— Brother Phil Enlow: No matter what we face, even if it’s to die, even if it’s pain, even if it’s persecution, or some other form of difficulty, He knows about it, He’s with us. It’s not something that we have to fear.
We do not have to bring the worries about things that might happen in the future into the present and carry them like a burden. You have the right, He invites you, He tells you to cast it upon Him.
This is not, if you measure up, maybe I’ll help you. This is God’s instruction to every believer. You’re going to worry about things in this life. But we don’t have to! We have the privilege of carrying…of throwing them! Say, God, You take it. I can’t handle this, but it’s not my job to handle it. It’s yours.
My life is in Your hands, as we sing. Is it really? You know, if it is, we don’t have to carry that burden. Oh, may God help us…to wake up to such simple truth…we’re familiar with these things. But how many have really got this nailed? See, this is only the first part, this is us and God.
But, if we get this right…the more we learn to humble and cast, with respect to Him, we’re gonna have what it takes to get into the next paragraph. I need that, because if all…if I have to deal with is, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him…” (NIV). Okay.
But if I haven’t got that first part nailed, or I’m working on it, I’m learning that area, in that area, I’m gonna have a problem with this. Because I’m not facing the devil in His strength, I’m facing it in my own. I’m trying to stand. I’m trying to do this, and it doesn’t work, folks. The devil has got power, and he’s got an ally in our flesh, that agrees with him. And all he has to do is keep looking for those weak places. May God help us.
And this is not written to unbelievers! This is written to believers, where the devil, if we will fall into the habit of yielding to him in certain areas of our lives, he will gain a hold. He will do damage to our spiritual lives. We will not be all that God wants us to be. There will be things that He wants for us but we are making choices not to stand.
Folks, every one of us…it is quiet. Every one of us needs this, don’t we? How reminiscent of Ephesians 6 this is. He uses that word ‘stand’ several times…stand, stand, stand. But doesn’t he begin it with His power? That’s a good thing because I don’t have it. But you know, when I am looking to Him, I have it.
But listen to what he says, “Resist him, standing firm in the faith….” Now, if you would say that in many circles, standing firm in the faith means standing firm on the doctrines that my group professes. “…Standing firm in the faith….” I know what the faith is, and then they’ll recite the Apostle’s Creed or whatever their particular statement is, and they can nail the theology of it, they can describe it, they can understand it, they’ve got it nailed, they’ve gotten it mastered in their minds, I’m firm in the faith.
Is that what it’s talking about? No, there’s something a whole lot deeper that than. Yeah, we need the knowledge. It’s good to know what is true. But folks, I don’t need a faith in a creed. I need a faith in a Person! I need a confidence! I need something that reaches out to Him and says, Lord, I know in spite of what I feel, in spite of what I see, I know You’ve got this! I know You have allowed me to come into this place to work in my heart to help me.
This is part of the deliverance. This is part of why I need to humble myself, put myself in Your hands, so You can change me! I’ve got to be willing to do that. But Lord, right now it doesn’t look good, right now it doesn’t feel good. But that’s no excuse to stop standing, because there are going to be times, like we’ve said many times in the past, when faith is all you’ve got. But faith is enough—faith is enough! That’s what the Lord wants us to learn, to believe Him, no matter what.
And I’ll tell you, that alone, just that dynamic of us having to face the devil, and not feeling like there’s any help, but believing in Him anyway because of our relationship to Him and what we know of Him. We believe Him anyway and we stand in that!
Man, the devil has no answer for that! Whether that comes out as quoting the…quoting the Word like Jesus did, or however it comes out, God can give us the strength to stand and say, I don’t care what you say, Devil, God is true. He is faithful. He is my God and I’m trusting in Him in this moment.
Faith is an active trust in the living God, that what He says is true! It’s pretty obvious from scripture and experience that God has determined, He has planned, I guess is a better word, to gather a family out of a broken world, and obviously…that family is going to need to stand against something! We’re gonna have to overcome something!
There are going to be difficult choices, where we’re gonna have to choose to follow God and choose to reject something else, reject the world and our own nature. He’s not just simply calling us out of a passive little world where everything is sweet and lovely. He’s calling us out of a broken world where we are at war with a relentless enemy who has real power. But folks, He has greater power!
( congregational amens ).
There is no power greater than God! And I’ll tell you, those who align themselves with Him, we have everything that we need, to stand. So, when he’s talking about standing, resisting, firm in the faith, he’s not talking about just believing certain doctrines, he’s talking about a confidence in the Person, just like Abraham exhibited time and time again. “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (KJV).
But anyway, these are not new truths. But, do you see the connection, though, as you move through this dynamic of us relating to God, having a foundation built in our lives where we’re confident, we’re surrendered, we’re looking to Him, we learn how to not dwell on things we can’t control from the future or the past, but just trust Him in the moment! And now we’re face to face with an enemy. We’ve got something to stand on. We’ve got someone to whom we can look. Praise God! Anybody here need that?
