Today we stand firm in the promise that if God is for us, no enemy—no matter how loud or numerous—can ultimately prevail against His purpose in our lives.
Featured Scripture and Commentary
Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Who can be against us? Glad you asked. Just a bunch of losers. Want the short list? Here we go… Eph 6 spiritual forces in dark world and other realms, religious persecutors – Islamic extremists, Hindu nationalists, Buddhist mobs (yep even the peaceful Buddhists have a violent hostile faction), state-enforced atheism regimes – e.g. China, North Korea, Iran (persecutes some Christians, embraces others), Nigeria, etc, some far-left Dems and other legislators passing anti-religious freedom laws and local police arresting pastors for preaching and silent protestors outside of abortion clinics for praying, prosperity preachers (not going to mention any but Paul White selling indulgences is concerning to say the least), other cultural forces mainly left-leaning – cancel culture, secular and transformational humanism, academic elitism, social media bullies and mobs, personal friends and family members who are against our faith (for all the best reasons mind you), our own INTERNAL enemies – fear and it’s children, unbelief, pride, shame, trauma, anything that causes us to internally reject God or any of His lessons for us, economic forces (forcing for instance a bakery to make a wedding cake with two male figurines on it against religious beliefs), and a near endless list of diseases, natural disasters, war torn countries where we might get caught in the crossfire, terrorism – intentionally targeting us and randomly and all sorts of other ideologies and pressures that oppose God’s Kingdom.
So what is Paul talking about? He is talking about:
1. God is sovereign 2. God sees the end from the beginning – spoiler alert: God wins! 3. There is a life beyond this one. Even if we are to succumb to hostile forces in this world our faith guarantees us God’s grace in the next life. 4. The devil is not all-powerful. We do have the full armor of God (wearable attributes of Jesus) and the devil always needs permission (read Job recently?) 5. We have every word of the Word of God in the Bible and the gift of the “peace that surpasses all understanding”
Lastly look at the corroborating scripture. do these legends of the Bible seem uncertain? Moses died on the mountain and never made it into the Promised Land. Was he discouraged? Joshua faced significant odds including his own reconnaissance mission personnel telling him to not go to Jericho because he would lose, David was challenged and grieving about his woes and enemies constantly and never for a moment lost his faith because he knew the power of his God, the disciples all got hung upside down, their heads cut off, Paul went through endless sufferings and imprisonings of numerous different kinds – unshaken.
Jesus didn’t say that we might have some times in the world where we might feel a little bit uncomfortable. No – he said that the world would hate us because it first hated Him and he said we would have trouble in the world – guaranteed, no one goes through this world unscathed but…THIS IS NOT A DARK RIDE. “Be of good cheer”, the Lord said, “for I have overcome the world? and He came to save every single whomsoever that believeth in Him because God loves us. God sacrificed His own Son and was pleased with the outcome because in so doing He saved every one of us who are faithful and repent. Remind yourself that God did not owe us anything. We might not have asked to be born and suffer but life is a gift and an act of grace. Can you feel that? Can you relate to that? Do you feel the Holy Spirit moving within and outside of you? Do you believe in Jesus and in the promises of God?
Then know that no weapon formed against us will prosper and know that while the forces of this world and dark spiritual realms line up with all manner of weaponry while frothing at the mouth, they all lose. Read the Bible – God wins… so do we!
LIFE-CHANGING CORROBORATING SCRIPTURE
Isaiah 54:17, Psalm 118:6–7, 2 Chronicles 32:7–8, Joshua 1:9, Deuteronomy 31:6, Matthew 10:28, Ephesians 6:10–12, 1 John 4:4
Isaiah 54:17 No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the Lord.
Psalm 118:6–7 The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.
2 Chronicles 32:7–8 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”
Joshua 1:9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Ephesians 6:10–12 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
TODAY’s BIBLICAL MORALITY TALE:
The question isn’t “Are there people against us?” The answer is yes. There are always critics, accusers, opponents, and spiritual forces aligned against God’s people.
The real question is: Who is with us?
If God is with us, the opposition is irrelevant. Their numbers don’t matter. Their weapons don’t matter. Their threats don’t matter. Because “No weapon forged against you will prevail” (Isaiah 54:17).
Consider Hezekiah facing the Assyrian army. The enemy was vast, loud, and terrifying. But Hezekiah declared: “With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles” (2 Chronicles 32:8). The “arm of flesh” always breaks. The Arm of the Lord never fails.
Many believers live in fear of what people might say, do, or take. But if God holds your eternity, no one can touch your true life.
When you feel outnumbered, remember: You are never alone. The Creator of the Universe is your Defender. The Judge of all the Earth is your Advocate. The Victor over death is your Brother.
Let them rage. Let them plot. Let them accuse. In the end, they lose. Because God wins. And if God is for you, you share in His victory.
PRAYER FOR WHOMSOEVERS
Lord, thank You that You are for me. When I feel surrounded by enemies, remind me that You are my shield and my defender. I refuse to fear the arm of flesh. I trust in Your mighty power. Give me courage to stand firm, knowing that no weapon formed against me will prosper. I am more than a conqueror through Christ. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
