In order to determine whether we are being disciplined by God or we are dealing with the attack of the enemy, first we must ask ourselves some questions:
§ What circumstances do I find myself in? (see Colossians, 3:17)
o Am I where God wants to see me?
Do you often experience different hardships? Are you facing trouble everywhere you go? It can either be a spiritual attack or you are being disciplined by God Himself. How can you distinguish what exactly is going on with you? Let’s try to answer this question.
A believer must learn to see the difference between spiritual warfare and God’s discipline. In different life situations we must firmly know whether we are disciplined by God or we are dealing with a spiritual attack that requires of us to get engaged in spiritual warfare.
If we listen to the conviction of the Holy Spirit that is communicated through the people God sends to us to correct us and repent of our sins, then He stops all the judgments. But, if we continue in our stubbornness and resist Him, God allows more trouble in our lives in order to show us that there are spiritual problems in us that we need to resolve. If after that we still resist Him and refuse to humble ourselves before Him, then He increases penalties. God does that because He loves us and does not want any of His children to perish.
1) If we are disobedient to God, He first convicts us through the Holy Spirit.
According to the Gospel of John, conviction of sin is one of the ministries of the Holy Spirit to us:
«And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment» (John, 16:8).
«For if we judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world» (1 Corinthians, 11:31-32).
So God chastises His children not for His own pleasure, but for our correction and for us to participate in His holiness. God does that in order for us to bring forth the peaceful fruit of righteousness and not to be condemned with the world.
God can exhort or teach us through punishment and pain, so we shouldn’t refuse or avoid it. God’s chastening can cause wounds, pain, defeat and misfortunes in our lives, but God does it all in love. And when the goal of God’s chastening is reached, He takes all these bad things away and heals us.
One of the reasons God allows suffering in the lives of His children is that He desires to draw our attention to Himself, to correct and discipline us. We know that God mostly corrects us by His Word: «All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work» (2 Timothy, 3:16-17).
1. God’s presence: «I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own» (John, 10:14).
2. God’s holiness: «I am the good shepherd» (John,10:11а)
The Bible says that God called Abram His friend. God came to Abram and said that He cannot hide from him what He has purposed to do: «And the LORD said, “Shall I hide from Abraham what I am doing, since Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him”»(Быт.18:17-19)
1. To give us revelation about God (about Himself).
First of all, God will speak to us in order to reveal the truth about Himself. If we fail to hear the voice of God we will never get Him to know well enough to become His friends.
