Set as Flint

Lately I have noticed at a new level that whenever God is doing something great in a body of His people, the enemy brings an onslaught of attacks as a result. At Ellerslie this summer, many of the girls talked about how they just felt so tired whenever we were in session but were fine out of session.  Some people also had an increase in bad dreams, while others dealt with various attempts of the enemy to distract them.  These would come at crucial moments in the semester, when we knew that we needed to be engaged and fighting the battle but were being barraged by the enemy. However, once we recognized that they were attacks coming from the enemy to get our eyes off Jesus, fixed upon ourselves, and thusly not allowing God to accomplish the work He was wanting to do in us, we began to fight and saw vivid and great results.

I have noticed something similar here at college lately, also. We have been meeting for prayer every night for a while now. We have been pressing into prayer for the salvation of those around us and for campus revival. The enemy knows, of course. Today I suddenly realized that many of the girls I have talked to recently have been experiencing distractions in a greater measure in their lives than earlier in the semester.

While it is difficult to fight these battles, raise up walls of fortification, and not allow the enemy to have an inch of ground in our lives, we should also count it a great privilege. It simply means that God is doing great things, and the enemy is trying to stop it. I think it may have been William Booth that said, in talking about sending people out to do the work of the Kingdom, “Go and take the devil with you.” Every true work and movement of God will have the opposition of the devil along with it. Spurgeon said, “There was never a revival of religion without a revival of satan’s opposition.”

So, while we consider it all joy that satan sees the mighty work God wants to do in us, let us also be on our guard. He must not be allowed to distract us, to move us, to get our eyes off of Jesus. Jesus wants to do something mighty in our lives, so let us continue to look to Him, with our swords drawn, ready to fight any spiritual power of darkness that would seek to thwart His purpose!

This morning, I was struck by the phrase in Acts 11: 23, “with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.” Let us set our hearts to seek the Lord, and set our faces as flint (Isaiah 50: 7) in this battle. We will not be distracted, we will not be moved, we will not be deterred. For King and Kingdom!