We Need to Stand our Ground Against the Opposition

Scripture: Acts 13:10

and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

Insights: The second practical step we learn about this week is that we need to stand our ground against the opposition.  Paul is not willing to let the magician speak his mind and intimidate them.  Paul is filled with the Spirit of God as we learned yesterday and now he speaks with boldness and confidence.  Examine the words Paul used in his address to the magician.  He says this man is full of deceit and a fraud.  Paul calls him the son of the devil in contrast to his name of bar-Jesus, which means son of the savior.  He calls him the enemy of righteousness.  Paul declares this man twists the truth.  These statements are bold.  All too often we as Christ-followers take the opposition too lightly.  We give justifications for them.  We speak tender words of compassion.  Beloved, when we are talking about the five percent, which is truly hostile to the things of God, we need to stand our ground.  We must, because we are filled and dependent on the power of God, speak truth into the situation.  Paul was not willing to let this magician and his lies prevent him from sharing the gospel to the proconsul.  It is my prayer when we see government or others attempting to stop the spread of the gospel that we live with the same kind of power as Paul.  Let the church in the United States rise and stand in opposition to those who are trying to demand we stop proclaiming the truth of the Scriptures.  May we be bold and valiant for the One to whom we serve.  May our life of faith and power, in Christ, be evident to all and may many of them come to the saving knowledge of Jesus because of our obedience.  Jesus gave us a parable that helps illustrate this point.  It is the parable of the house being built on the sand or the rock.  When we are unwilling to stand on the rock, then we are wishy-washing and easily tossed back and forth.  When, however, we are built on the rock, we are able to stand by faith and rest in Him and trust in Him.  When those moments of opposition arise, let us stand on Jesus, the true rock of our faith.

Questions:

1. Is your house built on the sand?

2. Are you living on the solid Rock which is Christ Jesus?

Prayer: Father, grant me courage to take a stand and remain steadfast in the midst of opposition and hostility.  Let me not be destroyed by the battering waves of the enemy.  Amen.