Q3. Opposition

[Pastor Ralph]

Q3. (1 Corinthians 16:8-9) What does it take to continue to minister in the face of opposition? Why does opposition nearly always accompany success? In what way does this require spiritual warfare?

[pickledilly]

Continuing steadfast in the face of opposition first requires that you trust your leader.  A person who doubts God is more likely to bail out.  Second, you must understand your core mission and its objective.  You need to know what you believe in and what you're really called to do (as opposed to what you think you want to do).  Third, you must be completely surrendered to it.  No sticking your toes in the water or jumping back out when things get a little turbulent or you get tired of it.  We’re called to be “all in” for the distance.  Fourth, rather than draining energy by diverting attention to the opposition, you must keep your focus on your source of power and direction that only comes through the Spirit.  Set your mind on the Answer, not the problems.  Fifth, you must know how to combat fear.  The only remedy is the consistent and conscious application of faith.  God’s love for you is trustworthy, His Word is reliable and true, and the hope of His promises is absolute and sure.

 

Opposition certainly does almost always accompany success.  When you take steps forward in faith to advance God’s kingdom, our spiritual enemies are antagonized and stirred up to come against you in an effort to stop any progress.  This can come as a head-on assault of problems and roadblocks directed right at the mission, or it can come in a more subtle way as the enemy exploits weaknesses in people close to you who then cause trouble in your personal life as a distraction. 

 

It truly is important to understand that this is spiritual warfare.  I have recently been invited to participate in a ministry with teens that I’m very excited about.  The day before I went to meet the director, my husband flew off the handle over something he misinterpreted and stirred up volatile emotional conflict.  It was a full week before I knew he was ready to hear what I had to share about this ministry.  Without a doubt, I know that the Enemy was using my husband’s undisciplined emotions in an attempt to discourage and divert me (this is a chronic pattern that I’ve learned to recognize).  My husband isn’t evil, but in the heat of emotion, he loses all awareness of how he’s being manipulated.  Discerning this is important because I understand the true source of attack and am better able to rightly pray and speak against it.  (That doesn’t make it much easier to tolerate, but at least I understand it.) 

 

Satan will use everything available in his attempt to derail a genuine follower of Christ who is steadfast and obedient to the mission.  But the good news for us is that this Enemy is already defeated! He cannot stand against the spiritual weapons of God (Eph.6:10-20).  And greater is Christ in me than he that is in the world! 

[charisbarak]

Taking up your cross daily & submitting to God.

 

Satan is ready to attack us if we are successfully getting the Word out.  He doesn't want his people coming to Christ.  Now, if we're not getting the Word out, no attacks!!

 

It's spiritual warfare because Satan & his cronies are involved in blocking the Word.  We need to put our spiritual armor on to resist his attacks.

[JanMary]

 

Q3. (1 Corinthians 16:8-9) What does it take to continue to minister in the face of opposition?

 

It takes discernment, perseverance, and the knowledge that opposition almost always means we're right where we need to be, doing what the Lord has asked us to do! Satan hates God and hates believers, and invests all that he and those who work with and for him, have, to oppose God's work in the world.

 

Why does opposition nearly always accompany success?

 

There is no point in Satan wasting time on unsuccessful work....those will fail on their own merit (or lack of). But successful work means the Kingdom of God is expanding and taking over more of Satan's territory, and he will stop at nothing to try to stop God's plans. (The deceiver is deceived himself....he was defeated, "defanged" and declawed when the blood of Jesus was shed on the Cross of Calvary!)

 

In what way does this require spiritual warfare?

 

Because this is a spiritual battle against God and His children, it must be fought spiritually in order to stop the assaults. Physical weapons are useless because we "war not with flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities." Satan and his ilk  are under Jesus' feet, and because He has given us His authority and Name to use in these battles, they are also under our feet.

 

[Sank T Monius]

1 Corinthians 16:8-9

Q). What does it take to continue to minister in the face of opposition?

A). We must fully surrender our life and future to Christ in order to continue to minister in the face of opposition. Jesus told his disciples to "take up your cross daily," by which he meant, be willing to die each day if need be.

