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Overcome By Trials
We all suffer trials and evils, a type of “Goliath” during the duration of our lives. You may be in a battle against sickness, emotional oppression, a daunting sin, a troubling relationship or simply have lost faith in humanity. In desperation, you seek God through Christ and the grace of God touches your life as a light from the darkness. Your victory may have come through a word, prayer or spiritual revelation, but you assuredly know the Lord has delivered you or a loved one. Like David using the five smooth stones of grace (5 is number of divine grace), you have seen your Goliath defeated.
However, a few days, weeks or months or perhaps years later, the trial returns with a vengeance. If you were struggling with an illness, it manifests worse than ever; if your battle was regarding a relationship or a particular sin, it may seem as if all progress has been lost. You are back to facing it as if starting over. The heart sinks and fails, and the soul is dispirited and ready to despond, and give up all hope of enjoying the desired blessing; whether it be deliverance from any evil, or the possession of any good.
We all have been there. These reoccurring experiences can drain the faith from the heart, especially if repeated over a period of time. We can easily lose the anticipation and power of hope, replaced by a spiritual coldness that sweeps the soul. A Christian may still attend church or look to God as the source of life, but faith may become unresponsive. When others testify of deliverance, you may think they too could “lose their experience” given enough time.
For many, the result of setback and disappointments is one of soul-buckling disillusionment. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. The scripture says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). How can you trust God when it seems like He let you down? Is my faith misdirected or lined with mystical fantasy? You might wonder: “Did I lose my breakthrough or was I only deceiving myself and never really had it?”
Disillusionment is a feeling of disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be. Disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgment of others. This "heartsickness” is a spiritual illness that can cripple your walk with God through Christ and others in the faith. “Faith is the substance of the things you hope for” (Hebrews 11:1); if you allow your heart to lose hope, your faith will become hollow and darkened.
You may have had many successful victories in your life. However, because the current giant you are facing looks like the one defeated in the past, don't buy the satanic lie that you never really won the first battle by God's intervention. By the strength of God's grace, you trusted the Almighty and conquered your Goliath. The first giant is dead. Satan uses disillusionment so he can slip past your faith to gain entrance into your heart. Like a thief, he will always come in around the side or back.
Turnabout and resist him directly and without fear. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) Stand in faith (Ephesians 6). Don't accept the lie that you or your loved one were never delivered. “…do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:27b) Also, Ephesians 6:11 reads “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.” The victory that overcomes the world is our faith (1 John 5:4). Yahweh Tsebaoth, the Lord of Hosts, who helped you conquer Goliath will fight for you and empower you to overcome Goliath's brother as well.
“Resist him [Satan], standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:9) Around you even at this moment, a large percentage of people will be facing this same valley, and they feel alone in it. We are instructed to always extend mercy toward others who are troubled, for the plight is a difficult battle we will soon find ourselves in. Matthew 18:33 resounds God’s thoughts, “Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?”
There is only one who can completely satisfy the depths of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Savior is uncompromising with regard to every human dilemma because He knows that every heart that is not based on faithfulness to him will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet he was never suspicious or bitter against the winds of evil that blew against him. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope. If our trust is placed in human beings or a good life, we will end up despairing of everyone and everything.
While we yet breathe, hope in faith is the Christian credential that aligns the created with the Creator. If you have lost your spiritual position along the way, seek to restore it as a treasure and resume in God through Christ. Only then can we be more than overcomers despite any obstacle or trial we may face, even unto death.
However, a few days, weeks or months or perhaps years later, the trial returns with a vengeance. If you were struggling with an illness, it manifests worse than ever; if your battle was regarding a relationship or a particular sin, it may seem as if all progress has been lost. You are back to facing it as if starting over. The heart sinks and fails, and the soul is dispirited and ready to despond, and give up all hope of enjoying the desired blessing; whether it be deliverance from any evil, or the possession of any good.
We all have been there. These reoccurring experiences can drain the faith from the heart, especially if repeated over a period of time. We can easily lose the anticipation and power of hope, replaced by a spiritual coldness that sweeps the soul. A Christian may still attend church or look to God as the source of life, but faith may become unresponsive. When others testify of deliverance, you may think they too could “lose their experience” given enough time.
For many, the result of setback and disappointments is one of soul-buckling disillusionment. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. The scripture says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12). How can you trust God when it seems like He let you down? Is my faith misdirected or lined with mystical fantasy? You might wonder: “Did I lose my breakthrough or was I only deceiving myself and never really had it?”
Disillusionment is a feeling of disappointment resulting from the discovery that something is not as good as one believed it to be. Disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgment of others. This "heartsickness” is a spiritual illness that can cripple your walk with God through Christ and others in the faith. “Faith is the substance of the things you hope for” (Hebrews 11:1); if you allow your heart to lose hope, your faith will become hollow and darkened.
You may have had many successful victories in your life. However, because the current giant you are facing looks like the one defeated in the past, don't buy the satanic lie that you never really won the first battle by God's intervention. By the strength of God's grace, you trusted the Almighty and conquered your Goliath. The first giant is dead. Satan uses disillusionment so he can slip past your faith to gain entrance into your heart. Like a thief, he will always come in around the side or back.
Turnabout and resist him directly and without fear. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) Stand in faith (Ephesians 6). Don't accept the lie that you or your loved one were never delivered. “…do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:27b) Also, Ephesians 6:11 reads “Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.” The victory that overcomes the world is our faith (1 John 5:4). Yahweh Tsebaoth, the Lord of Hosts, who helped you conquer Goliath will fight for you and empower you to overcome Goliath's brother as well.
“Resist him [Satan], standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:9) Around you even at this moment, a large percentage of people will be facing this same valley, and they feel alone in it. We are instructed to always extend mercy toward others who are troubled, for the plight is a difficult battle we will soon find ourselves in. Matthew 18:33 resounds God’s thoughts, “Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?”
There is only one who can completely satisfy the depths of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Savior is uncompromising with regard to every human dilemma because He knows that every heart that is not based on faithfulness to him will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet he was never suspicious or bitter against the winds of evil that blew against him. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope. If our trust is placed in human beings or a good life, we will end up despairing of everyone and everything.
While we yet breathe, hope in faith is the Christian credential that aligns the created with the Creator. If you have lost your spiritual position along the way, seek to restore it as a treasure and resume in God through Christ. Only then can we be more than overcomers despite any obstacle or trial we may face, even unto death.