I wonder- and I guess it could fact or it could be opinion Im not sure which- but is it true that the devil really works hardest on you when Jesus is about to come in and make great changes for you? I know the devil will pick and prod and it seems he does work hardest when you seem to be God focused. Does it say in the bible that he will do this? I know it says he will come and try to win us back from God. Just wondered what everyones opinion is on this. Thanks.Wendy
Question about God
- Thread starter wendy03
- Start date
abigya
Member
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Dear Sister, i was reading the following great article before coming and see your question. it's long but worth reading it !
In Christ
abigya
abigya
Member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2006
- Messages
- 1,085
An Eclipse of Faith
By David Wilkerson
April 21, 2008
"[Jesus] said Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to
have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed
for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art
converted, strengthen thy brethren.
"And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee,
both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee,
Peter, the **** shall not crow this day, before that thou
shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me" (Luke 22:31-34).
In a previous message, I wrote of how Peter endured an
"eclipse of faith." Such experiences have faced devoted
Christians throughout history. I have felt prompted by the
Spirit recently to revisit this subject and explore it
further, to shed light on "eclipses of faith" being endured
by so many saints today.
As you recall, Peter's eclipse happened at Passover. Jesus
turned aside to his bold disciple and revealed, "Simon,
Satan desires to have you, so that he might sift you like
wheat." Some scholars translate this to mean, essentially,
"Peter, Satan has demanded I turn you over to him, that he
may shake your very life."
The warning here is clear: Satan was about to orchestrate a
supernatural attack on Peter's faith. To sift means to
"shake violently, up and down, sideways, back and forth, to
stir in every way." Simply put, the devil wanted to shake
the foundations of Peter's faith in the severest way
possible.
Earlier that day, Peter had boasted of having an unfailing
faith. He had said to Jesus in front of the other
disciples, "Lord, I will never doubt you. I would die
before I ever mistrusted you."
Make no mistake: Peter's faith wasn't just froth or mere
emotion. Of all the disciples, this man had demonstrated
boldness of belief time after time. It was he who stepped
out of the boat to take the first few steps on the water
toward Jesus. And Peter had declared such faith in Jesus'
divinity - saying, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of God" -
that Jesus said he would build his church upon this
testimony. Peter's belief was real - and that is the very
reason the devil went after him.
Satan doesn't demand
opportunities to break down
people whose faith is weak
or wavering.
Few of us realize this truth when we're in the midst of a
trial. We don't see that we're in the fire because of our
walk with Jesus, that the devil is trying to quench our
hunger for God's presence. Think about Peter: here was a
man about to become a pillar of God's church, launching the
gospel into the world at Pentecost. You can be sure Satan
was not going to let that happen without a fight.
"Peter, the **** shall not crow this day, before that
thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me" (Luke 22:34).
Of course, all Christians are tested concerning their
faith. It happens as the flesh rises up against the spirit
to lust after the things of the world. I thank God for the
day-by-day faith that sustains his saints in this battle.
But for some servants, Satan's sifting is much more than a
war between flesh and spirit. It is an on-site,
face-to-face, supernatural attack by the devil himself to
try to destroy their belief. Such servants' faith comes
under direct, well-devised attacks by forces of hell,
shaking them mentally, physically and spiritually. Yet I
want to show you how God has ordained our faith to come
through these severe fires.
Jesus knew the satanic onslaught to come upon Peter was
aimed at his faith. So he prepared his disciple by telling
him, "I have prayed for you that your faith fail not."
Jesus even forewarned Peter he would fall: "And when you
are converted [when you have come through it], strengthen
your brothers." Finally, Jesus said something his disciple
simply couldn't receive: "I tell you, Peter, before the
rooster crows this day, you will have denied three times
that you know me."
Stop and think about this: what if Jesus had spoken this
about you? How would you have reacted? "But Lord, you know
I've been faithful. I have forsaken all to follow you. And
you've given me promises to keep me from falling. But now
you're saying I'll do unspeakable things, that I'll talk
like an atheist. How could this be?"
I believe most Christians would have this reaction. We may
have experienced times of sifting, but few of us could
imagine Satan's attacks being so severe we would be tempted
to deny Jesus.
