oppression believers get from satan in times of crisis

Oppression believers get from Satan can really bring our spirits down when we find ourselves in a crisis situation, especially when he is out to destroy us. Don't let Satan gain the victory over your life in any circumstance!

I'm sure you've experienced this in a variety of hardships and extremely challenging circumstances, where it seems as though everything you do or want to do for the Lord becomes a most difficult task to undertake. 

You and your family may be going through hardships and unbearable situations that you've not ever experienced before until now. I do understand that feeling since I'm going through that kind of scenario now too.

I can only imagine that you, in whatever country you may be in, are facing life's struggles that are so great and so dire that you are hard-pressed and completely mind-boggled as to how to handle them! However, when Satan piles up loads of depression, hopelessness, and oppression on every side, we feel weak in our bodies and spirits to continue to press forward in our faith.

Listening to the news media, or other forms of communication with sad, violent, or heart-breaking reports makes us become even more worried and depressed over time as we see our governments slowly deteriorating before our eyes. 

You may feel the need to rely on your government for your help, sustenance, and protection in hard times like these, but, as helpful as they can be sometimes, they are not always there for us. The questions you may ask yourself are: who will help you; who will sustain you and your family; and who will give you protection in times of war, famine, or pestilence?

satan loves to put oppression onto god's people and to see them suffer!

You see, Satan just loves to torment God's people because they are his enemies and divided foe. He has his demons (or cronies I like to call them) to go out and do his dirty work for him. So, you and I are up against a mighty foe and evil spirit who tries to place oppression upon the believer.

Yes, he knows his time is short on this earth, and will do everything in his power to bring us down, to depress us, and to make us feel hopeless inside. However, you can get the victory from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

So, in what ways does Satan torture, torment, depress, and oppress us as followers and believers in the Lord? 

Here's what we know about the evil one and his tactics of oppression onto God's people according to what the scripture has to say:

1.Satan is a deceiver. Yes, he gives oppression to God's people in this way, that of his lying and deceptive tactics. Sometimes, we can miss them if we are not looking out for them. He is very sneaky and wise in his deceit. This is spoken about and referred to many times in scripture, such as we'll find in these verses:

  • 2 Corinthians 11:13-14 says, "For such as false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
  • Genesis 3:1-13 tells us of how Satan deceived Adam and Eve. Here's the account of it, "Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the Lord had made. And he said unto the woman, 'Yeah, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden'? And the woman said unto the serpent, 'We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it lest ye die'. And the serpent said unto the woman, 'Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. '"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sowed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. And they heard the voice of the Lord walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden. And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, 'Where art thou'? And he said, 'I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself'. And He said, 'Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, wherefore I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat'? And then the man said, 'The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat'. And the Lord God said unto the woman, 'What is this that thou hast done'? And the woman said, 'The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.'" The devil is crafty, cunning, and manipulative in his tactics. You may be able to see here, that Satan's oppression on God's people can also stem from believing in Satan's deception and in his deceptive devices.

2 .Satan is an accuser of the brethren. Yes, the devil accuses us before God every time we sin, whether it be in our thoughts, words, or actions. This also denotes oppression upon the heart of the believer in that we feel shame and guilt over our sin, whether it is confessed sin or not. He is constantly pointing the finger at us and then accusing us before God about all we thought, said, or did. Like a talebearer, he wants to get us into trouble with our Lord. He tries to bring up false charges against us as if in a court of law. He's a dirty witness anyway, and will do anything to persuade God into accusing us as well, especially if we have indeed sinned. That's why it's so important to confess and repent of your sins every time you commit them so the devil doesn't have any reasons to make any false charges against you. However, nothing bypasses God on what we are like, and what we think, say, or do. He knows our hearts even before Satan does. Think about it, He knew everything about you, way before you were ever born! Here's what the Bible says about this:

  • Job 1:6-12 gives us this account, "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said unto Satan, 'Whence cometh thou'? Then Satan answered the Lord, and said, 'Doth Job fear God for nought? (He was about to accuse Job at this point). Has not Thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blest the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth Thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse Thee to Thy face.' And the Lord said unto Satan, 'Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only, upon himself, put forth not thine hand.' So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.'" Satan then had God's permission to set whatever kind of oppression he could onto Job's life.
  • Revelation 12:10 says, "And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now have come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down; he who accuses them day and night before our God.'" Hallelujah! Satan will one day be finally thrown down!!! That gives you and me a reason to shout for joy! And then furthermore...

3.  Satan is the enemy of God! Since he is the Lord God's enemy, then he most definitely should be your number one enemy as well. And although God allows Satan to do all his dirty work in the world, and even through oppression through the saints of God, it is only for a time and is all worked out in His redemptive plan and purpose.

God's intention for the Israelites were to bring them into Canaan, the land of which God promised them. You would think they would do everything the Lord said for them to do in order that they may receive this great blessing!

After being delivered out of Egypt; however, they committed great sins against the Lord. He then allowed the Israelites to fall into sin and oppression for 40 years as they roamed aimlessly in the wilderness.

An entire generation of people was cleared out because of their disobedience to God! This account is clearly laid out in Exodus 15:22-18:27 (KJV).

