At times, we may feel as though we’re going up the down side in life. Someone might say, “What are you talking about?” Let me give you an example. Have you ever tried to go up a down escalator? You might take two steps forward and fall back four steps. It takes tremendous effort to make it to the top.
Well, sometimes that’s the way it is for believers. What should you do when you find yourself in that position? You will wear yourself out trying to go up the down side if you don’t trust in God’s Word.
When everything is going wrong, one of the first things we do is question whether or not we’re in the will of God. But you know something, I have never seen the devil attack anyone who was out of the will of God. Why should he? The devil is not interested in stopping someone if that person is already out of the will of God.
So when I find myself in a test or trial, with the devil sitting on my shoulder hollering, “You better check; you’re probably out of the will of God,” I tell him, “This trial is the best sign I have that I’m in the will of God.” I’m not saying that the problems are from God, because the devil is the one who causes problems for God’s people.
God didn’t say that you wouldn’t have trials or tribulations, but He did say that He would bring you out on the other side with victory (Ps. 34:19)! So don’t start trying to figure out where you went wrong, because the devil would love to tell you where you missed it.
But the devil isn’t the only one who will tell you that you’re defeated. People will say, “You’re never going to make it. You shouldn’t have tried in the first place.”
That’s why you need to renew your mind with the Word of God. When you know what the Word says, it won’t matter what the devil or anyone else says or does or what your senses tell you – nothing will deter you! You’re going to keep standing on the Word, and God will see you through!
When everything and everyone seems to be against you, remember that you “…have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4). If the Greater One is living inside you, why are you listening to the devil?
The Bible says that we are more than conquerors through Christ (Rom. 8:37). I want you to grab hold of that. We’re not just conquerors. We’re more than conquerors! Therefore, we cannot be overcome!
I’m not saying that you might not fail sometimes, but you’re not a failure until you quit. So when you feel like you’re going up the down side, put the Word of God to work in your life – keep standing on His promises – because it’s not your wisdom or strength that will cause you to rise up in victory; it’s God and His Word!
Excerpt permission granted by Faith Library Publications
Kenneth W. Hagin, President of Kenneth Hagin Ministries and pastor of RHEMA Bible Church, ministers around the world. Known for calling the Body of Christ to steadfast faith, he seizes every ministry opportunity to impart an attitude of “I cannot be defeated, and I will not quit.”
Rev. Hagin began preparing for his call to ministry—a ministry that now spans 50 years—at Southwestern Assemblies of God University. He graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Faith Theological Seminary in Tampa, Florida.
In his early years of ministry, Rev. Hagin was an associate pastor and traveling evangelist. Later, he went on to organize and develop RHEMA Bible Training Centers in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and in other countries around the world.
Kenneth W. Hagin’s array of responsibilities also includes International Director of RHEMA Ministerial Association International. He hosts the annual A Call to Arms® Men’s Conference, and with his wife, Lynette, cohosts RHEMA Praise, a weekly television program, and Rhema for Today, a weekday radio program broadcast throughout the United States. They also conduct Living Faith Crusades, spreading the message of faith and healing around the world.
Recognizing the lateness of the hour before the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, Rev. Hagin has expanded his speaking schedule beyond his regular pastoral duties. To fulfill the urgent call of God to prepare the Church for a deeper experience of His Presence, Rev. Hagin delivers messages that reveal key spiritual truths about faith, healing, and other vital subjects. He ministers with a strong healing anointing, and his ministry leads the Body of Christ into a greater experience of the glory of God!
Kenneth W. Hagin and his wife live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the son of the late Kenneth E. Hagin.