Now picture Peter standing outside the religious council,
warming himself by the fire. This was the hour Jesus warned
would come, when the power of darkness would seem to
eclipse everything. I can only imagine the awful things
Satan injected into Peter's mind then, causing him to
wonder:
"I can't believe what's happening to Jesus. If he were
truly God, how could he allow such humiliation to take
place? He's supposed to be the Son of the living God. Yet
if he can't deliver himself, how can he deliver me? All the
things he told us are going up in smoke. Where is God's
power, his presence at this desperate hour?"
Many of us have asked the same questions in the midst of
our trials. We are just as baffled as Peter when we cry out
to the Lord and don't hear answers...when our situation goes
from bad to worse...when we're reduced to soul-shaking
terror.
What do I mean by the
phrase "eclipse of faith"?
In nature, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes
between the earth and the sun, obscuring the light either
partially or totally. For a while, the sun seems literally
to disappear, and the daylight suddenly becomes dark. The
Greek meaning of eclipse is, "I am absent," or, "I cease to
exist." In ancient thinking, the sun was actually
extinguished for a while by the gods.
For Christians, a "spiritual eclipse" is a dark hour when
God seems to be absent from our lives. It happens most
often during times of testing, as Satan moves in to try to
obscure our vision of the Lord. He attempted it with Peter,
throwing everything in hell at the disciple to try to send
his faith into an eclipse of total darkness.
Tell me, have you ever faced such an eclipse? An hour when
your mind was flooded with questions? When your prayers
seemed to fall on the ground, and God's Word seemed closed
to you? When you felt your life was empty, useless, a total
failure?
At such times, you hear whispers of accusation: "After all
the praying you've done, all the revelations you've
received from God's Word, all your testifying of God's
faithfulness - after all of that, you're still weak. You
can't practice what you preach." Suddenly you're tempted to
think, "This faith-walk doesn't make sense in my life. None
of it adds up for me, and I can't make it work. I don't
think I can go on with this. I'm too beaten down. I can't
handle it anymore."
Consider Peter's language in the midst of his eclipse of
faith. When someone asked him, "Aren't you a follower of
this Jesus?" Peter lied, "I don't know what you're
talking about. I don't know who that man is." When pressed
about it a second time, he again responded, "I don't know
him." Finally, when asked a third time, Peter uttered a
curse and screamed, "I've never been with this man!"
Talk about a total eclipse of faith. Peter sounded like an
enraged atheist. His faith was completely shattered. He had
crossed a line, actually denying Jesus. This same bold
disciple who had cast out demons had now sunk to total
unbelief. Some must have thought, "Surely God is finished
with Peter, removing his anointing from his life. After
all, how could any true servant of God speak this way?"
I'll tell you how it can happen. It occurs when we're under
the enemy's heavy barrage and God seems completely absent.
That is precisely the time when Satan's voice comes through
so loud and clear we lose all sight of the Lord. Suddenly,
we feel our life has been spent in vain, that it has
counted for nothing. In that dark moment of eclipse, the
devil has created such chaos we can't possibly see a way
out. We can't imagine God's power being able to deliver us.
Satan had wanted Peter to spin out into total despair.
Indeed, the disciple realized to his horror, "I denied
Jesus. Not just once, but three times. What has happened to
me?" Imagine the cloud of condemnation cloaking Peter's
mind in that hour.
What about you? Have you lived under condemnation because
at one point your faith went into eclipse? Maybe you
continually turned to a sinful habit or doubted God's
ability to work his covenant promises in your life. Since
then you've lived in a spiral of fear, guilt and
condemnation.
We all know how God delivered Peter out of this horrible
time. He did it the same way he delivered other holy men in
Scripture who faced their own eclipse of faith.
By David Wilkerson
April 21, 2008
"[Jesus] said Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to
have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed
for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art
converted, strengthen thy brethren.
"And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee,
both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee,
Peter, the **** shall not crow this day, before that thou
shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me" (Luke 22:31-34).
In a previous message, I wrote of how Peter endured an
"eclipse of faith." Such experiences have faced devoted
Christians throughout history. I have felt prompted by the
Spirit recently to revisit this subject and explore it
further, to shed light on "eclipses of faith" being endured
by so many saints today.
As you recall, Peter's eclipse happened at Passover. Jesus
turned aside to his bold disciple and revealed, "Simon,
Satan desires to have you, so that he might sift you like
wheat." Some scholars translate this to mean, essentially,
"Peter, Satan has demanded I turn you over to him, that he
may shake your very life."