God, of course, is in full control of everything. He works His good will even through Satan, but all comes out for God's glory and honor in the end. We can see through God's word that the devil is indeed our foe and much of the reason for our oppression, and yet, through the power of God, he is defeated in victory

. Look through these passages of scripture to see how Satan is the enemy of God:

  • 1 John 3:7-10 tells us, "Little children, let no man deceive you: He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that commiteth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested. that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil; whosoever doeth not righteousness is not born of God, neither he that loveth not his brother."
  • Luke 10:19, Jesus told His disciples, "Behold, I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Even Jesus gave them this promise as He does to us!
  • Revelation 13:6 shows how Satan demonstrates his evil self, "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven."
  • Zachariah 3:2 says, "And the LORD said unto Satan, 'The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is this not a brand plucked out of the fire?'" Then there's...
  • Acts 13:8-10, which says, "But Elymus, the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. The Saul (who also is called Paul), filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him. And said, ' O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?'"

what can you do when oppression hits home?

As a believer and follower of Christ, you will no doubt comes across times of depression and oppression in your spiritual life, which will affect you, your family, and others around you. Even the most spiritual person you know will experience these defeating moments as well.

God has given us His Holy Word to instruct the believer in these times of struggle or when having feelings of personal defeat. You see, as a child of God you are an overcomer and you must believe and claim this truth in your own life as well! Here's how you can know this and stand on these principles and where oppression need not get the upper hand in your life or mine:

  • John 16:33 Jesus says, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world."
  • Romans 8:37 says, "Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."
  • 1 John 2:13 also says, "I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning, I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father."
  • 1 John 4:4 states, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."

Furthermore, when oppression reaches you and/or your family, learning to lean on the Lord can be hard to do sometimes, especially since your spirit is low, or you feel depressed as well and really don't want to serve Him, pray to Him, obey Him, or even read His Word!

This is the time when you need to really be in the Word of God because inside this book are His words for you. He is speaking to you through His Word and giving you His instructions on what you should do in times of hardships, troubles, and struggles that come your way which can indeed manifest themselves in various forms of oppression.

God's Word gives the following instructions in order to combat this oppression that plagues His people from time to time, such as:

  1. Seeking God: When the believer seeks God first among his heartache, pain, and trouble, oppression melts away from one's heart and soul. Verses that talk about this are in (A) Matthew 6:33, which says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (B) Deuteronomy 4:29 says, "But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." (C) 2 Chronicles 30:18-20 says, "For a multitude of the people, even many of Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the Passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, 'The Good Lord pardon everyone that prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary'. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people." Lastly, (D) Hebrews 11:6 tells us, "But without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."
  2. Be Always In Prayer: We as believers know that prayer truly changes things as well as those people we are praying for. Evil oppression is lessened when you and I are prayed up and have the confidence, trust, and faith that the Lord will take care of life according to His purpose! Certain passages of scripture will help you to see this as well: (A) Philippians 4:6 reminds us, "Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication and thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (B) 1 Thessalonians 5:17 exhorts us to "Pray without ceasing." (C) James 5:16 says, "Confess you faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." And lastly, there is (D) Psalm 34:17, which says, " The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles."
  3. Continue To Study God's Word: This too is vitally important when it comes to that of keeping oppression from following and affecting you and your family. When you are in God's Word, you have His instructions as to how to combat these feelings and emotions. He instructs the believer in everything according to His Word! Consider these passages of scripture as you learn more about this truth: (A) Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (B) Psalm 119:105 tells us, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (C) 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reminds us, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Finally, we see in (D) Colossians 3:16, it says, "Let the word of Christ dwell on you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."
  4. Be Thankful And Praise God In Everything! We all know this is what we must do but at times don't want to do or don't have the heart to do, especially when there is much oppression in our lives, and we can't see our way clearly. However, God has His plan and purpose already in action for your life, just trust and thank him daily for His goodness to you. Lean on these Bible verses for comfort and strength in giving Him thankfulness and the praise He so much deserves!: (A) 1 Chronicles 16:34 exhorts us to, "O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever." (B) 1 Timothy 4:4 says, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving." (C) Psalm 100:4 says "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name." And finally we see in (D) 1 Thessalonians 5:18 it tells us, "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus."

In conclusion, as you can see, dear believer, there is no reason for you or me to have oppression, depression, or any other type of evil nonsense to rule over our lives because our dear Savior, Jesus Christ has paid all the penalties of sin, and He has overcome the evil one who lurks about in the attempts to oppress us further.

"Let not your heart be troubled", says the Lord, "ye believe in God; believe also in Me." (John 14:1). Don't allow the Prince of the air rule over your heart, mind, and soul. Believe, trust, and obey the Lord God, and He will see you through any trial you come against. And may the Lord bless and keep you while you serve, trust, and honor Him!


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Barriers In Christian Living

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Fears And Anxiety: Don't Let Them Control You!

Overcome The Evil One Through Biblical Principles And Applications

Pandemic Issues Affecting You And Your Family

Panic No More!

Persecution Of The Christian: On The Rise And Closer Than You Think!

Social Unrest And Injustices Of Our Day: How Should We Act Or React?

Thanksgiving: A Time Of Reflection And Gratitude!

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