From Adversity To Advancement

Adversity is something that we all have to face. It’s a part of life. The only way that you can get out of the battles of life is to die, so you might as well learn how to deal with them and live a life pleasing to Jesus.

The Bible tells us in John 10:10,

“The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy…”

Satan is the thief that this verse is talking about. All that kills, all that steals, and all that destroys is from the devil. It is not from God.

The devil wants to steal the promises of God away from you and frustrate you until you lose your faith. Adversity is designed to get you to quit.

But we don’t have to just take it. Any storm that comes into our lives is a storm that we can face and overcome with God’s power. In fact, if you let Him, God will use the storms the devil brings your way to advance you to new levels in life.

But understand this: There are some storms that we allow into our lives through sin, disobedience, unforgiveness, speaking the wrong words, and fear. When we have any of these things in our lives and trials come our way, we shouldn’t be too surprised, because we left the door open.

Sin gives satan the legal right to enter our lives. Sin gives demons a foothold to bring oppression our way. Jesus told the sick man, in John chapter 5, “Go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” How we live our lives is important. Jesus tied the possibility of something bad happening in this man’s future to how he lived his life.

There’s so much teaching in the modern church today about how you can live just any old way and it will be fine with God. Friends, I’m here to tell you that there are consequences for sinning.

So, the first step in dealing with adversity is a little self-examination. That’s something we should do every day. We need to be regularly looking at our lives and disciplining ourselves. We need to constantly be confessing our sins and allowing the blood of Jesus to wash them away so that satan can’t come against us with accusations.

The great thing is that when we confess our sins, the Bible says, “He is faithful to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness” (I John 1:9). God is so good that He will forgive us and even help us out of the troubles that we have brought upon ourselves.

But not all trials, storms, and adversity are brought on by our own sin. Sometimes, right before some of your greatest victories in life, you’ll face some of your biggest trials.

Why?

Because satan can sense when something big is on the horizon for you, so he swoops in with a storm to try to throw you off and get you to give up on your blessings or promotions.

It’s simple. If you’re a threat to satan, he’s going to come against you and try to stop you. But if you never see adversity or opposition in your life maybe you and the enemy are going in the same direction.

If you are living a godly life and following Jesus with all your heart, then adversity should be some type of an alarm clock to let you know that you are really close to getting a blessing or a promotion.

But you’ll never take hold of it, if you quit in the middle of trouble. Don’t quit when it gets hard. The devil is trying to stop your success. This is the time when the character built into you by the Word of God should make you rise up and refuse to be beaten.

“Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you.” (I Peter 4:12-14)

Adversity is just an opportunity for you to show what you’ve got! Stand up and show that you’re more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus!

When a test comes, take that test and ace it. No Christian is excused from the day of adversity. You will have to face it at some point in life, so study up now and take that test to pass it.

People who faint in the day of adversity will usually face more adversity. When the devil sees that you couldn’t pass his last test, he’ll keep throwing them at you again and again.

The devil doesn’t play nice. He doesn’t show mercy. He doesn’t ease off. He wants to kill, steal and destroy you and he will keep coming at you until you fight back.

The good news is that when you pass the test, you’re ready for promotion!

So here are three simple things you can do to pass the tests of life:

1) Study the Word and speak it. If you have the Word down deep inside you, when you need it, it will come out. You have to study and speak the Word in good times and in times of trials. It is your fire hydrant. Don’t fan the flames with negative words. Speak what God says. Remind yourself of God’s promises, and put out the fiery trials of the enemy.

2) Be glad and rejoice in the midst of adversity. Psalm 31:7 says, “I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy and steadfast love, because You have seen my affliction, You have taken note of my life’s distresses.” Rejoicing in the Lord will activate your faith and kill the fear that satan uses to fuel adversity against you. With no fuel, the fires will soon burn out.

3) Surround yourself with the right kind of people. Psalm 35:15 tells us, “But in my stumbling and limping they rejoiced and gathered together [against me]; the smiters (slanderers and revilers) gathered against me, and I knew them not; they ceased not to slander and revile me.” Don’t hang around with people who will throw a pity party for you. You need friends who will preach the Word to you in times of trouble and stir you up to press on in faith.

Praise God, you can stir yourself up and face adversity. Tell yourself that you will not be defeated in the day of adversity!

Then you can tell the devil that he might as well go somewhere else, because the only thing that adversity is going to do to you is sharpen you. When you don’t feel like praising God but you do it anyway, you get stronger and sharper. Walk over your enemy and get your victory.

Remember: People are like teabags. When you put them in hot water, they either grow stronger and get more flavor, or they tear and break, messily spilling their contents adrift.