The warning here is clear: Satan was about to orchestrate a
supernatural attack on Peter's faith. To sift means to
"shake violently, up and down, sideways, back and forth, to
stir in every way." Simply put, the devil wanted to shake
the foundations of Peter's faith in the severest way
possible.
Earlier that day, Peter had boasted of having an unfailing
faith. He had said to Jesus in front of the other
disciples, "Lord, I will never doubt you. I would die
before I ever mistrusted you."
Make no mistake: Peter's faith wasn't just froth or mere
emotion. Of all the disciples, this man had demonstrated
boldness of belief time after time. It was he who stepped
out of the boat to take the first few steps on the water
toward Jesus. And Peter had declared such faith in Jesus'
divinity - saying, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of God" -
that Jesus said he would build his church upon this
testimony. Peter's belief was real - and that is the very
reason the devil went after him.
Satan doesn't demand
opportunities to break down
people whose faith is weak
or wavering.
Few of us realize this truth when we're in the midst of a
trial. We don't see that we're in the fire because of our
walk with Jesus, that the devil is trying to quench our
hunger for God's presence. Think about Peter: here was a
man about to become a pillar of God's church, launching the
gospel into the world at Pentecost. You can be sure Satan
was not going to let that happen without a fight.
"Peter, the **** shall not crow this day, before that
thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me" (Luke 22:34).
Of course, all Christians are tested concerning their
faith. It happens as the flesh rises up against the spirit
to lust after the things of the world. I thank God for the
day-by-day faith that sustains his saints in this battle.
But for some servants, Satan's sifting is much more than a
war between flesh and spirit. It is an on-site,
face-to-face, supernatural attack by the devil himself to
try to destroy their belief. Such servants' faith comes
under direct, well-devised attacks by forces of hell,
shaking them mentally, physically and spiritually. Yet I
want to show you how God has ordained our faith to come
through these severe fires.
Jesus knew the satanic onslaught to come upon Peter was
aimed at his faith. So he prepared his disciple by telling
him, "I have prayed for you that your faith fail not."
Jesus even forewarned Peter he would fall: "And when you
are converted [when you have come through it], strengthen
your brothers." Finally, Jesus said something his disciple
simply couldn't receive: "I tell you, Peter, before the
rooster crows this day, you will have denied three times
that you know me."
Stop and think about this: what if Jesus had spoken this
about you? How would you have reacted? "But Lord, you know
I've been faithful. I have forsaken all to follow you. And
you've given me promises to keep me from falling. But now
you're saying I'll do unspeakable things, that I'll talk
like an atheist. How could this be?"
I believe most Christians would have this reaction. We may
have experienced times of sifting, but few of us could
imagine Satan's attacks being so severe we would be tempted
to deny Jesus.
Now picture Peter standing outside the religious council,
warming himself by the fire. This was the hour Jesus warned
would come, when the power of darkness would seem to
eclipse everything. I can only imagine the awful things
Satan injected into Peter's mind then, causing him to
wonder:
"I can't believe what's happening to Jesus. If he were
truly God, how could he allow such humiliation to take
place? He's supposed to be the Son of the living God. Yet
if he can't deliver himself, how can he deliver me? All the
things he told us are going up in smoke. Where is God's
power, his presence at this desperate hour?"
Many of us have asked the same questions in the midst of
our trials. We are just as baffled as Peter when we cry out
to the Lord and don't hear answers...when our situation goes
from bad to worse...when we're reduced to soul-shaking
terror.
What do I mean by the
phrase "eclipse of faith"?
In nature, a solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes
between the earth and the sun, obscuring the light either
partially or totally. For a while, the sun seems literally
to disappear, and the daylight suddenly becomes dark. The
Greek meaning of eclipse is, "I am absent," or, "I cease to
exist." In ancient thinking, the sun was actually
extinguished for a while by the gods.
For Christians, a "spiritual eclipse" is a dark hour when
God seems to be absent from our lives. It happens most
often during times of testing, as Satan moves in to try to
obscure our vision of the Lord. He attempted it with Peter,
throwing everything in hell at the disciple to try to send
his faith into an eclipse of total darkness.
Tell me, have you ever faced such an eclipse? An hour when
your mind was flooded with questions? When your prayers
seemed to fall on the ground, and God's Word seemed closed
to you? When you felt your life was empty, useless, a total
failure?
