Sometimes when things look bleak—when it appears evil is winning—even the most upbeat of Christians can experience discouragement. Here are some encouraging thoughts for dark times…
But this is your hour—when darkness reigns (Luke 22:53).
Darkness is limited to an hour—God’s light is unquenchable forever!
When Jesus said, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground (John 18:6).
Even in the hour of darkness, Christ’s power causes the forces of darkness to drop in fear!
Jesus answered, “You would have no power over Me if it were not given you from above” (John 19:11).
The power of darkness is limited; it is kept in check by God’s limitless authority!
Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? (1 Corinthians 15:55).
Even a supposed “victory” for darkness is ultimately an overwhelming victory for Light!
What have I to fear when I am held in God’s power? I am shielded by the Almighty, and for that I can sing out loud praise even in the hour of darkness!
David Wilkerson was a gentle man (yes, I did intend for that to be two words). The best definition I’ve heard of gentleness is “strength under control,” and that certainly describes Rev. Wilkerson’s words in It Is Finished: Finding Lasting Victory Over Sin.
Pastor Wilkerson’s words carry all of the weight and authority of an Old Testament prophet crying out, “This is what God says!” But his message is delivered with the lovingkindness of a gentle shepherd. Rev. Wilkerson is hard on those things that keep Christians at a distance from God, but loving on those at-a-distance Christians.
It Is Finished is a series of eleven sermons delivered by Pastor Wilkerson just prior to his death. They deliver a powerful message of God’s redemptive love from a man who was constantly learning what that love really meant. He shares his own personal struggles with feeling accepted by God’s love, and then presents a hope-filled message for all of us to accept the Holy Spirit’s invitation to enter into greater intimacy with our loving Heavenly Father.
These sermons are easy to read and will lift your spirits to new heights in God. I recommend this book to all Christians, but especially to those who struggle with feeling accepted by God.
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
“People outside the Christian tradition spend their time arguing the divinity of Christ. People inside the Christian tradition spend their time arguing the humanity of Christ.” —Jesus: A Theography by Leonard Sweet & Frank Viola
Our First Parents (Adam and Eve) listened to the tempting words of the devil, which caused them to sin against God. By this treachery, they handed over the dominion of earth to satan, and he has used that to keep people bound in deathly fear since that time (see Hebrews 2:14-15). But at the moment of sin—even as God was pronouncing judgment—there was an implicit promise made of the salvation Jesus would bring. God’s promise was that Eve’s offspring would crush satan under His foot (Genesis 3:15).
This is why it was so important that Jesus be totally human in His work on earth, that He share in our humanity in every way (Hebrews 2:14, 17).
The devil has three weapons he uses: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Notice how he used these in his successful temptation of Adam and Eve—
The fruit was good for food = the lust of the flesh.
The fruit was pleasant to the eyes = the lust of the eyes.
The fruit was desirable to make one wise…to be like God = the pride of life.
Because this was successful for him, satan tempted the Second Adam (Jesus) using the exact same strategy—
Turn these stones to bread = the lust of the flesh.
I will give you the kingdom of the world and their glory = the lust of the eyes.
Cast yourself down from here and angels will protect you = the pride of life.
Jesus didn’t overcome these temptations because He was God. Jesus overcame them as a Man anointed by the Spirit of God! Jesus used the same weapons that are available to us: the Word of God and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Not only do we have these two weapons, but we also have a victorious Savior who is helping us!
Because Jesus overcame temptation as a Man, He is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:18).
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have One who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet He did not sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them. (Hebrews 7:25)
Because Jesus overcame the temptations of satan as a man, you can too!
To Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (Jude 24-25)
This morning I shared this quote from Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola’s book Jesus: A Theography—
“When Jesus said to satan, ‘Get behind Me,’ He was acknowledging that we all live with the devil. We cannot escape evil on this earth. But as long as we are in front and he is behind us, we are protected. The devil ought not be in our line of vision but in our shadow.”
It reminds me of the old song:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in His wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
In the light of His glory and grace
Stop looking at that loser named satan! Stop listening to the one who’s been defeated and whose fate is already sealed! Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus! Keep your ears tuned into His voice!
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55)
Jesus says: I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (Revelation 1:18)
And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10)
In our internet age, where pornography is so easily accessible, this is a temptation that way too many people battle so often. This is a temptation that you can defeat, but you cannot defeat it on your own!
