Blessed Are Those Persecuted for Christ
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:10
Many Christians are being persecuted by people who believe Satan’s lies. It’s Satan’s goal to put fear in the hearts of Christians so they will deny Christ and switch from the narrow road of life to the broad road of destruction. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it (Matthew 7:13-14). When a Christian stands strong for Christ, even in the face of physical death, Satan screams in anger because God has gained another soul for eternal life. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12)
Satan’s goal is to steal souls away from God, and he does this through fear, false teaching, legal persecution, and complacency. Christians face a life-long spiritual battle on all of these fronts. But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world (1 Peter 5:9). It is important to pray for Christians throughout the world and to let their courage inspire us to point lost souls to Christ. This is one way to fight Satan, and it all starts with prayer.
If we care about persecuted Christians, our community, and country, then we should pray. If we do not pray to fight Satan in these areas, it could be we just don’t think about these souls or we don’t have the faith that the Lord will do anything. If the church throughout this country were to pray in all the areas where Satan is attacking, the Lord would change things because Satan and his demons are under God’s divine control.
The Lord will give us whatever we need to achieve what he has called us to do. If we truly have faith and prepare to serve him, we can be confident with minimum fear from Satan. The more courageously we serve the Lord the more pleased he is with us. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:18). God’s love is perfect. Our love is not perfect, but the more love we have in our hearts the less fear we will have.
Today serve fearlessly by being a light for Christ to everyone. Don’t let Satan fill you with his fear because it will hinder your service to the Lord. Serving the Lord requires courage and a heart filled with love and compassion. For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you (Isaiah 41:10). The Lord is always with you.
Let’s Pray: Lord I pray for the courage to serve you even in the face of persecution. Help me to be bold in bringing the truth to everyone with love and compassion. I know I will be blessed when following the Spirit and serving you to the best of my ability. In Jesus name, Amen