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Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 1:8-10
In 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, what did Paul want the brothers to know? He wanted them to know of the affliction which befell him in Asia. What was the nature of this affliction? It was the affliction of being under pressure. To what degree were they pressed by this pressure? They were pressed beyond their power, to the point that they despaired even of living. This was the outward condition. And what was the inward feeling? It was the same. He said that they "had the response of death" in themselves. The final outcome was this: "We should not base our confidence on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead; who has delivered us out of so great a death, and will deliver us; in whom we have hoped that He will also yet deliver us" (vv. 9-10).
We have paid special attention in our Lord's Day morning messages to the principles of spiritual life. Today we will talk about the relationship between pressure and power, or we may say, between compression and power. Brothers and sisters, Christians pay considerable attention to the matter of power. Among spiritual believers, even more attention is paid to the matter of power. They often ask whether or not a certain person has power and whether his power is great or small. Wherever we are, we hear this kind of talk.
We want to consider the biblical teaching concerning the relationship between pressure, or compression, and power. First I want to say that pressure and power are directly proportional one to the other. Where there is pressure, there is power. If a Christian does not know pressure, he cannot know power. Only those who have experienced the stress of pressure can understand power. The more pressure one experiences, the more power he has, and the more he understands power.
Before I explain the spiritual relationship between pressure and power, I want to point out their relationship in physical terms, so that we can understand the spiritual principle from physical things. Have you ever seen how water boils on the stove? You must have seen how boiled water is sold in a boiled-water shop. Water is boiled from morning until evening, all year round. The shop is always filled with steam, but the steam is not very useful because it does not have much power. On the other hand, if you look at a boiler on a train engine or ship, you can see an intense fire under the boiler. The water in the boiler is boiling, but the steam cannot easily escape because the boiler is made of very thick steel. The steam is kept inside the boiler and gradually accumulates. Because of the external pressure and the fact that no steam is allowed to escape, the steam is pressurized to become a source of power. When the power of this steam is released through a small hole, it can drive trains and ships forward with great speed. In both cases we have steam. But why is there such a great difference in the power they produce? In the boiled-water shop, the steam is useless, but in a train or a ship, it is useful. In one case the steam is not compressed; it is scattered and, therefore, useless. In the other case the steam is compressed; it is not scattered, and when this compressed steam is released from one outlet, it becomes a source of great power. Brothers, this principle is not only true in physics; it is also true as a spiritual law. Whenever there is no pressure, there is no power. Only pressure can produce power.
If a Christian wants to understand what power is, he must first understand what pressure is. Pressure or stress was always upon the apostles. They were pressed daily, were under tension daily, and bore heavy burdens daily. Furthermore, they were continually occupied so that they could neither live quietly nor peacefully. This, however, was the means by which God bestowed power upon them. The apostles were pressed so much that their power multiplied to the point that it became unmatched by anyone else. Pressure forced them to rely upon God. Brothers, how much pressure is upon you? You can only measure your power by your pressure. The pressure of the boiler determines the power of the steam. There has never been a believer whose power was greater than the pressure he experienced. If a believer wants to measure how much power he has before God, he should know that his power is only equal to the pressure he experiences. This law is never violated.
Many times believers pray, "God, please give me power." Do they know what they are praying for? If God responds to their prayer, He will cause them to be pressed, because God knows that the power of life can only be produced from the pressure of life. A life that is pressured is a life that has power. A life without pressure is a life without power. A life with great pressure is a life with great power. A life with a little pressure is a life with little power. The power I am referring to here is the power of life and not the power of anything else.
Now we want to take a look at some spiritual matters to prove the accuracy of the principle that pressure is power.
I would like to ask the brothers who are sitting here today: how many of you have the clear experience of overcoming sins? Which of you is clear about the law of the Spirit of life setting us free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and of death? Are there any among you who have ever dealt with sin and been clearly set free from sin? Why are there only a few Christians who have been set free from sin and overcome sins? Perhaps the reason is that most people do not know how to apply this principle. They do not know how to use the pressure of sin. When sins oppress them, they lapse into despair at this oppression, instead of using this oppression to call on God and look to His deliverance. Many times we have to be oppressed by sin to the extent that we can no longer help or save ourselves, and our inner being can no longer bear or sustain its oppression. At such times, we will find the power to come to God and the power to receive the victory of Christ. Only then will we obtain deliverance.