At such times, you hear whispers of accusation: "After all
the praying you've done, all the revelations you've
received from God's Word, all your testifying of God's
faithfulness - after all of that, you're still weak. You
can't practice what you preach." Suddenly you're tempted to
think, "This faith-walk doesn't make sense in my life. None
of it adds up for me, and I can't make it work. I don't
think I can go on with this. I'm too beaten down. I can't
handle it anymore."
Consider Peter's language in the midst of his eclipse of
faith. When someone asked him, "Aren't you a follower of
this Jesus?" Peter lied, "I don't know what you're
talking about. I don't know who that man is." When pressed
about it a second time, he again responded, "I don't know
him." Finally, when asked a third time, Peter uttered a
curse and screamed, "I've never been with this man!"
Talk about a total eclipse of faith. Peter sounded like an
enraged atheist. His faith was completely shattered. He had
crossed a line, actually denying Jesus. This same bold
disciple who had cast out demons had now sunk to total
unbelief. Some must have thought, "Surely God is finished
with Peter, removing his anointing from his life. After
all, how could any true servant of God speak this way?"
I'll tell you how it can happen. It occurs when we're under
the enemy's heavy barrage and God seems completely absent.
That is precisely the time when Satan's voice comes through
so loud and clear we lose all sight of the Lord. Suddenly,
we feel our life has been spent in vain, that it has
counted for nothing. In that dark moment of eclipse, the
devil has created such chaos we can't possibly see a way
out. We can't imagine God's power being able to deliver us.
Satan had wanted Peter to spin out into total despair.
Indeed, the disciple realized to his horror, "I denied
Jesus. Not just once, but three times. What has happened to
me?" Imagine the cloud of condemnation cloaking Peter's
mind in that hour.
What about you? Have you lived under condemnation because
at one point your faith went into eclipse? Maybe you
continually turned to a sinful habit or doubted God's
ability to work his covenant promises in your life. Since
then you've lived in a spiral of fear, guilt and
condemnation.
We all know how God delivered Peter out of this horrible
time. He did it the same way he delivered other holy men in
Scripture who faced their own eclipse of faith.
abigya
Member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2006
- Messages
- 1,085
1. Elijah, a man who truly heard from God, suffered a severe eclipse of his faith.
Elijah's faith literally opened and shut heaven. Here was a prophet fearless in his testimony, a man whose rugged faith in God caused kings to fear him and hell to tremble. When Satan had Israel in his grip, Elijah rose up in faith and brought down all idolatry.
Yet this holy prophet endured a dark eclipse of faith. Satan knew the impact that Elijah's faith would have on Israel, and he orchestrated an attack through wicked Queen
Jezebel. It happened at the moment of Elijah's greatest triumph: he had just slain 400 prophets of Baal and raced on foot from Mount Carmel to Jezreel. But when he arrived,
he learned Jezebel had put a price on his head, declaring, "Elijah is a dead man."
Emotionally spent, Elijah's faith collapsed. In a single dark hour, the powerful faith that could open heaven had shriveled into doubt. Hiding in a cave, exhausted, Elijah fell into a deep depression. He gave up on life, saying in so many words, "I'm through with faith, hope, zeal. Life isn't worth living. I've given everything I can, but it has all blown up in my face. Doesn't God care? Lord, take me out of this mess. Just kill me."
You may think of Elijah the same as Peter: "Surely this man has crossed a line. How could a holy servant preach righteousness and do such mighty works, yet deny God cares?" I ask you: did God remove Elijah's anointing for blaring such unbelief? Did he rebuke the prophet for his accusations? No, God ministered to his servant, feeding and
strengthening him. In fact, he sent an angel to prepare a meal for Elijah so full of supernatural nourishment it sustained the prophet for forty days.
2. Jeremiah also suffered an eclipse of faith.
Here was a powerful preacher of holiness and repentance, a fearless prophet who had the mind of God and walked in the fear of the Lord. Yet as we read Jeremiah 20, we find this
man suffering a horrible eclipse of faith.
Jeremiah was preaching at the temple gate when a Satan-possessed priest, Pashur, marched up and slapped the prophet's face. Pashur ordered Jeremiah dragged off and
locked in a public stock, where he was mocked before passing crowds. When released, Jeremiah pronounced God's judgment on Pashur and his followers: "You, Pashur, and
this city are coming down. You're all going into captivity" (see Jeremiah 20:6).
