Opposition...Why Are You Surprised?

One of the most devious lies ever told in Christianity is that once you accept Jesus as your savior, you will never have any more problems. It sounds nice, and to the new Christian even has a ring of truth to it. After all they have just had the blinders removed, the chains taken away and put on their robe of righteousness...why wouldn't everything be okay? They just entered the Kingdom of Heaven.

Christians who use this reasoning with baby Christians should be flogged. Okay, maybe not really flogged, but they should be told what they are doing is wrong. Jesus never promised us that life would be easy. He actually told us, "In the world you "will" have trouble." (John 16:33) Not maybe, it could happen, or if you've done something wrong, but you will have trouble!

Now that's more like it. Here's the clarity that so many of us need. We are going to have trouble, so why are we surprised when hell lands on our doorstep? We shouldn't be should we? After all Jesus can't lie right? So now that we've established that problems are going to come, what do we do with that? Go hide in a cave somewhere and wait for Jesus' return? No! We are the salt, we are the light of the world...we've got to tell people about Jesus so that they can get out of the bondage of the enemy.

But wait, there's more. Jesus starts verse 33 by saying, "These things I have spoken unto you that in me you might have peace." And He ends the verse by saying, "but be of good cheer (be happy). I have overcome the world." Jesus talks about the answer to the problems twice as much as He talks about the problem. I wonder, do we do that? Or do we magnify the problems by talking more about them than the answer to the problems?

We as Christians are going to be opposed, especially if we are doing something for the Kingdom. The enemy is defeated, but unless we demonstrate his defeat in our walk with the Lord, the enemy will ride roughshod over us. We have been given mighty weapons by God to help us overcome the evil one, the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit leading, guiding and directing our steps (if we will listen to Him that is). It's like this statement I heard last night, "If you don't bump into the devil every once in a while, you just might be going in the same direction as him."

So when hell shows up on your doorstep, don't be surprised by it...be ready for it and stand in the knowledge that we, when in union with Christ, overcome the opposition by staying in the peace that Jesus gave us, and being of good cheer (staying happy during adverse circumstances) knowing that we win...every time.

Strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!