Suppose a believer finds himself lying unintentionally from time to time. A little carelessness, and a lie rushes out of his mouth. He will never overcome if he does not feel the evil of lying, if he does not feel the pain of lying, and if he does not realize that he has no strength to fight against his lying and that he is oppressed by his lying. When he tries to overcome this sin, he feels its oppression. Every time he struggles against it, he feels its pressure. Yet he finds himself still speaking untrue things and feels frustrated. When will he be released from sin? Finally, one day he feels that he has to overcome this sin and that if he cannot overcome it, he will not be able to go on. He feels the pressure of this sin and can stand it no longer. The pressure has become so great that the power to overcome it also has become great. At such times, he finds himself with more power to come to God and call on Him. It seems that he has more strength to accept the work of Christ. At such times, he can say to God, "O God! If You do not make me overcome my sins through what the Lord Jesus has done, I cannot go on." If he holds on to God like this, he will have the victory. Can you see this? The pressure of sin brings him the power to come to God and be freed.
Let me give you another example. Some believers often complain that unclean thoughts go through their mind. They often cannot stop thinking unclean things. They realize that this is not good. However, they never oppose them and never find the strength to pray to God about them. They may have resisted and prayed a little, but they have done so only in a halfhearted and powerless way. Why do they behave this way? The reason is that they have not felt the pressure of sin. As a result, they have no strength to overcome sin. If they thought about this once, twice, a hundred times, and resisted it once, twice, a hundred times, and found themselves failing again and again, confessed to God, and felt the frustration of these failures, they would realize that the pressure of sin is too great, and in the end, they would not tolerate it even for five minutes. Then they would find the faith and power to overcome their sins. At ordinary times, they may feel that their faith is powerless. But when they feel the mounting pressure, they find strength in their faith. At ordinary times, they may find themselves powerless to resist. But when the pressure becomes great, they find that they have the strength to resist. Please remember that pressure produces power. May we turn all the pressure that we encounter in our daily life to power, so that we can advance forward. Please remember that a powerful believer does not have any more power than we have; he only knows how to use the pressure that is put upon him.
There is a brother who asked me why his prayer was not answered. I answered that it was because there was no pressure. He then asked why pressure was necessary? I replied that prayer can be answered only when there is pressure. I often ask the brothers if God has listened to their prayer. They frequently answer, "After I pray for something three or five times, I forget about it." Why do they forget? They forget because they do not feel the pressure of the need. It is amazing that most people are like this. If you forget, you cannot blame God for also forgetting. If you just pray a few words in a halfhearted way, God surely will not accomplish it for you. Many prayers are like a composition. It would be better if you did not pray these prayers at all. Many prayers have broken the first principle of prayer. No wonder these prayers are not answered. What is the first principle of prayer? It is not faith. It is not promise. It is need. Where there is no need, there is no prayer. Therefore, in order for God to answer your prayer, the first thing He has to do is put a need within you. The first thing God will give you is pressure. By this you will feel a need and realize that you have to go to God. Then you will receive His answer.
John Knox was a person who prayed effectively. Queen Mary of England once said, "I do not fear the whole army of Scotland, but I fear John Knox's prayer." How did John Knox pray? He said, "O God! Give me Scotland, or I die!" Why did he pray this way? He prayed this way because the pressure in him was great. The pressure was so great that he could bear it no longer. He had such a pressure in his heart that he had to utter such a prayer. Today the churches in Scotland remain the best churches in the whole world.
You may not understand why Moses prayed, "Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin — ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written" (Exo. 32:32). Moses prayed this way because he had a need. He was pressured by this need to such an extent that if God would not save Israel, he would rather be blotted out. That is why God listened to his prayer.
