he sends His children fire it's going to be good for us and in the end we will be the saints that are according to his will and purpose. The trials and tribulations he sends are going to produce a good work in us.
Isaiah 1:25 I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy.
Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
There are so many verses that talk about the judgements and purifying fires of God. Even the 3 1/2 years of tribulation are for the purifying of the saints.
And we know that judgement must first start in the house of God. Judgement is used for two reasons, to refine or destroy. If you are in the household of God he will judge you to refine you, if not, judgement is reserved for ultimate destruction.
One of the dangers in blaming the enemy for attacking you when in fact it may be God turning up the heat in your life is that when we write off everything as an attack, we lose the opportunity to become purified. God wants to change our hearts and sometimes the only way that can happen is for him to judge the sin in our lives. If we don't recognize it as a judgment for sin or maybe just a sharpening process, it won't accomplish its intended purpose. When we identify it as an attack of the enemy we don't feel the need to change anything.
Hebrews 12:11New Living Translation (NLT)
11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
Discipline, chastening, judgement, correction; it is called many things. None of which are very pleasant, but they are necessary. No one likes to feel like they are being punished or corrected by God, which is another reason we sometimes misinterpret it as an attack of the enemy.
Hebrews 12:6 "For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child."
We can not enter into his kingdom with spot or blemish. So let his consuming fire burn away every spot, attitude, sin, idea, feeling, and word that is at emnity with him. It's not going to be pleasant or easy, but it will be worth it. I challenge everyone reading this today, stop blaming people or the enemy for things gone wrong in your life, begin analyzing every situation and say, "Okay God what is it you would have me to change?" Purify me Lord!
In many tragic cases in the bible, God is recognized as the one who brings these trials. As in the book of Ruth, Naomi calls herself Marah which means bitter, because the Lord dealt bitterly with her by taking both of her sons and her husband. God shut up Hannah's womb because she was favored by her husband. God allowed everything to be taken from Job. There are so many other accounts of God sending or allowing seemingly bad things to happen to his people. But why? Well what does scripture tell us judgements and corrections are for? Proverbs 20:30 Physical punishment cleanses away evil; such discipline purifies the heart.
Judgment is fire. When God sends fire into our lives it is to purify and refine us. He doesn't send it to destroy us, but to burn away the evil parts of our hearts. This is why he must judge Israel by fire, to purify and purge her of her sins. Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.
Job 23:10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.
Proverbs 17:3 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the Lord tests hearts.
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
This verse is not there to make us think that everything is going to be okay here on earth and we Christians will never have to worry about anything bad happening to us. This verse is talking about a purging process. Unbelievers would be destroyed by Gods fire, but we know that when he sends His children fire it's going to be good for us and in the end we will be the saints that are according to his will and purpose. The trials and tribulations he sends are going to produce a good work in us.
Isaiah 1:25 I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy.
Hebrews 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
There are so many verses that talk about the judgements and purifying fires of God. Even the 3 1/2 years of tribulation are for the purifying of the saints.
And we know that judgement must first start in the house of God. Judgement is used for two reasons, to refine or destroy. If you are in the household of God he will judge you to refine you, if not, judgement is reserved for ultimate destruction.
One of the dangers in blaming the enemy for attacking you when in fact it may be God turning up the heat in your life is that when we write off everything as an attack, we lose the opportunity to become purified. God wants to change our hearts and sometimes the only way that can happen is for him to judge the sin in our lives. If we don't recognize it as a judgment for sin or maybe just a sharpening process, it won't accomplish its intended purpose. When we identify it as an attack of the enemy we don't feel the need to change anything.
Hebrews 12:11New Living Translation (NLT)
11 No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.
Discipline, chastening, judgement, correction; it is called many things. None of which are very pleasant, but they are necessary. No one likes to feel like they are being punished or corrected by God, which is another reason we sometimes misinterpret it as an attack of the enemy.
Hebrews 12:6 "For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child."
We can not enter into his kingdom with spot or blemish. So let his consuming fire burn away every spot, attitude, sin, idea, feeling, and word that is at emnity with him. It's not going to be pleasant or easy, but it will be worth it. I challenge everyone reading this today, stop blaming people or the enemy for things gone wrong in your life, begin analyzing every situation and say, "Okay God what is it you would have me to change?" Purify me Lord!
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