( congregational response ).
Yeah. Every single one of us that’s serving God needs what he’s talking about here. All right? But not only that, Peter wants to encourage us, “…because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (NIV).
How many times have we said before, one of the devil’s big tactics is that, you’re the only one, or God has somehow allowed you to be singled out because, and then you fill in the blank about whatever that negative reason is? Folks, this is how, this is the pathway to the Kingdom of God.
Did not Paul go back to encourage new believers with the words, “…we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” (KJV). The way into the kingdom is going to be through opposition. We’re gonna have to be willing to fight, and in the fighting thereof, as we draw it and do it by His strength, we are changed. There’s something that happens to us that actually makes us fit for what God’s purpose is.
This is not God somehow losing control and trying to vainly bring us through. This is absolutely God…Satan is God’s servant and doesn’t…doesn’t like the idea, but He absolutely…the Lord knew all about this. He has purposed to bring His people through everything this world can throw at us.
And so, in the middle of this, the other end of this sandwich, in verse 10, “And the God of all grace…” (NIV). Aren’t you glad it uses the word all? It’s not “some.” It’s not a little bit. It’s not, I hope it’s enough. This is all grace! Grace is that divine help, without which I cannot serve God! It’s God…this is God’s mighty hand reaching down and saying, here’s the strength you need in this circumstance. The God of all grace is there.
But, are we looking to Him? Do you see why our part at the beginning of this is so important? Are we willing to take that humble place and say, yes Lord? I get that my life is not about me. It’s not about what happens in this world. It doesn’t revolve around me. It revolves around a purpose that goes way beyond this world. You’re the only one that can get me there, and I humble myself into Your hands because that’s what my life is about.
Folks, if that foundation is laid in a heart, we’ve got everything we need to stand in this hour, whatever hour, because God is a God of all grace, “…who called you…” See, now we’re back to God and you. “…Who called you to his eternal glory in Christ….” Praise God!
So, while on the one hand, we’re living in the world and He brings us through…He gives us what we need to get through the circumstance, and He makes us stronger, and He has a place, a time when He’s gonna lift us up and make us something more.
But oh, look at the final end. It’s glory, folks! There’s gonna come a time when you and I will shine like the sun in the kingdom of our Father. And, we’ll look, we’ll bow…if He gives us anything at all, we’ll cast those crowns down at His feet and just worship Him forever and ever.
After 10,000 years we still have, no less…no fewer years, do we? Just like we sang this morning. Some of the songs were just…wonderful selection of songs this morning, about what God has given us, what He’s done for us.
But He’s called us, to eternal glory in Christ! This is His purpose, again, from the foundation of the world, He knew your name, He called you, He wants you to be part of His kingdom! What is our place? To humble, to cast! Two things! They’re big things, aren’t they?
But you think about how he begins that paragraph: “…The God of all grace….” That means when it’s tough for you to humble yourself, it’s tough for you to cast, we have every right to look to Him. He’s not sitting there saying, what’s the matter with you, get with the program. I’m just gonna go away and leave you for awhile until you get it right, and then you come and we’ll talk.
This is, I know where you’re at. I’m here to reach down with all of my strength, all of my might. Just put your trust in Me and I will help you right where you’re at, and I’ll give you the strength you need for today.
Can we let go and let God have His way? We sang that this morning. What a perfect, fitting way to express all of this. But just trusting Him. He’s promised His strength, His mighty hand. It’s not against us, it’s not to suppress us, it’s for us! To lift us up! Bring us to a better place. Do you need to be in a better place? I do.
“…Who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while….” So that must be part of His purpose if that’s…if He says that, unless the Devil’s just stronger, do you think? No! This is part of what it takes for us to become what He wants us to be.
Jesus went to a cross. That cross meant He was renouncing His life in this world. He was renouncing the world itself, and the devil who rules in this world. He was willingly laying it all down. But He knew that when He did, His Father was going to bring Him forth with a brand-new life that the Devil could not touch.
That is exactly what the Lord has called every one of us to, take up our cross. It means laying down your life and turning your back on it, giving it to Him, giving Him your future, your plans, laying it every bit on the altar, and saying, God, I want Your plan, not mine. I want Your life, not mine. Your purpose, not mine. Your will, not mine. Just grant to me the strength to be able to stand in that and put my trust in You when it doesn’t feel good. Praise God!
Because there will be times when we suffer. And again, that may be painful but it could be anything where we’re saying, no, to this old nature. It’s crying out to have its way and you’re saying, no. Because that’s not what God wants. That’s not pleasing to Him.
Oh God, give me the strength, because this has got to be power on power, folks. There’s a power in sin. There is a power that the Devil has. I need some power that’s better than that. That’s what God is offering in this. Praise God!
You, God and the Devil. So, what does He do in the process of this? He talks about the eternal future, but now he’s talking about what happens here on earth in this dynamic as we look to Him, as we face off with the battles, as we stand upon the foundation He has laid, which is perfect, what’s going on?
