How we can determine whether something we experience is God’s discipline or the attack of the enemy

Greetings to you, dear readers! I am so happy to bring you the word that I believe will inspire and encourage you. For the last few days we have been talking about the fact that God disciplines and punishes His children because He loves them and wants the best for them. Today I would like to discuss how we can determine whether something we experience is God’s discipline or the attack of the enemy. 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. The Bible clearly states that these two things can take place in the lives of believers. We have already discussed the subject of God’s disciplines as explained in the Epistle to Hebrews: 

«”My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; for whom the LORD loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives.” If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it» (Hebrews, 12:5-11).

 Apostle Paul also talked about spiritual warfare in his Epistle to Ephesians: 

« Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God » (Ephesians, 6:10-17).

 Today let’s try to define what spiritual warfare is. Spiritual warfare is Satan’s attacks on believers, their families, the Church in order to destroy the purpose of God in and through them. Satan’s attacks are carefully planned to: (a) Force God’s people to do what is not God’s will; (see Genesis, 3) (b) Steal, kill and destroy believers or the church: 

 «The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy» (John, 10:10a);

 (c) Make God’s people ineffective through personal or corporate sins, or through physical attack, thus hindering the carrying out of God’s mission on the earth. Satan uses different strategies and methods to reach his goals. Therefore the Bible tells us: 

 « Put on the whole armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil» (Ephesians, 6:11).

 

• Satan uses the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life:

 

 «For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world» (1 John, 2:16);

 (b) Satan uses the outward pressure (Acts, 4:1-4), as well as the pressure of doubts from within a person (James 1:5-8). 

«Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand» (Acts, 4:1-4).

 

«If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with not doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways» (James, 1:5-8).

 We must learn to overcome all of the above if we will fulfill the purposes of God in our lives.  We will continue on this tomorrow. I wish you abundant God’s blessings on this wonderful day! Pastor Rufus Ajiboye