Resistance

Recently I was invited to preach for chapel at Valley Forge. As the day approached I planned what I believed God would have me share with the students. The morning I was to make the 363 mile drive we had a blizzard with over a foot of snow on the ground. After much debate I decided it would be best to not make the trip. I was disappointed that this opportunity was lost for moment, and even more as the daddy of two VFCC students I was going to miss out on seeing my girls—bummer!

At the time I was reminded of how important it is that we commit our plans to the Lord. The bible tells us that we should not boast about the plans we make but should learnt to say, “If it is the Lord’s will I will do this or that” (see James 4:13-15). God is sovereign; He is Lord over all and is in control of even the events of our day to day lives.

Nevertheless the thought had not occurred to me until today that while God allowed the blizzard that kept me at home, it may have also been Satan hindering me from going at that time to preach. I’m not saying that the devil won in some cosmic battle to prevent me from delivering the message at VFCC, (God permitted it just as He allowed disaster to come upon Job), but just as we must keep God’s will in focus as we plan our lives, we must also remember that we have an enemy who wants to keep us from doing anything for God.

• For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us.
  1 Thessalonians 2:18 (NIV)

The devil is not a cartoon character dressed in red with a pointy tail and pitchfork. Satan is real. He is “the God of this age,” “the ruler of the kingdom of the air.” We are encouraged to remember that we don’t fight against other people, but “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (See 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; 6:12)

We are not told what prevented Paul from going to minister to the Thessalonian church only that Satan hindered him. A snow storm kept me from a ministry opportunity.

What is it that has hindered you from doing something you believe God wanted you to do? Don’t let the devil convince you that it just wasn’t God’s will for you to do it. Perhaps Satan stopped you. Redouble your efforts and go in the strength of the Lord to do what He has called you to do.