When You Think God is Against You

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I lay in the hospital bed and listened to the woman next to me cry out, “Why me?”

A few days earlier they had found a lump on her breast, something every woman fears. She was still in a state of shock as she walked about the room crying and asking no one in particular, “Why me? Why must I have to be the one to suffer this way?”

This week we’ve read similar words as Job cries out,”Why me, God? Why must I suffer this way?”

In the 19th chapter we read: “Have pity on me, have pity on me, O you my friends, For the hand of God has struck me!” However, when we look back on the 1st chapter we see that in fact it isn’t God who has stuck Job, but Satan. Satan had created a strategy to destroy Job and turn him against God.

Although that strategy didn’t work, Job did not recognize his true enemy.

Do you know that Satan has a strategy to destroy you? This isn’t something we need to fear, because God’s power is a million times stronger than anything Satan can strategize; and just as he was not allowed to completely destroy Job, God wont let him destroy you either.

But he does have a strategy, and he knows how to create a good one…

to steal your desire to pray
to steal your desire for God’s Word
to steal your desire for church
to steal your boldness to share your testimony

“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

And we see these missing elements in our lives and feel guilty, because we suppose the problem is with us…when actually we have become a target for Satan’s strategy.

And the question is: what do we do about it?

We plan a better strategy!

My dear sisters, we are in a war. Sometimes we forget that we are not prisoners of war, but warriors in God’s army! God has already given us everything we need to defeat Satan!

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

But – don’t forget this final weapon in our arsenal:

“praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—”

God isn’t against you, just as He wasn’t against Job; rather we are in a war and Satan’s strategy is for our utter destruction. This is why we must arise, put on our armor, take up our weapons and fight against him – strategically!

We see that we have 4 items of defense

1. Belt of truth

2. Breastplate of righteousness

3. Shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace

4. Shield of faith

But we only  have two offensive weapons

1. Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God

2. Prayer

And it is with these offensive weapons that we battle Satan!

First we find verses from scripture that address our current situation and that encourage our hearts:

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,” 2 Peter 1:2-3

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” 1 Peter 1:13

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.” Jude 24-25

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

Keep a prayer journal

I can’t wait to share more on this! I have a whole post planned about this. In short, I have a notebook where I keep record of all my prayer requests, dated requests and answers to prayer.

But I have a special page: that page is for warfare! I write down areas of my life (or people for whom I am praying) where I feel I have a specific battle and what strategy I  think Satan is using,

Then I write down verses and strategic prayers that pertain to that battle.

Because dear sisters, we can live defeated, discouraged, and disappointed….

Or we can arise in the mighty power of Jesus Christ, put on our armor, take up our weapons and be victorious over our enemy!

No – God is not against us, He is for us!

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31

Dear sisters, I’ve been reading the book Fervent by Priscilla Shirer – about strategic prayer . I encourage you to grab a copy today!