It was the same with Paul. He said, "For I could wish that I myself were a curse, separated from Christ for my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Rom. 9:3). If Israel could not be saved, he would rather lose his own salvation. These were not just words on his lips, nor were they an outburst of his emotion. The pressure of a need gave him such a feeling. Many times people imitate the prayers of others, but there is no power, and the prayers are useless. This is because there is no pressure. Has anyone ever prayed, "God, if You will not answer me, I will not rise up"? If you have such feelings, and you utter such words, God will surely answer. Perhaps some will go home and say the same words. That is not what is important; what is important is to feel the pressure.
There was a very good believer in Tsinan. He had a brother who always opposed and ridiculed him in his school class. Last year when I was working at his school, I talked with the unbelieving brother, but he would not believe. His brother used to testify about the Lord very often on the campus and help many others. But one time he stopped testifying and the smile left his face. Another believer told me about his situation when I was there. They were afraid that he was discouraged and backslidden, and they hoped that I could render him some help. Although I met with him several times, he would quickly walk away after we exchanged a few words. I was surprised that he was trying to avoid me. In a conversation with another believer, I was told that there was nothing wrong with him except that his brother had not yet been saved. He would no longer testify unless his brother was saved. The conversation was concluded with the comment: "Although this is what he said, I wonder if there is some other hidden reason." After our last meeting, I talked with the discouraged brother again. I asked him what was the reason for his recent behavior. He answered, "If God will not save my brother, I will never testify of the Lord again." Then I realized that he had a special burden for his brother and was greatly pressured. There could be only two reasons for his situation: either the enemy had deceived and discouraged him from working and advancing, or God intended to save his brother. If God had given him this pressure and was causing him to pray in such a desperate way, his brother would surely be saved. But the pressure on him was too great; he could not get through. That is why he had this kind of reaction. Immediately after I returned home, I received a letter from another brother at that school, telling me that this person's brother was saved. Not long after I left, the unbelieving brother had become very sick. Then he decided to receive the Lord, and he recovered from his illness.
We can realize a principle from this brother's experience. Before God listens to our prayer, He always puts a great pressure on us so that we have to pray. At first we did not have the power to pray. But with pressure, we can pray. The stronger the pressure is from God, the more powerful our prayers will become. Therefore, let us learn the lesson that pressure produces power. The purpose of pressure is not to oppress us, but to afford us the opportunity to turn it into power. Now we can understand why God listens to some prayers, but not to others. We can understand why God listens to prayers concerning big things, but not to prayers concerning small things. Why does God listen to your oppressed prayer when someone you love, either a friend or co-worker, is very sick? Why does God not immediately answer your prayer when you have a headache, flu, or cut? As I have said before, every prayer that does not touch you can never touch God. This is altogether a problem of power, and power is always determined by pressure.
Why does God allow difficult things, unsolvable things, and unavoidable things to happen to us? The only reason that God allows these things to come to us is so that we will use the pressure to gain the power to seek for God. Our failure lies in the fact that we do not know how to turn our pressure into power. We know that all pressures have a purpose. We do not have to wait until we are pressed beyond measure before we begin to pray. We have to learn to pray with pressure and without pressure. However, if there is pressure, we should turn it into power. If we turn every pressure into power, we will see that pressure comes for the purpose of manifesting God's power of resurrection. No power is greater than the power of resurrection. If we are pressed, and things are hopeless on all sides, we will clearly feel the power of resurrection rising up within us. If I were to ask how many times our prayers were answered during our lifetime, every one of us could recall at least some prayers that have been answered. Why were those prayers answered? Is it not because the pressure was too great, that we were not able to get through, and that we poured out our hearts to God and He listened? Perhaps we had never fasted before that time. But on that day we found that we had to fast. We felt that we were forced to come to God. We found that prayer was no longer a burden, but the removal of a burden.
