Christian Living

---

There are people all around the world going through tough times right now. Maybe you’re one of them. Afflictions can happen for many reasons which may include our own bad decisions, willful sin, or just the fallen condition of the world around us. Regarding sickness, it sometimes stems merely from the fallen nature of man.

If the truth be known, no one is excluded from the spiritual battle because we were all born into it. This battle will continue until Christ returns and sets up His kingdom. Some time or another, whether we expect it or not, we’re going to go through some form of tribulation. This is not a written promise that God wants us to claim, but simply an honest statement of fact. Christ, Himself, spoke of this present world’s condition to His disciples. But we can be of good cheer – because He also gave us God’s answer.

John 16:33 KJV
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

The tribulation mentioned in the above verse was caused by demonically inspired people coming against Christ. However, tribulation in general is affliction, oppression, or distress of some type which can be caused by a myriad of reasons all rooted in a fallen world and orchestrated by satan. Christ has overcome the devil and the power of this fallen world.

No matter what the reason for your present problem, Christ has overcome it. It is Christ who dwells in you if you are saved (Romans 10:9-10 KJV; Colossians 1:25-27 KJV). Hence you can walk hand in hand with Him and receive into fruition your deliverance. Now this is a good place to get happy. There is light on the horizon.

2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Who causes us to triumph? That would be our God – the one who has no equal! How does He do it? That would be “in Christ”, whose seat of authority is above all others!

Philippians 2:9 KJV
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.

Christ has (past tense) already spoiled the devil’s seat of authority over the believer’s life. It’s a done deal.

Colossians 2:13-15 KJV
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

We have been set free from the power of sin, and the devils dominion. The phrases “causes triumph”, in 2 Corinthians 2:14, and “triumphing” in Colossians 2:15 are both from the same Greek word. That tells us, by these verses, that the reason that we can triumph is because Christ stripped the devil of his authority over the believer. Certainly the devil still has power, but he does not have the authority to enforce it over the God-given rights of a believer. If he does so he must do it by lying and stealth. This is how he endeavors to gain the upper hand over the Christian.

What then, do we need to do to walk out our victory? First off, it is a walk of faith. The word faith implies that we are trusting in something or someone. God does not ask us to have faith in our faith, but rather in His goodness. He has prepaid for our deliverance (yes, even before we knew we had a need). That paid in full receipt has Christ name on it.

Ephesians 1:19 – 20 KJV
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power.
Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.

The bigger we see His love for us, the more firm will be our confidence that He is working out our deliverance. Faith is built upon relationship.

Ephesians 3:19-20 KJV
And to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

The word passeth in verse nineteen means to surpass. That begs the question, how can we know something that exceeds knowledge? The answer to that is in the Greek word “know” in the same verse. That word is ginosko which means an experiential knowledge.

When we rely upon the love that God has provided for us in Christ, we will see His gracious hand move on our behalf. We will see and experience the delivering hand of God from victory to victory. Walking with the Father far exceeds mere head knowledge of Him. Job, in the Old Testament, learned this truth first hand as God delivered him from his many troubles.

Job 42:5 KJV
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.

Our reliance upon Him will involve our praise of His goodness, as well as declarations of faith that pertain to our situation: He is restoring you to health and healing you of all your wounds; He is supplying all your needs according to His riches in glory; You can do all things through Christ who is strengthening you; He has not given you the spirit of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind etc.

We need to find the covenant truths that pertain to our present situation and agree with God’s words of life. Once we have them we declare them out loud and step out on them. We need to always keep in our hearts that He loves us exceedingly, that’s why our words are agreeing with His. We Speak them out loud so that our hearts can hear. We need to give God room to move.

Remember, we are not pulling something out of God’s hand but rather taking His hand and walking with Him as He works out our deliverance. He has assured us that He will never leave us or forsake us.

A woman I knew was working at a job dealing with seniors. It got around the group that this woman was a serious Christian, and believed that God answered prayer. Often time’s different concerns would arise in their lives and some would come to her to ask for prayer. She was told by her supervisor that this was very much frowned upon by “upper management”. She checked the Employee’s Handbook, but was not able to confirm what she’d been told. She knew that her supervisor held a strong personnel disdain for Christians, and was known to have been a bully in her dealings with other employees.

When she again met with her supervisor he informed her that she could not pray with the clients - even if they sought her out specifically for that reason, and even when if it was done on her own time. He again stated that this was the policy of their organization. He went on to imply that if she wanted to keep her job she would need to line up and “leave her faith at home”. Her reply to that was simply “That’s not happening, cause that’s not who I am.”

This woman knew that God was a good God. She had learned from experience that she could trust Him to supply her needs and direct her to be victorious in this situation, even when the pressure against her began to escalate. She’d also found out that her supervisor had conspired with another employee to set up a situation of entrapment against her in order to get her fired. But our God was a few steps ahead of them.

In her prayer time she began asking the Lord what He would have her to do. She sensed that the Lord was telling her that the time was coming soon for her to leave this company. She obeyed Him and began looking around for another job. A very good one soon opened up and she was offered and accepted the new position.

She was literally in the process of writing out her resignation when this supervisor once again called her into his office. He had decided once and for all, that he had to “put a stop” to her “Christian activities”. He seemed to be expecting her to completely fold, apologize and submit to his positional bullying. Instead, she handed him her two weeks’ notice! She told me, “You should have seen the look on his face!”

Her old job was a forty minute drive each way, in city traffic. Her new job was literally within walking distance from her home. The new company was owned by a Christian man. The first day she joined the company her new boss took her aside, saying that he had a “private matter to discuss with her”. He informed her that some of his current employees met together, of their own volition, each day before work in order to pray. He wanted to make it very clear to her that it was “in no way mandatory that she participate”, but that if she chose to do so, that she would be welcomed. Is God good or what! Taste and see that the Lord is good.

2 Corinthians 2:14 KJV
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Our website- www.comewalkwiththefather.com Our e-book-"Come Walk With The Father"

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE