Look I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as harmless as doves. Because people will hand you over to sanhedrins and flog you in their synagogues, beware of them. You will even be brought before kings and governors because of Me, to bear witness to them and to the nations. But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you should speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, because you are not speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of My name. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered. Matthew 10:16-22 HCSB
Now you have often read of the peace and joy that I speak of in this blog. The peace that passes all understanding and the unending joy that is afforded to us as Christians, but there will be times of trouble. Now, if you are prepared you can keep that peace and joy even as the storm rages around you.
In this scripture passage, Jesus is trying to prepare His disciples. He warns them that they are being sent out like sheep among wolves. Sheep are basically dumb animals and Christ’s followers are referred to as sheep throughout the Bible. This is because sheep need a shepherd, when they are left on their own, they get into trouble. Sound familiar? I know that I need constant guidance.
Sheep can have all sorts of things happen to them if they are not guided and protected by their shepherd. They can fall into a hole and be unable to get out. They can be attacked by predators. They need their shepherd to take care of them. Psalm 23 gives a beautiful description of our Lord as our shepherd and the care and protection that He provides for us.
If you have not been saved then let me explain this to you. You see when you realize the need for God in your life and you draw near to Him and He calls you to salvation, it is awesome! I mean you are excited about the new life you have in Christ. You have accepted Christ as your savior, you have confessed your sin and been forgiven and you are a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). This is an exciting time for sure and this is the warm and fuzzy part of your salvation. But beware. You see before you get saved, the devil is content that he has you in his grasp. I mean even if you are what you consider to be a “good” person, you still have not accepted Christ, so the devil is ok with that. But when you accept Christ as your savior, watch out! The devil will deploy all his forces against you. In Ephesians 6 we are warned that we are not fighting against flesh and blood but against the dark spiritual forces of evil. Now you may read this and think, “wow, why would I want to be saved?” Well, you want to be saved for the awesome prize that awaits Christians at the end of the race. You see Christians will go on to spend eternity (that’s forever and ever) in the presence of God the father in Heaven. Those who have not accepted Christ as their savior will be thrown into the lake of fire to burn there for eternity. This life is very temporary. We are in this for the long haul, one way or the other. I don’t know about you, but I would rather spend eternity in Heaven.
If we are going to endure what we may face, we must be prepared. Just like the runner trains to be able to go the distance, we must train to be able to complete the Christian race successfully.
Sadly new Christians sometimes think that once they get saved or get baptized that they are good to go. Don’t deceive yourself my friend, the battle has just begun. This is where your training comes in. You need to be diligent about gathering with fellow Christians, reading your Bible and praying. You must keep your focus on God.
Our scripture passage says that we should be wise as serpents. Don’t underestimate Satan’s power. The only way you can successfully defeat the devil is with God’s help. Stay close to God and live under His protection. It then tells us to be as innocent as doves. When evil comes against us we often want to respond with evil. 1 Peter 3:9 tells us that we are not to repay evil for evil or insult for insult but that we are to give a blessing, since this is what we are called to do. Romans 12:17 tells us not to repay anyone evil for evil but to try to do what is honorable in everyone’s eyes. Romans 12:21 tells us to not be conquered by evil, but to conquer evil with good. When we do this, the devil is unable to destroy our witness.
Our time of salvation is a joyous time. We should be happy, peaceful, and full of joy. But we should not let our guard down. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us that we must be alert because the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Remember that when you get saved, you anger the devil and he will come against you. You must be prepared to stand strong. He wants to destroy your witness and keep you from having the peace that a child of God is supposed to have.
Stay close to God and enjoy His strength, power, and protection. Take refuge in Him when the devil comes against you.
Have a great day!