Here are some very insightful thoughts from Ed Welch, a Christian counselor, that may help you be victorious in your battle with pornography—
This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.
Temptation
The old Puritan idea that the devil tempts men had this remarkable effect, it produced the man of iron who fought; the modern idea of blaming his heredity or his circumstance produces the man who succumbs at once. …
When we say a thing is “satanic” we mean something abominable according to our standards: the Bible mean something remarkably subtle and wise. … The Holy Spirit is the only One who can detect the temptations of satan, neither our common sense nor our human wisdom can detect them as temptations. …
satan does not tempt to gross sins, the one thing he tempts to is putting myself as master instead of God. …How are we to face the tempter? By prayer? No. With the Word of God? No. Face the tempter with Jesus Christ, and He will apply the Word of God to you, and the temptation will cease. “Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18). The moments of severest temptation are the moments of His divinest help.
There’s not much to add to Oswald Chambers’ words, except this: Beware of your pride which says, “I am above temptation.” The Bible says,
So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12).
And one more thought: Beware of your pride which says, “I can defeat temptation on my own!” In order to defeat temptation you need (a) God’s Word to fortify you, (b) the Holy Spirit to apply that Word; (c) Christ’s nature to stand up to the tempter; and (d) iron-sharp friends who will hold you up and hold you accountable.
I was listening to Duke University’s Coach K (Mike Kryzewski) being interviewed on ESPN radio’s Mike & Mike this morning. (You can listen to the full interview here.)
Coach K’s list of accomplishments is impressive! Check out the full list by clicking here, but he has coached his NCAA men’s basketball teams to 900+ wins, won 4 NCAA championships, and now two Olympic gold medals.
So he was asked, “Is there another mountain for you to climb?”
Without hesitation Coach K answered, “Yeah, to coach this Duke team to a great season.”
He went on to add, “Numbers of championships happen if you look at each moment that you have as a mountain, and take advantage of the moment.”
I love it! Treat every moment like it’s huge… because it is!
Coaches and parents especially don’t encourage those under their care to taunt their opponents. But the Bible does!
Seriously!
As a part of our P119Spiritual Workout series, we looked at the section called Waw yesterday—
May Your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your promise; then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in Your Word. (Psalm 119:41-42)
“I will answer the one who taunts me.” How exactly do you answer the taunter? The word for answer here in Hebrew comes from the idea of “singing tunefully.”
You know how it feels when you have that perfect zinger—that great one-liner as a comeback to someone who’s tweaked you?
And you know how you don’t just say that zinger, but you add a musical note to it as well, just to add a little emphasis?
Well, this is what Christians can do to the devil when he taunts them! The book of Revelation tells us that satan is the accuser (the taunter) of the Christians, and that we overcome him by the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony. But the psalmist says it’s not just plain old words, but the lilting sing-song, tuneful reply to his taunt.
We reply to our enemy’s taunts with a Scriptural-based tweak of our own. We can remind him of our total forgiveness in Christ. We can tell him how God loves us, and sent His Son to die for our sins, and how the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a deposit guaranteeing that we are now in Christ. We can use the Bible to tunefully taunt the taunter with the truth of God’s Word.
Don’t just silently take it when the enemy accuses you. Don’t get mad. But shut him up by answering him with a song right from God’s Word!
Twice in Romans 7, the Apostle Paul uses the phrase “but sin, seizing the opportunity” (vv. 8, 11).
Sin always seizes any opportunity it gets. The devil always prowls around looking for an opportunity to tempt and destroy. And my flesh is always only too eager to give in to the pull of sin and the devil (v. 25).
If we want victory over sin and the devil, we have to be AWARE and be PREPARED.
“When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left Jesus until an opportune time” (Luke 4:13).
The devil will bide his time.
“…satan has asked to sift you as wheat…” (Luke 22:31).
It’s not always the big shakings that will cause us to sin, but the little siftings can wear us down.
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith…” (1 Peter 5:8-9).
“Keep awake and watch and pray constantly, that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Mark 14:38).
If you haven’t been tempted lately, or if you’ve recently overcome a temptation, stay humble. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12).
And then stay ready: “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).
A warrior in a combat zone never has a single day he is without his armor.
Lord, save me from my sins. By the name of Jesus I am encouraged thus to pray.
Craig T. Owens 