Are you under pressure? Are you feeling overwhelmed and challenged? If you are, you need to understand that it was brought on by Satan. He brings heaviness – heaviness of spirit, heaviness of mind, and even heaviness physically. Whatever you do, don’t blame God for the trial. He is not the author of trials.

Jesus said that once the Word is sown in a man’s heart, Satan comes immediately to steal it and to take it away. He also told us that there are five major avenues that Satan uses: afflictions, persecutions, the cares of this world, the lust of other things, and the deceitfulness of riches (Mark 4:14-20). Satan is the tempter; he is the one who brings condemnation to you. He is the one that brings heaviness, not God (1 Peter 1:3-7).

The Apostle Peter describes it this way in verse 7: though it be tried by fire. Many times the trials that you are involved in feel like a fiery furnace.

God wants you to know that you can endure anything Satan brings against you. And if you will follow the instructions in His Word, you will come out on the other side of that trial like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did (Daniel 3): untouched, unharmed and totally protected!

God knows Satan is a spiritual outlaw and that he is out to kill, to steal, and to destroy. BUT God gave us weapons that are not carnal to use to fight Satan (Ephesians 6:10-18). God has put in our hands the means whereby, regardless of what Satan brings, there is a way of escape. God is glorified when we use these weapons and defeat Satan. God doesn’t receive glory when we are beat down. Jesus tells us just exactly how we can glorify our Father: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; So shall ye be my disciples.” (John 15:7, 8). Notice, Jesus doesn’t say anything about God receiving glory when we are beat down and defeated. He said God is glorified when we are full of His Word and that Word makes us fruitful or productive.

I have good news for you today, you have been provided a way of escape! Remember Isaiah 54:17 says: “No weapon formed against thee shall prosper.” Even though Satan will bring situations to you and try to steal the Word out of your heart, you can bring glory to God when you take His Word and resist the devil until he flees. You are a testimony that God’s Word works. You are more than a conqueror through Him.

“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31‭-‬39 NKJV).

Confession: , “I am a conqueror! It may feel like I am in a furnace now, BUT, I will resist the Devil, and he will flee! God has provided my way of escape. I will bear much fruit and bring glory to my God!”

“Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, Who alone is wise, Be glory and majesty, Dominion and power, Both now and forever. Amen.”
[Jude 1:24‭-‬25 NKJV].

Excerpts from Jerry Savelle.