Immediately, a darkness of soul descended on Jeremiah, and he collapsed in discouragement. The once-penetrating holiness preacher now vented dark feelings toward God: "Lord, you deceived me. The word you gave me has become a reproach. Every day I'm ridiculed. You've abandoned me, so I'm quitting you. I'm not going to speak your Word anymore. All your promises are empty. My life and ministry have ended in shame. You should have killed me in the womb" (see Jeremiah 20:7-8).
Tell me, did Jeremiah cross a line here? Could such language come out of anyone who claims to serve God? We find our answer in the very next chapter: "The word of the
Lord came to Jeremiah" (see 21:1). The prophet's eclipse passed, and God did not miss a beat. Jeremiah's most effective ministry lay ahead of him.
God is always aware of the devices and attacks Satan uses against his most effective servants. In both Elijah's and Jeremiah's lives, God knew their faith would endure the
eclipse. He knew their cries came out of confusion and pain. And Scripture makes it clear: not for a single moment did God lift his anointing from either of them.
Most of us can't relate to the severe siftings and faith eclipses of these spiritual giants.
As we read about Elijah and Jeremiah, we think, "I have never been pressed to the point that I begged God to take my life, as Elijah did. I've never accused God of deceiving
me, as Jeremiah did. And I've never said to the Lord, 'I quit.' These men's eclipses were total, a temporary overshadowing of their faith. I can't relate to that."
Yet this doesn't mean our faith has not experienced an eclipse. Ours may be more hidden. The truth is, we can develop an equally despairing attitude if we feel God has let us down. After a disappointing experience, Satan may implant thoughts like these: "Where is your God now, when you need him? Things are going from bad to worse, but he's
nowhere in sight. God promised to make a way of escape for you. Where is he?"
Though we may not express it outwardly, we entertain thoughts that the Lord is not with us, that he's mad at us, that we aren't measuring up in his eyes. So we give God the silent treatment, backing off from him in prayer and neglecting to trust him in our trials.
No matter what level our eclipse may be, partial or total, we have to realize the devil is behind the attack. It isn't being caused by something in our nature, nor by God's wrath, but rather it comes as a supernatural assault from hell. If we fail to recognize this, our downward spiral will continue. We dare not underestimate Satan's determination to shipwreck our faith.
You may ask, "But isn't Jesus right to be offended when we mistrust him? Doesn't it grieve him when we waver and question his faithfulness?" Yes, it does grieve him. And
yes, our unbelieving thoughts can lead to confusion and chaos. Bitterness can take root and, if allowed to harden, can lead to a complete falling away.
But the fact remains, God knows the true depths of what is in your heart, and for him nothing has changed about you. He doesn't suddenly see you as his enemy, changing in an instant because of your troubled spirit. He still considers you his friend, a warrior for the kingdom who's on the cusp of moving into new areas of trust. And for that very reason, you have become a target of Satan.
The devil is absolutely determined to block your vision of God's mercy and grace. Like the moon during an eclipse, he is little by little attempting to cover up your view of
Jesus until things become completely dark. Yet, all along, God has planned for your faith to come through this temporary eclipse.
3. Many of us are able to relate to the partial eclipse of faith David endured.
In Psalm 55, David speaks of a satanic attack that drained his strength and patience. It caused an eclipse so severe David wanted to run. He moaned, "There is pain in my soul,
a pressure that never lets up. It's a battle that never ends. What I'm going through terrifies me. There are times I can't stop trembling.
"Lord, don't hide from me anymore. Please, listen to my complaint. You have to make a way of escape for me. If I only had wings like a dove, I would fly out of this place
and hide in some wilderness. I just want rest from this battle."
What was the cause of David's awful battle? It was a voice: "Because of the voice of the enemy" (Psalm 55:3). In Hebrew, the meaning here is "the voice of a man." It was Satan speaking, along with his demonic oppressors: "Because of the oppression of the wicked" (55:3).
David says of these voices, "They cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me" (55:3). He's saying, in essence, "The tongues of devils are hurling accusations at me. Satan and his henchmen conspire against me, harassing me with lies. They dig up failures from my past and bring them before me, trying to make me fearful."
What did David do about this? He cried out to the Lord for help, asking him to silence the enemy's accusations: "Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues" (55:9). "Every day they wrest [twist] my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.... They mark my steps" (56:5, 6).
David's testimony makes it clear for all of us: this is war. We are facing evil powers, in a fight for our faith against the father of lies. And the only way we can do battle is to cry out to the Lord for help.
