Faith Under Attack

“Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

1 Timothy 6:12

Satan will attack our faith through our  faith, funds, family and flesh. Consider how Job resisted devil’s attack to his faith. 

I – Faith – Job’s faith was real. Job is classic example of a man whom faith was tested by the devil. But Job’s faith was not shaken even under attack. His adversity strengthens his life because his faith is real.  Not real faith or artificial faith can be destroyed by  adversity.  Adversity destroys the superficial faith, but adversity strengthens real faith. Don't let your trials blow you down. Let them lift you up. " that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?” – Job 1:8

II – Funds – Our funds can be an instrument of devil too. Job knew that everything he has were gifts from God therefore it should be returned and used for the glory of God. "Most people fail to realize that money is both a TEST and a TRUST from God. We can either use our money to serve God or our God will be our money."   “And said, Naked came I out if my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor changed God foolishly.” Job 1:21-22

III – Family – When Job’s family died due to disaster, he did not blame God.  Some people blame God for the natural disasters that killed their family and they turned down their faith away from God.  But Job even under the shadow of death did not gave up his faith, instead he loved more our God.   .” And behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.  Job 1:18-19.

Yes it is true to take good care of our family to give food, clothing and shelter but too much of it  and putting God as a second option  to the point of ignoring God’s commandment to serve Him is a big mistake.  Sometimes if the one we loved more will cause us to ignore God, he will send instruments or  ways or even  punishment  or  taking our loved ones away from us for us to return . Matthew 10:37  is very clear and warns us that “he that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.

IV – Flesh  - Did God allow men to suffer?  According to Helen Keller a blind and deaf woman, "there is a purpose to suffering and if faced rightly, it can drive us like a nail deep into more stability and spiritual power than you can imagine." "Trials and sufferings are intended to make us think, to wean us from the world, to send us to the Bible and to drive us to our knees."

Like Job when satan smote him with boils, Job remained steadfast and faithful to God even his wife told him to curse God. “So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. Job 2:7-10

According to Joni Earekson Tada a mouth painter, writer who wrote a book entitled “When God Weeps: Why Our Sufferings Matter to the  Almighty” and quadriphlegic Christian,  "God has chosen not to heal me, but to hold me. The more intense the pain, the closer His embrace.”

(From the sermons of Pastor Teofilito A. Rufon of Odiongan Baptist Church, Inc. Odiongan, Romblon).