Not only is there the pressure of sin and the pressure of need; there is also the pressure of environment. God wants the believers to go through pressure on earth so that they may lead a proper life. There are many adverse events that happen from time to time in a believer's environment. Sometimes difficulties come from within the family. At other times they come from friends outside the family. Sometimes it is a business that has gone bankrupt. At other times one may suffer a loss in business, discrimination from colleagues, oppositions and misunderstandings from others, or financial difficulties. Why do these things happen? Many people do not realize the preciousness of the regenerated life they have received. Although they are saved and regenerated, they do not know the preciousness of the regenerated life. Only after they are pressed do they realize that the regenerated life, the new life they have received from God, is able to overcome all of the environment. Every pressure in the outside environment is for the purpose of proving the reality and power of the regenerated life. The Lord puts us in adverse circumstances in order to show us that we cannot stand without His life. The power of His life is manifested through outward pressure. If we encounter something which pierces us with heart-searing pains, causing us to weep silently with no way to comfort ourselves or get through the matter, and we trust in God at these times, we will experience complete victory. We will be amazed at the great power we have which enables us to overcome. This is because the outward pressure will cause us to spontaneously trust in God, which results in a demonstration of the reality of the power of His life. Of course, an unbeliever who does not have the regenerated life will not be able to go through this adverse environment; he will surely be pressed down by this outward pressure. But a Christian is a regenerated person, and within him there is a life which is stronger than the outward pressure. He knows that the times when he is pressed are the times when he overcomes. The pressure in the environment only manifests the regenerated life within him.
I once read an English tract entitled, "Be a Gas Engine." It told the story of a particular man in the city of Pittsburgh in the United States. There, everyone was using gas lamps. The owner of the gas factory was a Christian. One time he ran into much adversity. His customers frequently wrote letters of complaints about trivial matters. Those who did business with him opposed him and would not even give him the normal courtesies due him. He prayed to God for strength to overcome all of these. But after his prayer the situation became worse. One day a worker came and told him, "Today every machine in the plant stopped running. We cannot find the reason, and we do not know what the problem is. You need to go look for yourself." He had no choice but to go and look. After checking, he found out that there was nothing wrong with the engine except that the valve of the boiler had been damaged. Without pressure, the steam could not be utilized, and every machine stopped running. At that moment he heard a small voice saying to him, "You need to be a gas engine." He told people afterwards, "As the donkey spoke to Balaam, this gas engine spoke something to me that day. I thank and praise God." He went on to say, "If the valve is bad, there is no pressure. If there is no pressure, none of the gas lamps in the city can be lit. Pressure makes every gas lamp shine. I should not reject any pressure. Instead, I should be a gas engine."
Brothers, the power of life in a person can never be greater than the pressure he can bear. There was a brother among us who would not bow to worship his ancestors in his wedding. His uncle had found him a job in a bank, but due to his refusal to worship his ancestors, he was not given the position. We all felt sorry for him, but this incident only showed how much power was really within him. If I can remain standing after someone has pushed me, this indicates how much power is within me. The outward push only manifests the inward power. The power manifested within is as great as the pressure from without.
The Bible tells us not only of the fact of resurrection, but also of the principle of resurrection. The Lord Jesus was raised from the dead; this is a fact. But there are also many teachings about resurrection, such as knowing the power of resurrection. These are the principles of resurrection. Therefore, resurrection is not just a fact, but also a principle that should be proven in our lives. The principle of resurrection is based upon the fact of resurrection. Originally, there was a man whose body was crucified and then made alive. He died and was physically buried, yet He was raised from the dead. The bondage of death had no power over Him. In Him there was something more powerful than death. He has passed through death and still lives; He is not touched by death. The principle of resurrection is to pass through death and still live.
If there is a brother who is naturally very patient, gentle, and kind, he has only his natural virtues. God will allow his friends, relatives, and co-workers to oppress him, pierce him, take advantage of him, and hurt him until, being unable to contain himself, he will lose his temper. Then he will realize that his natural virtues are inadequate because they cannot pass through death. This is a great test. If he will lift up his head to God at these times and say to Him, "God, my patience has run out; manifest Your patience in me," he will be amazed to find patience in the midst of all the death situations. This is resurrection. Resurrection is for God's life to pass through death and still live. Everything natural encounters death and does not resurrect. Everything of God passes through death and still lives. Many people do not know what is of themselves and what is of God; they do not know what is of the flesh and what is of Christ, what is old and what is new, what is natural and what is of resurrection. This is why God allows death to come upon them, so that they will realize how much of what they have is able and how much is not able to pass through death. Only then will they know resurrection. Why does God allow pressure to come upon you? The only reason is to show you that everything you think you can do and everything you think you can endure or withstand will disappear and fail. You will be pressed to such an extent that you can only say, "God, I can stand it no longer. My power has run out. Manifest Your power in me." God wants you to be pressed to such an extent that the pressure produces the power. By then the pressure will not only become the strength for you to call on Him, but will become the factor that ushers in the power of God's work.