Like other holy servants of God, David came out of his eclipse and was used mightily as never before. Beloved, the same joy awaits us just beyond our eclipse. Yet it is when we are at our lowest - at the deepest point of our unbelief - that God is doing his deepest work in us, preparing us to glorify him.
Have you been sifted recently, your faith seeming to fail in a dark hour of eclipse?
Like Peter, you may feel utterly defeated. Or, like Jeremiah, you feel God has deceived and abandoned you. Or, like Elijah, you are overwhelmed and simply want your life
to be over. You see no way out of your eclipse.
I urge you to do three things:
1. Rest in God's love for you. Remember these servants' examples and the plan God had in place for each of them through their trial. They were meant to come out of their eclipse prepared for the ministry God had ready for them.
2. Know that no matter deep your unbelieving thoughts, the Lord sees what you are going through, and his love for you never wavers. Though we are faithless, he remains faithful:
"We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived; after that the kindness and love of God our Savior...appeared" (Titus 3:3-4).
The Greek meaning of "appeared" here is "superimposed." God looks on our struggles, worries, fears and questionings - in short, our times of eclipse, filled with foolishness and disobedience - and he superimposes his divine love over us. No matter what our condition, his love reigns over us.
3. Do as David did and cry to the Lord night and day. "Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you. In the morning my prayer comes before you. Incline your ear to my cry" (see Psalm 55).
Elijah's faith literally opened and shut heaven. Here was a prophet fearless in his testimony, a man whose rugged faith in God caused kings to fear him and hell to tremble. When Satan had Israel in his grip, Elijah rose up in faith and brought down all idolatry.
Yet this holy prophet endured a dark eclipse of faith. Satan knew the impact that Elijah's faith would have on Israel, and he orchestrated an attack through wicked Queen
Jezebel. It happened at the moment of Elijah's greatest triumph: he had just slain 400 prophets of Baal and raced on foot from Mount Carmel to Jezreel. But when he arrived,
he learned Jezebel had put a price on his head, declaring, "Elijah is a dead man."
Emotionally spent, Elijah's faith collapsed. In a single dark hour, the powerful faith that could open heaven had shriveled into doubt. Hiding in a cave, exhausted, Elijah fell into a deep depression. He gave up on life, saying in so many words, "I'm through with faith, hope, zeal. Life isn't worth living. I've given everything I can, but it has all blown up in my face. Doesn't God care? Lord, take me out of this mess. Just kill me."
You may think of Elijah the same as Peter: "Surely this man has crossed a line. How could a holy servant preach righteousness and do such mighty works, yet deny God cares?" I ask you: did God remove Elijah's anointing for blaring such unbelief? Did he rebuke the prophet for his accusations? No, God ministered to his servant, feeding and
strengthening him. In fact, he sent an angel to prepare a meal for Elijah so full of supernatural nourishment it sustained the prophet for forty days.
2. Jeremiah also suffered an eclipse of faith.
Here was a powerful preacher of holiness and repentance, a fearless prophet who had the mind of God and walked in the fear of the Lord. Yet as we read Jeremiah 20, we find this
man suffering a horrible eclipse of faith.
Jeremiah was preaching at the temple gate when a Satan-possessed priest, Pashur, marched up and slapped the prophet's face. Pashur ordered Jeremiah dragged off and
locked in a public stock, where he was mocked before passing crowds. When released, Jeremiah pronounced God's judgment on Pashur and his followers: "You, Pashur, and
this city are coming down. You're all going into captivity" (see Jeremiah 20:6).
Immediately, a darkness of soul descended on Jeremiah, and he collapsed in discouragement. The once-penetrating holiness preacher now vented dark feelings toward God: "Lord, you deceived me. The word you gave me has become a reproach. Every day I'm ridiculed. You've abandoned me, so I'm quitting you. I'm not going to speak your Word anymore. All your promises are empty. My life and ministry have ended in shame. You should have killed me in the womb" (see Jeremiah 20:7-8).
Tell me, did Jeremiah cross a line here? Could such language come out of anyone who claims to serve God? We find our answer in the very next chapter: "The word of the
Lord came to Jeremiah" (see 21:1). The prophet's eclipse passed, and God did not miss a beat. Jeremiah's most effective ministry lay ahead of him.
God is always aware of the devices and attacks Satan uses against his most effective servants. In both Elijah's and Jeremiah's lives, God knew their faith would endure the
eclipse. He knew their cries came out of confusion and pain. And Scripture makes it clear: not for a single moment did God lift his anointing from either of them.
