If
We Do Not Lose Heart
Francis Frangipane
http://frangipane.org
The prophet Daniel warns of a time when Satan, through the Antichrist, will seek
to wear down the strength of God's saints. How this occurs in the final hours of
the age remains to be seen, but on one level this battle already is going on
today: Satan seeks to wear us out through delays ("alterations in
times") and in compromise of God's Word ("alterations in law").
The final effect of what seems like never-ending delays is that believers are
worn out. Do you know anyone who is weary with his or her battle? Are you
yourself weary? I know many who seem trapped in situations that should have been
remedied months and even years ago but the battle continues against them.
Situations and people, often empowered by demonic resistance, stand in
opposition to the forward progress of God's people. As a result of satanic
spiritual resistance, many Christians incrementally accept this resistance until
a quiet, but weighty, oppression rests on their souls.
This battle to wear out the saints may be rooted in conflicts with children or
spouses; perhaps it is some unresolved issue or division within their churches.
It may be a work conflict or health battle, yet on and on it goes. Like a
skilled and masterful thief, the enemy daily steals the joy, strength and
passion of Christians, and many do not even realize what they have lost or how
much.
The scale is actually larger than our personal struggles. Consider the various
conflicts in the world. Some have continued for generations. We can understand
why, even in the midst of great worship and praise by the redeemed, there is a
place under the altar in heaven where the saints continue to ask, "How
long, O Lord?" (Revelation 6:10). Fifty-eight times in the Bible, from
beginning to end, the phrase how long is echoed by those who grew weary with
waiting.
Sometimes the delays are God-ordained to perfect faith; as we seek Him He helps
us grow. On the other hand, there is a vicious attack against us to oppose and
delay the fulfillment of God's plans for us until we grow weary and quit. Satan
is the dragon whose goal is to "drag-on" the battle with draining,
wearying delays. He persists until we wear out, give up and quit praying.
Additionally, as situations stretch beyond reasonably expected conclusions,
weariness of soul can also exacerbate the original situation, leading to fleshly
reactions or just overreactions, which also need resolution. We lose patience,
eventually seeking relief rather than victory. This compromises the standards of
God and conscience.
Perseverance
There is a reason the book of Revelation mentions the word perseverance seven
times. Over and over again we see those who persevered and overcame. It is one
thing to have vision, another to have godly motives, but neither will carry us
to our objectives by itself. We must also persevere.
The root of the word persevere is the word severe. We must face the fact that en
route to victory our trials may get severe. Likewise, it is with severe faith -
severe or extreme steadfastness - that we inherit the promises of God (see
Hebrews 10:36). James tells us: "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you
encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces
endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect
and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4).
Endurance. Perseverance. Steadfastness. These are the qualities that breed
character, that transform the doctrine of Christlikeness into a way of life.
"Let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect."
The key to perfection, to a life "lacking in nothing" is perseverance.
Weariness of the Mind
Have you grown weary? You are not alone. Part of the weariness we feel comes
from faulty thinking. If we had known the battle was going to take as long as it
has, we would have prepared for it more realistically. Every building plan will
probably take twice as long as we assume; every virtue will take a year, not a
weekend, to be truly worked in us. It may take a generation for some of our
loved ones to be saved. If things happen sooner, we can rejoice. But we must
guard ourselves lest we prepare only for the easiest of breakthroughs; some
things will not manifest without time and tears.
You may think that it sounds like unbelief to expect difficulties. I don't think
so. I think it is wisdom. Wisdom is not the enemy of faith. I have found that if
I don't trust God and relax, I become anxious, fretful and distracted. I have
also found that the Holy Spirit will not descend and rest in power upon a man
who is fearful and controlled by his external circumstances. Jesus' spirit
stayed in abiding peace, yet still He accommodated delays as part of life's
package. He was often delayed by the huge crowds or urgent needs of the people
around Him. People died waiting for Jesus to show up. Did He become anxious? No,
He stayed focused on the Father and without losing His trust in God, simply
raised the dead.
At some point we must come to the conclusion that God knows when we are growing
weary in battle - be it praying for the salvation of a loved one or one more
frustrating delay in reaching our vision. We must trust that He knows our battle
and that He has a miracle conclusion waiting us. I know a dear pastor who
labored long and hard with a new building project, but it was constantly being
delayed. It was first scheduled for completion in September, then rescheduled
for December, then January and then February. Finally, with weariness in his
voice, he called and asked if I could join him for their dedication. It was set
for the first week of March.
"When exactly do you need me?" I asked.
He answered, "March fourth."
Suddenly the Holy Spirit illuminated my heart. I told him that God had chosen
this date prophetically. The Lord wanted that church, as an army, to "march
forth" into their destiny. In a flash, the weariness weighing upon him was
gone; joy and a sense of destiny swept his soul. The delay wore him out, but the
delay in the hands of God became inspirational.
Dear ones, let us persevere. We just do not know what the victory will look like
when we finally break through. Consider Joseph. Betrayed, enslaved, slandered
and forgotten, he had to endure to reach his destiny. But the time finally
arrived, and never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined that the outcome
would be so wonderful.
What we become is more important to God than what we do for Him. Our struggle,
though we may have been delayed time and again, deepens our character.
Maintaining our standards when pressed, finding grace when stretched, makes us
true men and women of God. The Almighty One is in control. He knows how to take
what was meant for evil and transform it into something good, even using the
devil's own devices to bring him down. God has something marvelous in store for
us otherwise the enemy would not be fighting so intensely. Indeed, Scripture
tells us that Satan rages worst when he knows his time is short (see Revelation
12:12).
Character Before Breakthrough
We mentioned Daniel earlier as a prophet who warned about Satan's ploy to wear
down the saints. God gave him a vision of the end of the age. Here is what he
wrote: "I kept looking, and that horn was waging war with the saints and
overpowering them" (Daniel 7:21). This is the nature of the battle. There
are times we feel war storming against our souls, overpowering us. But the
prophet said the sense of overpowering continued only "until the Ancient of
Days came and judgment was passed in favor of the saints of the Highest One, and
the time arrived when the saints took possession of the kingdom" (Daniel
7:22).
There is a principle here that, once understood, will lead to victory in our
battles. There will be a time, inevitably, when we feel overpowered. Yet if we
endure, if we climb higher into God, if we refuse to lose our trust in God, a
time will come when the Ancient of Days enters our circumstances. Looking at our
newly developed character, which has grown strong through perseverance, He will
pass judgment in favor of our cause. God looks at our character, forged in the
fire of overpowering delays and battle, and says, "Good, this is what I was
waiting for."
Whatever your battle, whether you are praying for your country or standing for
your children, whether your cry is for the lost or for the end of some local or
personal conflict, remember the words of Paul: "Let us not lose heart in
doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary"
(Galatians 6:9).
Master, I ask that You work in me the character that perseveres until the end.
Forgive me for being such a wimp. Help me to grow up, to stand up until the
harvest I have sown spiritually bears fruit. Thank You for not giving up on me!
In Jesus' name, Amen.
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