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Q). Why does opposition nearly always accompany success?

A). opposition nearly always accompanies success because we are in a spiritual war zone.

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Q). In what way does this require spiritual warfare?

A). If we are effective in our work, spiritual forces will be upset by a shift in power and go after us. For every action in the spiritual realm there is an equal and opposite reaction. And so we must arm ourselves for spiritual warfare.

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"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10-18)

 

[WinstonY]

Q3. (1 Corinthians 16:8-9) What does it take to continue to minister in the face of opposition? Why does opposition nearly always accompany success?

 

 

To continue to minister in the face of opposition requires courage, faith, trust and a fear of the Lord. When we consider fallen heroes like Martin Luther King Jr., Bishop Oscar Romeno  who was assassinated the altar of his church, Thomas a Beckett who was assassinated on his altar by knights of King Henry and Father Ignacio Ella,  and other Jesuit priests who were assassinated for their work  for the poor, these all had a trust in Jesus that allowed them to live their lives according to (Luke 9:23-24) "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it."  To face opposition we must put Jesus first, not our personal safety. Fear is a normal reaction to attack. But if you let fear paralyze you and keep you from completing your mission (notes) than you must put Jesus first in their lives.

The following quote from a later section on exhortation answers the question well: 

1. Be alert. "Be on your guard" (NIV), "keep alert" (NRSV), "watch" (KJV) is grēgoreō, basically, "to stay awake," here, by extension, "to be in constant readiness, be on the alert.
2. Be steadfast. "Stand firm" (NIV, NRSV), "stand fast" (KJV) is stēkō, "stand," here, by extension, "to be firmly committed in conviction or belief, stand firm, be steadfast.
3. Be courageous. "Be men of courage" (NIV), "be courageous" (NRSV), "quit you like men" (KJV) is andrizomai, literally, "be a man, a male," figuratively, "conduct oneself in a courageous way."
4. Be strong. The verb is krataioō, "become strong."
5. Be loving. "Do everything in love" (16:14). What a wonderful word to live by. So many of the Corinthian church's problems relate to their own selfishness and immaturity. So a call to "do everything in love," is indeed the answer to many of their problems

 

Why does opposition nearly always accompany success?

When we succeed we draw attention to our success and the powers that fear this success and they will act against us and try to turn the success into failure.

 

 In what way does this require spiritual warfare?

 

​Often the forces that are against the success are spiritual forces and the must be met with spiritual warfare. Therefor put on the armour of God. (Ephesians 6: 10-17) 

[lighthouse2014]

 

Q3. (1 Corinthians 16:8-9) What does it take to continue to minister in the face of opposition? Why does opposition nearly always accompany success? In what way does this require spiritual warfare?

 

To minister in the face of opposition takes faith and the knowledge that the Lord will protect us. Being filled with the spirit and proclaiming the word of the Lord will indeed cause us to have enemies. Their will be those who will disagree with us saying we are preaching for profit, teaching with inaccuracy or just plain hatred for Gods word. We know when the Holy Spirit is at work and we are most successful and Satan will come in try his best to defeat us. Satan hates God and he will do his utmost to discourage us. It is most important the we pray for the fill us with his Spirit at all times, we should let our guard down.  

[Delivered]

Q3. (1 Corinthians 16:8-9) What does it take to continue to minister in the face of opposition, and in what way does this require spiritual warfare?

 

Satan knows his time is short, “OPPOSITION” is a strong force working “HARD” today, their goal is to put down God's rule over the heart of mankind; However, our calling is to stand strong against the oppositions that come our way, we are not to become weak and frightened, this does not mean we are to repress fear, we are instead, called to be an over comer, we do this by relying on God's strength, it is our understanding, God causes everything, even opposition, to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose, (Romans 8:28)

 

It is an important understanding, that in those times when we are being insulted because we believe in the Messiah of Israel, how blessed a people we are, and in that blessing, let us bring glory to God, it is called "fighting the good fight" it is called, running the race, with the goal of making it to the end, our calling is to stand strong on our faith, to walk the talk of the Good News about Yeshua, (Jesus) with “humility” and “fear”, fear not of the opposition, but of God, who one day we will see face to face, in hopes of hearing, “Well done my good and faithful servant”.