“…After you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you….” Now, who’s doing this? He didn’t say, come on, restore yourself. This is humbling ourselves under His mighty hand, trusting in Him. He’s going to be doing something that is eternal, that is supernatural. He’s gonna change me. He’s gonna restore me! He’s gonna, “…make you strong….”
Anybody here feel strong this morning? I’m strong, but in Him. I’m weak in every other way. I’m weak in myself, but I’m strong in Him. Thank God!
“…Make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever.” Isn’t it interesting? “To him be the power….” Do you see that…the concept of power at the beginning, His mighty hand? Now he comes down here, “To him be the power….” That’s what I need in my life. Anybody here need that this morning?
( congregational response ).
So, you see what the devil’s…the devil’s part in this. He is simply going to go around and try to gratify his evil nature by working on human beings and drawing upon their lusts, their earthly desires. He’s gonna try to feed on that, to somehow try to satisfy his nature. That’s the world we live in.
But God has called us out of that world, given us a destiny you and I could never achieve on our own. He’s given that to us. Thank God! He’s promised to take us there.
What does He ask of us? In this passage, what is he asking of us? What is our part in this, you, God and the devil? Humble and cast. See that would be a good title too, but I’ll stick with the other one. Humble and cast.
And this, like I say, is more than just that…what happens when we come to Him and give our lives to Him. It’s got to start there. But this is every day. This is when we get up in the morning and have that conversation with the Lord. This is recognizing who I am and who He is and what my life is really about, and what the world is about.
You know, he talks about being alert and of sober mind. Folks, that means thinking straight. That means seeing the world through God’s eyes so we’re not just caught up with the world. It’s so easy to go to sleep, so easy to get affected by what’s going on in the world, what your friends think, what…what’s going on. And going to sleep and not realizing what’s really going on. I’m so glad we don’t have to be afraid, but the Lord wants us to be alert.
I don’t care…the strongest saint is gonna be attacked, is going to have to contend with the devil one way or another. But God’s promise is that His hand is there and it’s mighty—it’s mighty! And there is grace that is stronger…the same grace, the same strength that brought Jesus out of, as we’ve said, out of the tomb, gave Him a life the devil couldn’t touch, set Him on a throne far above all the devil’s power…and He did it for us.
Jesus didn’t need that! He was already in that place. But He came down here so we could join Him, He could bring us to that same place. And He wants us to begin to experience that more and more in our day-to-day lives, right here. And He’s promised to be the one to do the work if we’ll just humble ourselves in His hand and say, God, I’m yours. Do what You need to do in me.
You know, it sounds scary in a way, if you’re thinking about, oh my God, what’s gonna happen? What’s He gonna touch? But God wants us to see His heart, His character, His mercy, His love…to see this, being under His mighty hand, not as a horrible, joy-killing kind of experience, but…one where He loves us enough to do what He’s done to bring us out, to give us a hope and a future. Praise God!
Well, I haven’t said anything new that you haven’t heard before this morning. But, do you see how the three characters in this little drama play out? There’s the devil doing his thing, but…before it, there’s the humbling and there’s the casting. And down below we see God at work to fulfil an eternal purpose and us becoming stronger and stronger and stronger in Him.
And if we’ll just humble ourselves to the process, God is going to do everything that’s needed. My job is not to engineer, it’s not to gear up my will and somehow…it’s to say, oh God.
Think of what the Lord said to Peter, “…when you were younger you dressed yourself and you went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” There are a lot of things we would like to avoid in this life. But God’s gonna bring us through whatever He has purposed, whatever is written in His book, He’s gonna bring us through it, and it’s gonna be okay. Because He’s gonna be with us and the end result is gonna be beyond imagining.
When we stand there and we’ll look back…isn’t it interesting that Peter says, after you have suffered a little while? Doesn’t that bring back the words of Paul…he talks about how temporary, how short this life is and how eternal that is. And where was Paul’s focus? It was on what was eternal. And all these little…these afflictions that were just for such a short time, he could see that they were pointing him to something that was eternal and that was what mattered.
I pray that God will lift up our eyes to show us what our part is in this dynamic, to put our entire trust in Him, and to realize that whatever God has called us to stand up to and to do in this world, He will be with us! We do not have to be afraid! When the devil ministers fear, you can take that bundle and just pitch it to the Lord and He will be glad to have it, because He’s not worried.
And He wants us to have that perfect rest and peace. And I’ll tell you, “…the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds…” (KJV), as Paul says in Philippians. Praise God!
Again, nothing new but…anybody need this this morning? I do. I’ll tell you, God is so wonderful, so faithful. This is one mighty hand I don’t mind submitting myself to, because it’s a hand that loves me…it’s the hand of One who loves me with an immeasurable love, and has my best interest at heart. Whatever it takes to get there, He knows and He is faithful. To Him be the glory!