The Lord had this same experience. He said, "Unless the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit" (John 12:24). May we know Christ and the power of His resurrection more deeply day by day. The goal of Paul's life was the same. He did not consider himself as having already obtained or as being already perfected, but he pursued after the power of Christ's resurrection in order to know, that is, experience it (10, Phil. 3:12). He did not want to know just the fact of Christ's resurrection. In 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 he said, "We are pressed on every side but not constricted [this indicates the outward circumstances]; unable to find a way out but not utterly without a way out; persecuted but not abandoned; cast down but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the putting to death of Jesus that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body." This was Paul's environment and his life. He experienced a great deal of pressure outwardly. At the same time, he experienced a great deal of power inwardly. The outward pressure was for the manifestation of his inward power.
All of our environment is arranged for us by God. Please remember that whether we are at home, in school, working in an office or in any other place, it is God who has arranged the environment for us. Whether we are in a good environment or an adverse environment, we should remember that God's intention is for us to manifest the resurrection life of Christ. Whether or not we are growing depends on how we deal with our environment. All the things that oppress us are for the purpose of training us in order that we will gain the resurrection life. Who are the ones who have the power? The more we grow, the more power we have. But what does it mean to have greater power and deeper life? It means that we encounter greater pressure and are able to deal with such pressure. If we want to know how deep a believer's life is, all we need to consider is the way he deals with pressure. It is a pity that Christians always want to preserve their natural power. Many times we do not want to die, and we do not want the Lord to die. But if the Lord had not died, there would have been no resurrection. Many Christians wish that there were fewer problems and sufferings. Whenever they encounter upsetting, painful, or mournful things, they ask God to remove them. If we do this, we will only be living, but we will not be resurrecting. If we can only endure the rebuke of ten persons, we may ask God not to give us temptations from more than ten persons. But God may give us the pressure of eleven persons. We may say to God that we can bear it no longer and that we are not able to do what we should. But this is exactly where God wants to bring us; He wants us to be so pressed that our own strength, our natural patience, and our fleshly goodness will not be able to sustain us any longer. Then we can only say to Him, "I can stand no more. Grant me the strength to overcome these things." Then we will see that we are not only able to overcome the pressure from ten persons, but able to overcome the pressure from twenty, and we will receive fresher and greater strength. Therefore, the greater the pressure, the greater the power. If we find ourselves powerless, it is because we have not passed through the discipline of pressure. But we do not have to wait until we are at the end of ourselves before we look to God. As soon as we find the situation too difficult to handle, we should look to God. In this way we will receive the power. Every time we encounter new pressure, we should turn the pressure into power. If we do this time after time, our power will grow.
God never keeps anything natural; He only wants resurrection. He wants everything natural to go through death and resurrection. God never changes the natural things. He is the God who gives life to the dead and the One who calls things not being as being (Rom. 4:17). To call things not being as being is the creative power of God. To give life to the dead is the resurrection power of God. The God whom Abraham believed is the God who gives life to the dead and calls not being as being. Man wants to keep and preserve his own life, but God does not want such a life. God wants to cast it down. After your life has been cast down by Him, you will say to God, "O God! I cannot do it. I am just like a dead body lying before You." Then God will give you resurrection. This is the secret to life and power. Day by day as you face more pressure, remember that pressure is power. You should not neglect pressure. In the end the greater the pressure you face, the greater the power you have, and you will find yourself overcoming everything and receiving more power.
