Seeing the Unseen-Week 7
Welcome to the good side!
WHAT TOOLS DOES GOD USE IN THIS FIGHT?

We have made it to the good part! SO far, we have taken a very in-depth look at how Satan works, and what forces, tools and weapons he will use in their fight for our souls. But today, we begin our study, looking at the REAL power in this epic battle: the power of the living God!!

And you may be surprised where I start? Let me ask you a question: What is the 1st thing you think of when I ask you what God’s GREATEST tool is in this fight?
His arsenal his huge and has many from which to draw, and really I do not know of we can name a “greatest” when it comes to God…….but we gotta’ start somewhere, so here we go.

THE FIRST “TOOL” THAT WE WILL LOOK AT, WHICH GOD USES IN THIS BATTLE TO STRENGTHEN US IS……….. SATAN!!!
What!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? Have I lost my mind……… Maybe, but just hear me out!

(JULIE LINDSEY story)
Now let me ask you………WHO REALLY WON IN THIS BATTLE???

Julie now heads up an agency working for victims of crime. She is a rape counselor. Many people find peace and comfort in her due to her 1st hand knowledge, understanding and compassion for the emotions they are feeling. Beyond that…because of all of this Julie discovered an AMZING gift she never knew she had. She is an amazing speaker!!!! And as such touches 1000’s of lives yearly for God. Who won? You tell me!

Satan got in. He scared her. He even hurt her. But, God has now used this experience for such great good!

Don’t get me wrong. She has NO fond feelings for what happened. I feel pretty sure she’d give up all of this if she could make it so it never happened, but the blessings from it NOW far outweigh the evil that Satan and his forces inflicted on her.
See: GOD WILL EVEN USE SATAN to strengthen us and shape us in this fight!

Why though? Why this way? Why do you think God would allow Satan to hurt us?
I sure cannot explain this fully, but we may be able to get a little insight that may give us some peace.

God tells us that we simply CANNOT understand his ways and his plans. We are totally incapable. Even for him to try would be a waste of time. (JOB 38:2-7)

But he does also promise that he never abandons us. We may not understand why….but we can understand this! Why do bad things happen to good people……GOD ONLY KNOWS…literally! But here is an answer I have come to believe that may help:

SOMETIMES GOD ALLOWS SATANIC FORCES TO ATTACK US BECAUSE WE NEED TO GROW OR CHANGE OR LEARN SOME IMPORTANT LESSON!
He doesn’t let them beat us totally, but he does allow for a great struggle, because…..we just may need it.

READ I Peter 1:3-9

Peter compares our trials to the process that gold endures in being refined. I think a more thorough study in this concept will yield some great insight as to WHY God allows us to hurt.

** The purposes of processing gold and refining it through intense fire are:

• burning away impurities
• glossing it until the goldsmith could see his reflection
• making it malleable enough to shape
• increasing the gold’s strength

Interesting huh? And as a goldsmith works through this process, he has 2 cautions he watches for. He must be careful to prevent 2 things:
• He can never let it become so hot that it bubbles and ruins, losing value
• He cannot let it cool too quickly from the fire or it becomes brittle and useless

I think that maybe this is EXACTLY how God works in us….using what Satan meant for harm! Think about it…how many times have you thought or noticed or heard that some of the people God uses the most mightily have been through intense tragedy??? They are put through fire, just like gold.
How do you feel about this…God allowing these attacks from the enemy? I find it wonderful, that though he allows the attacks, he uses Satan’s attacks to bless us ultimately! Oh what smarts…oh what power! GOD USES SATAN AGAINST HIMSELF……… I LOVE IT!

Let’s take a brief look at each of these:

Burning Away Impurities

What good is an unproven faith? Is it even real? Many people who think they have faith in Jesus may actually only have faith in an IDEA……if they have never been refined. Make sense?

How does this work. How does trial/tragedy burn away impurities? Does it?
Great tragedy takes us to our knees! And it drives away all of the other garbage that normally distracts us from our God and our relationship with him!

Have you ever heard “I have nothing without God?” This realization comes only when the distractions and impurities are burned away….only when we are forced to cling to God as our MOST PRIZED POSSSION!

Reflecting the Goldsmith

The only way in the 1st century to test gold’s purity was to seek a reflection. When this was achieved, you had reached precious value!
The EXACT same is true of God’s people! When we reflect him….we are at our most value for his cause! Trials shape us in our faith and cause us to be more like God…..they cause us to reflect him more to the world! When things are stripped away…..and when ONLY GOD fills us…then the world can see him in us…a true reflection! God wants us to look like him to the world….so he’ll use whatever it takes!

Becoming Malleable

We are only shapeable when we are malleable! This means to be capable of being shaped or molded. Gold is a hard dense metal. The only way for this to happen is to use heat.
Aren’t we more shapeable when we suffer? Why?
When things are perfect and cruising wonderfully along…we have very little regard fro interruption or redirection. This will change when trials come my friend! In trials we seek ways to be more like Him…and are more open to the directions he sends!

Increasing Strength

Goldsmiths make gold stronger each time they heat it in the annealing process. Annealing is the act of heating, hammering, shaping and cooling metal. It is ultimately….”strength through a series of fires” Does that sound familiar at all to you?
I think of the hard times in my life and I can truly say …each experience has made me stronger in my spiritual walk with Christ than I was before!
No one enjoys hurting…. And we all avoid it at all costs….duh! But EVERY Christian who has suffered had gained strength they did not have before!

One of the best examples in scripture of God using the annealing process to shape a person is found n the life of Joseph. Read his story in Genesis. Here is a kid sold into slavery by his brothers. He was wrongly accused of a crime he did not commit and imprisoned. These things are NOT GOOD. But………..

God used EACH of these to prepare Joseph to be an amazing leader of his people! His annealing process took about 13 years. I imagine it was hard, confusing and painful at times. But what AMAZING GOOD God brought from it!

Why do we suffer? I am not exactly sure. But I am convinced one reason is so that we can personally grow spiritually. The second reason I believe is so that OTHERS can as well. HOW?????

Joe Beam- “Sometimes I need to suffer; sometimes YOU need me to suffer”

God never promised to make everything work good…He only promised to make it work OUT good! He knows what he is doing……and even when Satan is at his worst, attacking us the hardest….God is behind the scenes, using it for the good of his kingdom! AMEN!!!!!

I cannot tell you why you face the things you do. I just can’t. No one here can. But I can assure you 100% that if you endure and hang on to him with all of your might, you will spiritually prosper! You will become more pure, more like Him and prepared for greater ministry! Much evil may be used against you by evil beings. But, whatever their attack…….you WILL survive when holding on to the source of true power! AND YOU WILL GROW!