Most of us can't relate to the severe siftings and faith eclipses of these spiritual giants.
As we read about Elijah and Jeremiah, we think, "I have never been pressed to the point that I begged God to take my life, as Elijah did. I've never accused God of deceiving
me, as Jeremiah did. And I've never said to the Lord, 'I quit.' These men's eclipses were total, a temporary overshadowing of their faith. I can't relate to that."
Yet this doesn't mean our faith has not experienced an eclipse. Ours may be more hidden. The truth is, we can develop an equally despairing attitude if we feel God has let us down. After a disappointing experience, Satan may implant thoughts like these: "Where is your God now, when you need him? Things are going from bad to worse, but he's
nowhere in sight. God promised to make a way of escape for you. Where is he?"
Though we may not express it outwardly, we entertain thoughts that the Lord is not with us, that he's mad at us, that we aren't measuring up in his eyes. So we give God the silent treatment, backing off from him in prayer and neglecting to trust him in our trials.
No matter what level our eclipse may be, partial or total, we have to realize the devil is behind the attack. It isn't being caused by something in our nature, nor by God's wrath, but rather it comes as a supernatural assault from hell. If we fail to recognize this, our downward spiral will continue. We dare not underestimate Satan's determination to shipwreck our faith.
You may ask, "But isn't Jesus right to be offended when we mistrust him? Doesn't it grieve him when we waver and question his faithfulness?" Yes, it does grieve him. And
yes, our unbelieving thoughts can lead to confusion and chaos. Bitterness can take root and, if allowed to harden, can lead to a complete falling away.
But the fact remains, God knows the true depths of what is in your heart, and for him nothing has changed about you. He doesn't suddenly see you as his enemy, changing in an instant because of your troubled spirit. He still considers you his friend, a warrior for the kingdom who's on the cusp of moving into new areas of trust. And for that very reason, you have become a target of Satan.
The devil is absolutely determined to block your vision of God's mercy and grace. Like the moon during an eclipse, he is little by little attempting to cover up your view of
Jesus until things become completely dark. Yet, all along, God has planned for your faith to come through this temporary eclipse.
3. Many of us are able to relate to the partial eclipse of faith David endured.
In Psalm 55, David speaks of a satanic attack that drained his strength and patience. It caused an eclipse so severe David wanted to run. He moaned, "There is pain in my soul,
a pressure that never lets up. It's a battle that never ends. What I'm going through terrifies me. There are times I can't stop trembling.
"Lord, don't hide from me anymore. Please, listen to my complaint. You have to make a way of escape for me. If I only had wings like a dove, I would fly out of this place
and hide in some wilderness. I just want rest from this battle."
What was the cause of David's awful battle? It was a voice: "Because of the voice of the enemy" (Psalm 55:3). In Hebrew, the meaning here is "the voice of a man." It was Satan speaking, along with his demonic oppressors: "Because of the oppression of the wicked" (55:3).
David says of these voices, "They cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me" (55:3). He's saying, in essence, "The tongues of devils are hurling accusations at me. Satan and his henchmen conspire against me, harassing me with lies. They dig up failures from my past and bring them before me, trying to make me fearful."
What did David do about this? He cried out to the Lord for help, asking him to silence the enemy's accusations: "Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues" (55:9). "Every day they wrest [twist] my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.... They mark my steps" (56:5, 6).
David's testimony makes it clear for all of us: this is war. We are facing evil powers, in a fight for our faith against the father of lies. And the only way we can do battle is to cry out to the Lord for help.
Like other holy servants of God, David came out of his eclipse and was used mightily as never before. Beloved, the same joy awaits us just beyond our eclipse. Yet it is when we are at our lowest - at the deepest point of our unbelief - that God is doing his deepest work in us, preparing us to glorify him.
Have you been sifted recently, your faith seeming to fail in a dark hour of eclipse?
Like Peter, you may feel utterly defeated. Or, like Jeremiah, you feel God has deceived and abandoned you. Or, like Elijah, you are overwhelmed and simply want your life
to be over. You see no way out of your eclipse.
I urge you to do three things:
1. Rest in God's love for you. Remember these servants' examples and the plan God had in place for each of them through their trial. They were meant to come out of their eclipse prepared for the ministry God had ready for them.