 

When I think on those who have been, and are today being tortured and put to death for their faith, how small the opposition is that I face, however, I believe the time is coming “quickly” when the chaff will be separated from the wheat.

 

[Lion of Grace]

To continue to minister in the face of opposition takes great faith. We know, that though some are against us and the work God has asked us to do, God is still sovereign. His will is what will be done. Satan will use others to try to stand in our way, but obedience and faith to continue on are what we stand on. Satan hasn't won yet....and he won't ever win....so though we may suffer for a little bit....the victory is OURS because the battle and the victory belong to the Lord!

We engage in spiritual warfare, putting on the full armor of God, we pray and call on God to help and we persevere!

[hanks]

Q3. (1 Corinthians 16:8-9) 

What does it take to continue to minister in the face of opposition? 

Why does opposition nearly always accompany success? 

In what way does this require spiritual warfare?

If our work for the Lord is successful in any way, there will be opposition. Satan will see to it. However, opposition always presents new opportunities and can spur us on to accomplish even more. There is also the fact that if it is His will, our Lord can and will open doors and no one can stop it. 

 

[Old Jerry]

It takes a lot of courage and faith to minister in the face of opposition. I think that the reason that opposition nearly always accompany success is because we are in a spiritual war and the enemy is always to bringing more weapons to the fight. If we aren’t being successful then we wouldn’t have to worry about the opposition.

[Rod Beenleigh]

What does it take to continue to minister  in the face of opposition?

 

It takes faith; it will require a closer relationship to God to draw on His strength to keep the opposition at bay.

 

Why does opposition nearly always accompany success?

 

Satan hates to see any gain and uses any means at his disposal to bring about failure.

 

In what way does this require spiritual warfare?

 

2 Corinthians  10:3-5 For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our  warfare are not  of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

[haar]

Q3. (1 Corinthians 16:8-9) What does it take to continue to minister in the face of opposition? Why does opposition nearly always accompany success? In what way does this require spiritual warfare?

 

To continue to minister in the face of opposition, we need to stand firm knowing that God is with us to deliver us and give us victory.

 

Opposition nearly always accompany success because all things work for good to the children of God according to Romans 8:27. It was due to the opposition to the apostles in Jerusalem that first led to the spread of Christianity to cities they fled to.

 

Opposition to the children of God is actually as a result of the Devil fighting to stop us from working to expand the kingdom of God. This is a battle, a spiritual battle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and spiritual forces in the heavenly realm. This requires putting on the full armour of God according to Ephesians 6:10 for victory.

[Irmela]

Q3. (1 Corinthians 16:8-9)

What does it take to continue to minister in the face of opposition?

Why does opposition nearly always accompany success?

In what way does this require spiritual warfare?

When we are certain that we are where God wants us to be at a certain time, very often we will meet with some kind of opposition. This can come in varying forms. Throughout it all we need to remain firm/steadfast in prayer and take a stand remaining in His perfect will.

Opposition nearly always accompanies success because the devil knows his time is short and he does not want God's work to be expanded and more people coming to Christ and leaving the kingdom of darkness.

Satan will thus use his forces to try and trip up the work and thus spiritual warfare will have to be entered into to continue the work assigned to us at the time. 

[Krissi]

As we step forward in faith, Satan tries to push us back. 

As we get stronger in Him, Satan tests our faith and endurance.

We must fight -- spiritual warfare -- but do so by relying solely on Him. That's the paradox, that as we fight He's really fighting for us. 

I have no answer for fear. Not a true one. As this happens to me, I freeze with fear. I know this is faithlessness on my part, of not believing God will rescue or deliver me, which is a spiritual problem, one of maturity. Clinging to His promises, writing them down and reciting them can help, at times. Mostly, I just lift my arms to God and repeat His name, "Lord, Lord, Lord, Father, Father, Jesus, Jesus, Lord ..."