Facing Opposition to God’s Work

…because a great door of effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me.

1 Corinthians 16:9

People whom God uses to achieve notable things for His work in this world must learn to stand in the power of the Spirit against opposition. Key words in this sentence are “stand in the power of the Spirit” for any other stance can cause us to react as the world reacts. We must have the mind of Christ in order to do the work of God

If we try to stand in our own power, we may see enemies everywhere, or perhaps no where; our spiritual sense of what opposition to the work of God truly looks like will be unclear and our reactions will be wrong and our aim misdirected. We will wound those who do us no harm, mistaking fair criticism that might aid us in achieving something for God for the deadly darts of Satan. Not all who disagree with us are our enemies — some are our best of friends!

Read down in this chapter of 1 Corinthians 16 and you will find in verse 13 five short sayings of Paul on how to stand against true spiritual opposition. A key component of this passage we often miss today, is that he was speaking to the entire assembly of believers and not just to the individual. We are to stand together against opposition, so these applications require good believing friends with whom we can stand:

• Be on your guard — this includes prayer and spiritual sensitivity, as Christ prayed during Gethsemane’s passion. Almost any phrase in the New Testament that speaks of being on guard or being alert has a strong connection to prayer.
• Stand firm in the faith — this includes knowledge of the Word of God and devotion to God. Be solidly grounded in the principles and the examples of His Word.
• Be men of courage — or women of courage, do not run when you first see the faces of the enemy. Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. More are they that are for us than that are against us.
• Be strong — this certainly means “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (Eph. 6:10) and includes the spiritual armor detailed in Ephesians 6.
• Do everything in love — even in facing opposition we must be loving and kind, or I should say especially in facing opposition kindness, love, and compassion are essential.

Do not be discouraged when things do not go your way at first. Be sure that your way is hidden entirely in God’s way and trust that He will give you the strength and power and grace needed to face opposition to Him. Surrender your heart to the glory of God and to His purposes being achieved, and do not mistake your glory for His, or your will for His will. Many of us limit what God can do through our lives because we are afraid of personally looking foolish, instead of being passionate for the glory of God. All that we followers of Christ should strive for is the goal to hear the Father’s voice — even if we hear no other voice — saying, “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord.”