2. Know that no matter deep your unbelieving thoughts, the Lord sees what you are going through, and his love for you never wavers. Though we are faithless, he remains faithful:
"We ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived; after that the kindness and love of God our Savior...appeared" (Titus 3:3-4).
The Greek meaning of "appeared" here is "superimposed." God looks on our struggles, worries, fears and questionings - in short, our times of eclipse, filled with foolishness and disobedience - and he superimposes his divine love over us. No matter what our condition, his love reigns over us.
3. Do as David did and cry to the Lord night and day. "Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you. In the morning my prayer comes before you. Incline your ear to my cry" (see Psalm 55).
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paganmystic
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This is a very good query. Over the last nearly 2000 years the whole idea, and notion of Christ and His Ministry has been seriously watered down. Matthew 4:1>11; Mark 1:12 & 13; Luke 4:1>13. We through faith receive from the Lord the same strength over Satan. We also have to share that with others through our actions to edify others. That is to build others up spiritually, without expecting even gratitude. The true meaning of humility and is a strength of a Christian. Romans 15:1>6 & Romans 1:8>17. The belief in and practising the Gospels is crucial to maintaining a Christian lifestyle. Mark 1:14&15 In addition to that Mark 9:38>41 & Luke 9:49 & 50. It is these Laws represented to us that keeps the devil and his minions away from us as we witness to others. It is only this Lifestyle that sets you apart as a Christian and gives you the strength to resist the devil and his minions, Matthew 12:33>37 & Luke 6:43>45 .
I hope this makes sense God Bless you my sister.
I hope this makes sense God Bless you my sister.
TheWidowsOffering
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new thing
"Eclipse of faith?" Wow! This is a new thing for me. Thanks Sister Abigya for the post. It's really very long, yet true! It's worth reading!
Now I gain more understanding when darkness comes in my walk with God aside from sin.
God bless you Sister. More blessings, knowledge and wisdom from the Lord!
Sis. Reymielin
"Eclipse of faith?" Wow! This is a new thing for me. Thanks Sister Abigya for the post. It's really very long, yet true! It's worth reading!
Now I gain more understanding when darkness comes in my walk with God aside from sin.
God bless you Sister. More blessings, knowledge and wisdom from the Lord!
Sis. Reymielin
Brother Mike
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- Sep 16, 2008
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- 1,335
God Bless Sister.
Sister Lots of great post up there. I'll give you a scripture.
Mar 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
paganmystic had a pretty good answer also.
Jiggyfly gave the best answer!!!
The more Word of God you try to get and believe, Satan is going to press against you in the natural in a attempt to get you out of faith and make what God said not seem true. He told Eve, surely God did not say you shall die? Yes God did.
Distorting the Word you have, and trying to make the word of God non effective though trouble in the natural realm is his tactic.
However, if he could he would have killed you long ago. He is powerless as Jesus striped him of all power. It does not matter if he try's to make things harder when your believing God, That is not going to Stop the Word of God from coming to pass in your life.
So like JiggyFly said. Resist the devil. In other words don't listen to him, He is a liar. If he tells your your going to die, or your not going to get healed, or your family is not going to make it, ETC......... It is all a lie!!!!!
So Resist Him, Don't listen to him, submit to God, Keep focused on God and not the natural Word in which the devil operates. He will have to leave you alone.
Jesus said you have authority over him anyway. Use IT!!! (Luke 10:19)
Jesus Is Lord
Sister Lots of great post up there. I'll give you a scripture.
Mar 4:17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
paganmystic had a pretty good answer also.
Jiggyfly gave the best answer!!!
The more Word of God you try to get and believe, Satan is going to press against you in the natural in a attempt to get you out of faith and make what God said not seem true. He told Eve, surely God did not say you shall die? Yes God did.
Distorting the Word you have, and trying to make the word of God non effective though trouble in the natural realm is his tactic.
However, if he could he would have killed you long ago. He is powerless as Jesus striped him of all power. It does not matter if he try's to make things harder when your believing God, That is not going to Stop the Word of God from coming to pass in your life.
So like JiggyFly said. Resist the devil. In other words don't listen to him, He is a liar. If he tells your your going to die, or your not going to get healed, or your family is not going to make it, ETC......... It is all a lie!!!!!
So Resist Him, Don't listen to him, submit to God, Keep focused on God and not the natural Word in which the devil operates. He will have to leave you alone.
Jesus said you have authority over him anyway. Use IT!!! (Luke 10:19)
Jesus Is Lord