Many of God's works have to go through pressure before they will have good results. (The co-workers should pay special attention to this point.) However, few workers have this experience or want to have this experience. If you are a faithful person, you may have had this experience already, and you may very well have more in the future. If you have never had this experience before, you will surely have it in the future. God has to bring all of your works through death. He does not like death, but He has to bring your work through death before it will be in resurrection.
Some people see many souls being saved at the beginning of their work; they find their work prosperous, and everything goes smoothly. But to their amazement, this condition does not last long. After some time, the initial work stops. The ones who were saved do not seem to grow anymore. Still later, not only is the work stopped, but everything seems to have become cold and dead. They still want to carry on, but nothing seems to work. It appears as if they have lost all power, and they wonder why this is the case. They feel as if all hope is gone. God does not seem to be blessing their work anymore. At these times, God will give the light and search their heart. Then they will realize whether they were for God in the first place or for themselves. They will realize whether they were doing things in competition with others or doing them for God's glory. Who are they working for? When the work is prosperous, they will think they are doing everything for God. But when the work is under pressure, they will realize whether they are working for God or whether their work is mixed with their own element.
Whoever has had this experience knows that these are the most bitter times. You feel that everything is depressing and deadening. You are pressed to such an extent that you ask, "God, why are things this way? Why is there no one saved? Why are all the believers dead?" You are so pressed that you cannot help but ask what you should do and where you are heading. You see that your past strength is not sufficient to deal with the present environment and that your past experiences are not enough to meet the present needs. God will probably show you that at the time of prosperity, you were self-contented and self-satisfied; you were secretly harboring spiritual pride and were zealous for your own glory. You loved to compete with others, and many things were done for the sake of men and not for God. It is only right that your work pass through death. Then you will realize that pressure in your work is very profitable to you.
Moses had to understand what circumcision was before he could work. Before he became the bloody husband, God wanted to put him to death. God cannot allow the flesh to be mixed in with His work. God wants you to be pressed to a point that you will not care if the work dies, if anybody is saved, or if all the brothers are dispersed. This is because the work and everything else belongs to God, not to you. Then you will say, "As long as God glorifies His own name, it is all right if He casts everything down or allows everything to go wrong." In this way you will pass through death. This is the most important principle in God's dealing with His workers. After this God will once again put the burden of the work on you in a clear way. But it will be totally different. Previously, the work belonged to you, and you did it because of your interest in it. Now the work belongs to God, and your interest is not a matter of importance. The work is God's, and He should take the credit; you should not take it. Under these circumstances, you will ask God to give you the strength to fulfill His work in the darkest and dullest hour. You will be pressed, but you will ask God to revive His work. Soon you will find new changes, and a prosperous situation will return! But then you will see clearly that it is not you, but God who is working. This pressure will grant new power to accomplish your work. Previously, it was you who worked. Now it is God who works. God has brought your work through death and has turned it into something in resurrection. After you pass through this, you will see that nothing can stop your work.
But unfortunately many of God's workers are not willing to put themselves in His hand. If you are faithful and obedient, you will surely suffer great pressure. There will not be an easy day for you. Someone asked a brother, "How is life in Shanghai? Is it easy? Are there any trials?" He laughed and asked, "Is there anyone that God uses who does not suffer trials and who has an easy life?" The first person had nothing more to say.
Our power can never exceed the pressure we have. The greater pressure God gives to man, the greater is the power within man. God works through death. If a man has never passed through death, he can do nothing. I am afraid that most people do not put their pressure to the right use. Pressure to them is like the steam in the boiled-water shop; it cannot drive even the smallest car half a mile. During the past two years, I have felt one thing deeply: pressure brings in power. If you have such experience, you will say, "All my power comes from the pressure. The power I have in my contact with others comes from the pressure." In that day when we stand before God, we will realize what pressure our Lord Jesus Christ suffered, what pressure was upon the apostles, and what pressure was upon all those who were very much used by God.
