Jesus shows us how to overcome

avid W Palmer

Like Jesus and John, when we step out into the Elijah type ministry, we will need to be forceful against the enemy. And we will have to be ready for his counter-attacks, intimidation, and pressure:

(Matthew 11:12–15 DKJV) “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven forcefully advances, and the forceful try to seize it back by force. {13} For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. {14} And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah, the one expected to come just before the Messiah (Mal. 4:5). {15} Let whoever has ears to hear, hear!”

To learn how to deal with and cope with the enemy’s counter actions, we look to Jesus’s example. How did he cope? How did he survive the constant rejection, persecution, death-threats, and pressure while maintaining perfect love and holiness? (After all, he had to face rejection from his family, the fleeing of his followers, the betrayal of Judas, and the denial of Peter. Added to this painful rejection from his friends and family was the constant barrage of opposition he faced from his enemies.) A quick study of the gospels reveals that he overcame because his closest confidant, his strongest ally, and his identifying relationship was God his Father.

As we prepare for and step out into the Elijah-style ministry needed today, we too will have to attach ourselves so firmly to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit that nothing can shake us. We need to be 100% grounded in God’s word, draw our life from him, and have our identity in him. Only then will we—by his grace—be able to go from strength to strength, faith to faith, and glory to glory in our assignment. However, like Jesus, we may not always be believed and warmly received in what we do.

Our Lord and Master also stood firmly on God’s word and used it as a weapon against the enemy. It was his unrelenting and pure faith in this word that created the “force” that completely repelled the enemy. (That was prior to his amazing victory on the cross and his resurrection as the invincible, all-conquering Living Word of God. As a result, his word in our mouth today coupled with our unyielding faith in it is simply an irresistible overcoming force.)

We see the best example of this in his wilderness encounter with the devil:

(Matthew 4:1–11 DKJV) Then Jesus was led by the Spirit of Holiness into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. {2} After he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. {3} Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, speak so that these stones become bread.” … {7} Jesus said to him, “[But] it is also written (in Deut. 6:16), ‘you will not test the Lord your God.’” … {10} Then Jesus said to him, “Get away [from me], Satan! For it is written (in Deut. 6:13), ‘You will worship the Lord your God, and you will serve only him.’” {11} Then the devil left him, and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.

Jesus’s absolute trust in his Father and in the strength of the covenant was a force that the enemy could not withstand—when he confessed God’s word … relentlessly.

Jesus spoke of some people as having “great” faith, to others he attributed “little” faith. What makes the difference? What is this great and forceful faith that overpowers the enemy? We find the key in the New Testament epistle of Hebrews—not Hebrews 11 where we usually try to understand faith, but Hebrews 10 that defines and explains the forceful faith that chapter 11 illustrates.

(Hebrews 10:35–38 LITV) Then do not throw away your confidence, which has great reward. {36} For you have need of patience, that having done the will of God you may obtain the promise. {37} For, yet a very little while, and the One coming will come, “and will not delay.” (Hab. 2:3) {38} “But the just shall live by faith”; “and if he draws back,” “My soul is not pleased in him.” (Hab. 2:4; Zeph. 1:6; Mal. 1:10)

The word, “but,” at the start of verse 38 implies two contrasting ideas: the “just” who live by faith, and the ones who draw back. The directive of verses 35 and 36 show us in this context what God requires. This is what will please him; this is living by faith. So from this what is the faith that pleases God?

“Confidence”—meaning all outspokenness, that is, frankness, bluntness, publicity; by implication assurance (Strongs 3954). For Christians, this is to be a bold, frank, public confession of what God says—unflinching confession of God’s word and our belief in it. This is exactly how Jesus forced the devil to back-down.

“Patience”—meaning cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy (Strongs G5281). Faith that overcomes powerfully is faith that endures. That is, we are to persist in our confession of God’s word. Keep saying it, believing it, loving it, meditating in it; sing it, shout it, say it, and pray it continually no matter how things appear or how you feel. Keep worshipping, praising and thanking God—with your whole heart.

“Having done the will of God”—that is obedience. Obedience to the previous two directives, and to all the directives of the New Testament, which of course includes the following:

(1 Thessalonians 5:16–18 KJV) Rejoice evermore. {17} Pray without ceasing. {18} In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Forceful faith is faith that perseveres when it doesn’t feel like it, when circumstances say it will not work, and when the enemy is intimidating, lying, and accusing with everything at his disposal. Forceful faith simply pits its persevering praise, thanks, confession, and worship against the enemy’s onslaught until it overcomes.

We also see this confirmed in the book of Revelation as a summary of how we, the saints, overcame the enemy:

(Revelation 12:11 EMTV) And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

We know this forceful, overcoming faith pleases God (Heb. 11:6). We also read in Revelation eight other times that God rewards overcomers. See: Rev. 2:7; 2:11; 2:17; 2:26; 3:5; 3:12; 3:21; 21:7.

God’s disappointment with the unresponsive

Let’s look again at the passage in Matthew 11 to see what else we can learn about the Elijah ministry today. Jesus continued by giving some insightful prophetic commentary on his contemporary generation from God’s perspective. This addresses some of the disappointments and realities a person ministering today in God’s name may face:

(Matthew 11:16–19 DKJV) “To what will I compare [what’s going on in] this generation? It is like children sitting in the public square and calling to their playmates, {17} saying, ‘We played the flute to you, and you have not danced; we mourned to you, and you have not expressed grief.’ {18} For John came neither eating nor drinking, and some say, ‘He has a demon [in him].’ {19} The Son of man came both eating and drinking, and some say, ‘See, a glutton and a wino, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ And yet wisdom is vindicated by her children.”

Here, Jesus expresses God’s perspective on man’s unrepentant and disappointing response to His word. He sent his top two representatives into that generation: John the Baptist, the top prophet born of women, and Jesus, his own son. But, to justify their own lack of humble submission and repentance, the contemporary generation claimed John was so austere that he had a demon, and that Jesus was of self-indulgent behavior and part of the wrong crowd. Yet from God’s perspective, their different styles demonstrated God’s intention to communicate his message to everyone through a person or style that they could each relate to.

In view of this, we should be wise and not criticize any of God’s representatives because of their style, etc. Leave the judging to Jesus and the accusing to the enemy. Simply devour the word God sends through the ministry that you can relate to, understand, and receive from.

In a later study, we will seek to understand a little more about God’s disappointment in those who hear from him like “this generation” but who do not respond with humility and repentance.

Today, we have seen that operating in the facet of Jesus’s anointing that he calls the spirit and power of Elijah will require us to be forceful in the spirit. This will bring an attempt at forceful resistance and counter attacks from the enemy. What have we learned today about how to overcome these inevitable, evil counter actions? Having your complete trust in God and his covenant—as delineated in his word—brandishing that word at the enemy like a sword. And do it with faith that is:

Confident—overflowing with bold confession of God’s word

Patient—persistent and relentless in applying the word-confession

Obedient—doing the will of God, including rejoicing, praising, thanking, etc.

Expanding forward—not drawing back

Faithfully living in expectation of the imminent return of Jesus

And let’s never disappoint God by being unresponsive or dismissive of the word he sends—despite the “clay jar” frailties of the messengers.