Let’s find out what God’s Word has to say in the book of James about our troubles and shed that light on religious tradition.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

But Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.  (James 1:2-8)

Notice that James 1:3 says that the trying of your faith works patience. It does not say that trying of your faith is to teach you, or that it perfects your faith, or that it makes your faith strong. Faith is strengthened by the Word of God. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). So, the trying of your faith exercises patience. 

Now, What does patience mean? The definition of patience is not “to put up with” like many of us think. The dictionary says that to be patient is “to be constant, or the same way, all the time regardless of the circumstances.” This is the way we, as believers, must be patient, stable, consistent, the same way all the time.

Regardless of our circumstances, regardless of what life throws at us, we should always respond in exactly the same way: “Thus saith the Word of God!” When we respond this way, we take on the same attribute as Jesus the same yesterday, today and forever. This is the reason Jesus is always the same, He never varies to the right or to the left from the Word of God.

James 1:4 tells us that, if we will let patience have her perfect work, we will be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. A patient man is a stable man. He is a constant man. He is a single-minded man. He doesn’t’ have to ask himself, Who is my enemy! Is God my problem or is Satan? Is there a shady area between the two?

This poses another question many Christians are asking today. Does God use Satan to discipline His family? What is the chastisement of the Lord? Does it mean the same in the New Testament as it does in the Old? To answer these questions, you must know how to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Where do you rightly divide the Word? At the cross and resurrection of Jesus. One side is a promise, the other is a fact!

Isaiah 53 is a prophecy of Jesus, the Messiah. Isaiah is prophesying here and is speaking of the things that are to be laid on Jesus. Notice verse 5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him: and with his stripes we are healed.”

The English dictionary defines chastisement  as “punishment by inflicting pain.” Jesus bore our sins so that we don’t have to bear them. He bore our sicknesses so that we don’t have to bear them. He bore our punishing chastisement so that we don’t have to bear it. Praise God!

The following prophecy form Isaiah 54 is no longer speaking of Jesus on the cross. It is speaking of the Resurrected Jesus, the Redeemer. He is no longer speaking to Israel but to the Church of Jesus Christ:

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer…And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt not fear: and from terror, for it shall not come near thee.

Behold, they shall surly gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth and instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
(Isa. 54:8, 13-17)

Notice in verse 8, “but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.” The Redeemer is talking here. When we read this, we are reading from the mouth of God. This is what God Himself has said.

“And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.” Who are those children? We are The believers, the Body of Christ, the children of God as a result of the new birth.

“In righteousness shalt thou be established.”  This is for us right now, here on earth. We have already been established in righteousness. Romans 5:17 say, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

“Thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.” What does the Word say about us where fear is concerned? First John 2:5, But whoso keepeth his word, in him (her) verily is the love of God perfected,” and 1 John 4:18, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment.”

“Behold, they shall surly gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.” There is no question about it – oppression, fear, and terror will gather together against you. Satan will still try to fight you even though Jesus has defeated him through the cross. “Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me.”  The Lord your Redeemer is speaking, and He says the oppression, fear and terror are not from Him.

“Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth and instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.”  (Verse 16)

What is the Lord saying here? God created Satan. Ezekiel told of how Satan was created perfect, and then iniquity was found in him. This is where the problem lies. God has given His Word on certain indisputable points. He will not break or go back on His Word, even to Satan.

This put God in the position of having to keep His Word when Satan became involved and keep His Word where man is involved. Satan is trying to trap God in a lie, to trap Him into going back on His Word. God would then be subject to the “father of liars.” So what God is saying to us here is , “I created the one who caused your trouble. I will be responsible for it.”

“No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper.” Even though God created Satan, even though Satan committed treason before God and led man into treason, God has provided a way so that no weapon Satan forms against us will prosper.

“And every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.”  The battle lines are drawn. God is not your problem. Satan is your problem, he is your enemy. But the good news is that God has provided your complete deliverance through Jesus Christ.

Summary Points:

• When we respond with the Word, we take on the same attribute as Jesus.
• Satan is trying to trap God in a lie, to trap Him into going back on His Word.
• The battle lines are drawn. God is not your problem. Satan is your problem.
• The troublemaker is no match for the believer who battles him with the full armor and mighty weapons of God.

Source: Know Your Enemy by Kenneth Copeland
Excerpt permission granted by Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc.
aka: Kenneth Copeland Ministries