At present many believers do not know the pressure of Satan. The enemy can do many works in our living, environment, and life. Unfortunately, we do not know this. We do not realize why we have many confused thoughts and why there are so many turmoils in our environment. Actually, some of them are allowed by God, while others are the work of the enemy. There was a brother who always had a wandering mind and found it hard to concentrate. He once was tempted to cut his throat and kill himself. When he told me about this, I said to him, "Where does this thought come from? Is it yours? Is it from God? Or is it from the enemy? Surely it is not from God. Therefore, this thought can only come from two sources. If it is not from you, it must be from the enemy. How can you differentiate your thought from that of the enemy? If it is your thought, you must have thought about this matter before." So I asked him loudly, "Have you ever thought about these things? Is the thought yours? Or is there anyone else who thought about it for you and put the thought into your mind? This is a very important principle. Did you think of it yourself, or did anyone think it for you and then put this thought into your mind? Whatever you have thought by yourself is your thought. Otherwise, it is from the enemy." He said, "I have never thought in this way." I said, "Then it must be from Satan."
We can never be nice in dealing with the enemy. The first one in the world who was nice to the enemy was Eve, the one who brought sin into this world. Some Christians think that we should reason with the enemy. When the Lord Jesus was on this earth, the enemy even testified for Him and said, "Jesus, Son of the Most High God." What did the Lord do? He shut the enemy's mouth. Ordinary believers think that one or two thoughts coming from the enemy do not matter. It is a pity, however, that with many believers, all of their thoughts come from the enemy. Their minds are the thinking machine of Satan; they have been used by the enemy who keeps them thinking all the time. Some believers never learn to discipline their own thoughts. Once we try to learn to control our thoughts, we will realize how hard it is to discipline our mind.
Concerning our sicknesses, we have to admit that many sicknesses result from breaking the natural laws. However, there are some sicknesses that are from the enemy. Job's sore boils were from the enemy; they did not come because Job neglected hygiene or because he was infected by some uncleanness. I do not mean that all sicknesses come from the enemy. I am saying that some sicknesses do come from the enemy.
Some people consider everything that a man encounters as from the natural realm. But when Job's house fell upon his children and they were crushed to death, when the oxen and the asses were taken away by someone, and when the sheep were consumed by fire from heaven, were these things accidents? They were all works of the enemy. Therefore, there are many things in our daily life which are oppressions from the enemy. Unfortunately, there are some people who foolishly live with these things and never place a question mark on them.
Several brothers were passing out gospel tracts on the train one day, and they met a Christian. They began to converse with him. Seeing that his face was filled with sorrow, they asked him why he was so sorrowful. He said, "I am a businessman and have encountered many misfortunes during these few years. Either something happened to my family or something happened to my business. I am really in a terrible state. My situation has gone from bad to worse. I have no way out. So I am prepared to commit suicide. I am taking the train to another place to kill myself." The brothers knew that this was the work of the enemy and said to him, "Do you think that all the things that happened to you during these few years happened accidentally? Or is there someone who secretly arranged these things for you?" He thought and then said, "It seems that someone has arranged all these things behind my back. It seems that there is a hand behind the chessboard moving the pieces step by step." My friends told him that this was the work of the enemy. They told him to resist the enemy, and they prayed together with him. Then he went home peacefully. Later on he wrote my friends a letter, saying, "After I went home, I resisted the enemy daily. I rejected and resisted any work that was from the enemy. Now the situation is being recovered little by little. Thank God that even though I have not obtained complete recovery, I have obtained deliverance."
I am concerned about the fact that many of us do not resist the enemy. At first the enemy gives us one or two thoughts, but in the end, our whole being, family, and environment will be destroyed by Satan. It is wrong for us to be oppressed and not to resist. We should turn our oppression into a kind of power of resistance. Whenever we find that we can bear it no longer, we should resist then and there, and soon there will be a way out. Many times we find that we have no strength to resist. When we are so pressed that we cannot bear it any longer, a power wells up within us to resist. Therefore, when we are oppressed, we should never consider such oppression to be useless. On the contrary, we should utilize the pressure, knowing that pressure produces power. Let us keep in mind that if we know how to utilize pressure, it will not become an obstacle. In fact, the stronger the pressure, the greater will be the power of resistance.
