SPIRITUAL WARFARE 2.4

AUTHORITY AND CHARACTER – SECTION 2-4:

*** Character Through Endurance ***

*** Spiritual Warfare Can Be Painful ***

Question:
When you experience warfare, what do you do?

Note:
In the example of John (last session) who’s godly grandfather died:
    He tried everything he could think of to get it the warfare over with.
    He went to the seminary, sought counseling, talked
    to others who had the same experience, set aside days
    of prayer, and begged God to remove the pain.
    However, his relief didn’t come for years.

    In desperation he promised God he would read
    the bible an hour a day, and pray an hour a day.
    His prayer time was miserable and felt unproductive.
    Through the reading of God’s Word however,
    he began to understand the ways of God,
    and to see things from His perspective.
    Through his lengthy battles, he realized that
    when God wants to develop character, believers
    may have to endure warfare for some time.

*** Biblical Examples Of The Principle Of Endurance ***

(Genesis 37-50)
– The life of Joseph.

    – His brothers betrayed him by selling him into slavery.

    – While in slavery, his master’s wife falsely accused him
      of attempted rape and had him thrown into prison.

    – While in prison, he was forgotten by Pharaoh’s
      cup-bearer and stayed in prison for two more years.

    – God didn’t deliver Joseph from slavery, from being
      unjustly sent to prison, or from extra years in prison.

    Question:
    Why would God allow these things
    in the life of someone He loved?
        – He was letting endurance have its perfect work
          so Joseph would mature, be complete and lack nothing.

          Note:
               If God had delivered him prematurely, his
               character development would have been stunted.

Note:
    Joseph endured the 13 years of testing
    by not losing faith in God.

    The result of his endurance was an outstanding character
    (one of the greatest in the bible).

    When his brothers showed up in Egypt, not only
    did he spare their lives, but he also treated them graciously.

    Note:
        Joseph’s response to his trials could have been to:
            – Focus on what he lost
              (the injustices, the wasted years, etc.).

            – Lose faith in God and assume a victim
              mentality of just suffering through.

            – Sit down and do nothing until God delivers him.

    Note:
        Instead, Joseph made the most of his trials
        because he knew God had a purpose for his life.

*** Character Development Follows A Cyclical Process ***

In order to take believers to the next level of character
development, the Spirit of God may lead us through a
cyclical process that gets repeated many times throughout
our life.

Understanding this process should encourage believers
whenever God doesn’t remove a trial for some time.

1. When God wants to develop character,
    He doesn’t deliver us from trials, but through them.
    He will however, deliver us from the danger to sin
    while going through the trial.
    Note:
        In order to be delivered (“deliver us from evil”), we
        end up going through a trial, or trials, and not around them.

    Lesson:
        Christians should focus on what God is trying to do,
        rather than focusing on how to remove the trial.

2. God provides a way for believers
    to endure it while they are being tested.
    Question:
    (Luke 23:35-39)
        – When Satan tested Jesus on the cross to save Himself,
          how did the Father provide a way of escape that the Son
          was able to bear it?

        – (Luke 23:40-43)
          In essence, the Father encouraged His Son by saying,
          “Stay focused Son. Don’t forget why You came.
           This man serves as a reminder that I will accomplish
           salvation for the world through Your suffering”.

        Note:
            (v. 43) It must have worked as Jesus said confidently,
            “Today you will be with me in paradise”.

        Lesson:
            When we are in the middle of warfare, we should
            expect God to encourage us, remind us, correct us,
            and do anything else to help us stay faithful.

3. Warfare is for a season (1 Peter 5:8-10).
    God never does anything without a purpose and when
    He has accomplished His Will, He delivers His children.

4. After warfare can be a time of rest and blessings (Acts 9:31).
        – Job’s suffering had an end.
        – The cross didn’t last forever.
       – Paul had seasons of rest in Antioch and Ephesus.

       Note:
           God uses warfare to develop character
           and once He accomplishes His purpose,
           believers can expect a season of rest and blessings.

*** Those Who Endure Will Be Blessed ***

    – (James 1:12; 5:11)
      James reminds us that God always gives back
      more than the suffering of the trial.

    – (Job 42:10-16)
      Job received double from the Lord.

    – (Daniel 3)
      Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were all
      promoted after refusing to compromise their integrity.

    – (Genesis 42:38-43)
      Joseph became second in command in Egypt.

    – (2 Samuel 2:1-7)
      David received a throne.

Note:
    These examples have served as encouragement
    to many people for many years.

REMINDER:
20 Days in 2 Hours (challenge) begins June 7, 2021
All devotionals will be posted to utvolwoody.wordpress.com (my blog)
Bookmark the blog now for quick access to the devotionals for the 20 days.