Life can be very challenging sometimes, and this is not a situation peculiar to only believers, but as believers what is our strategy for victory?
What happens when the things that God promised us in his word seem not to be matching with our present-day reality?
Do we turn around and call God a liar? Or is there something else a believer can do to bring that victorious reality into their lives?
Having challenges is not new; in fact, it is legally part of the journey, because the bible has already said:
“Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” Psalms 34:19
The afflictions we face only come to test our faith, and blessed are those who overcome and stand until they see the word of God fulfilled in their lives.
We must be ready and all out with the whole armor of God that defends us against all the wiles of the devil. His mission is always to steal what we have, to kill our faith, and to destroy whatever God is building in our lives.
“The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
This tells us the character of the adversary and gives us an insight into the kind of battle we are fighting.
God wants us to have faith in him at every turn in our lives, it doesn’t matter what it looks like at that moment, our duty is to focus on what God has said.
It is in our times of testing that our faith is truly known; whether we have truly understood the word of God we have been studying or we have just been listening without true understanding.
The report of God says that we are healed by the stripes that went on Jesus’ back when he was arrested and beaten before the people:
But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities.
The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
This verse gives us the authority and basis for our faith in healing, seeing that it means as long as Jesus was ever wounded, then we have healing. This will forever be true as long as it happened that Jesus was wounded; and we believe by the authority of scripture that he was.
He was pierced in his side, so we have been forgiven of our transgressions. Don’t let the devil make you doubt the forgiveness that God has freely given you because of the piercing and crushing of Jesus. Jesus went through a lot to buy us redemption and restoration, don’t let the thoughts of doubts going through your mind make you question your salvation.
God’s report says that you are forgiven and you are now his righteousness in Christ:
For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith Romans 1:17
You see it is by faith that we have access to anything in this kingdom. It takes faith to believe in the justification and imputed righteousness of God upon you. No matter what the situation around you is looking like, the devil accusing you of your crimes and unfaithfulness to God, you must stand in faith believing what you have received and who you are.
That you fall or trespass for a while does not automatically mean that you have been doomed and there is no coming back; don’t let the devil convince you like that.
The bible says:
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:1-2
It takes faith to believe your righteousness when it looks like you keep missing it and you keep failing God, but whose report will you believe and hold true?
Would you believe in the report of the one true God, who loves you so much that he had to send his own Son to die and make a way for you to be redeemed to the Father forever? Or would you believe the words of the one who the bible calls the accuser of the brethren, who’s only duty has only ever been to oppose every good thing that God does?
It takes faith for us to shut the devil and possess what is ours.
Don’t believe that report that says that your health is deteriorating without a solution, don’t believe the discouraging reports about your business, don’t listen to the voices that say your relationships and family are irreconcilable, don’t ever believe any of that, but trust in the Lord with all your heart, because “The just shall live by faith.”
