“Satan Hindered Us” (1 Thess 2:18)

 “Wherefore, we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us” (vs18).

The Lord can’t be hindered in His purpose, but His saints can be hindered by the devil, according to His will. Satan can stop nothing God plans to do, but he can ruin our plans, and we’re to fight against him by knowledge, knowing it was no “accident” but an evil being who hindered us from helping God’s people. 

Remember, therefore, when difficulties come, that we are NOT to quit, as if trouble wasn’t promised - “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For truly, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and you know” (1 Thess 3:3-4).

So many think that Christianity is easy, but early joy gives way to trials, persecutions, and disappointments in doing God’s will (Hos 6:3-4).  I’ve seen many leave the gospel over a man or woman that they were attracted to.  Worshipping God offended the unbeliever, so the professed saint, chose peace in the home and pleasure over the Son.  It is quite foolish.

Don’t think this world is easy or that trouble stops because you’re saved, but PRESS ON to know the Lord and keep on believing Him when difficulties appear.  He who defeated Satan at Calvary, and who cast him out in regeneration, is He that defeats Satan in the day by day struggle (Luke 11:21-22). He cannot tempt or hinder us above what we can handle by God’s power, and there is grace sufficient.  Paul told Timothy, “Be not you therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be you partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God” (2 Tim 1:8). 

There is abundant power to overcome obstacles, so they don’t have to make us fear or quit. They don’t rule God, He accounts for them, and He shall save you from them all, “Who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us” (2 Cor 1:10). Trust God when attacked by Satan, but don’t join teams with him, submitting to his evil will and missing out on your hope.  Don’t leave the fountain of waters for broken cisterns that cannot satisfy or save - “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer 2:13).  Don’t leave God for Satan, simply because the battle is hot.

Satan deceives you, and peace with him is no peace at all.  You must believe, that in spite of unbelief and sin, God is greater, on your side, and you have power against your foes (2 Kings 6:16).  You will not be defeated, and you will win.

Satan Has Hindered Us (Spurgeon)

 

 

"Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us" (1 Thess 2:18)

Spurgeon - Morning and Evening - 

Since the first hour in which goodness came into conflict with evil, it has never ceased to be true in spiritual experience, that Satan hinders us. From all points of the compass, all along the line of battle, in the vanguard and in the rear, at the dawn of day and in the midnight hour, Satan hinders us. If we toil in the field, he seeks to break the ploughshare; if we build the wall, he labours to cast down the stones; if we would serve God in suffering or in conflict-everywhere Satan hinders us. He hinders us when we are first coming to Jesus Christ. Fierce conflicts we had with Satan when we first looked to the cross and lived. Now that we are saved, he endeavours to hinder the completeness of our personal character. You may be congratulating yourself, "I have hitherto walked consistently; no man can challenge my integrity." Beware of boasting, for your virtue will yet be tried; Satan will direct his engines against that very virtue for which you are the most famous. If you have been hitherto a firm believer, your faith will ere long be attacked; if you have been meek as Moses, expect to be tempted to speak unadvisedly with your lips. The birds will peck at your ripest fruit, and the wild boar will dash his tusks at your choicest vines. Satan is sure to hinder us when we are earnest in prayer. He checks our importunity, and weakens our faith in order that, if possible, we may miss the blessing. Nor is Satan less vigilant in obstructing Christian effort. There was never a revival of religion without a revival of his opposition. As soon as Ezra and Nehemiah begin to labour, Sanballat and Tobiah are stirred up to hinder them. What then? We are not alarmed because Satan hindereth us, for it is a proof that we are on the Lord's side, and are doing the Lord's work, and in his strength we shall win the victory, and triumph over our adversary.

STAND (Eph 6:10-24)

“Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and you feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (vs13-15).

We stand in the knowledge of salvation by grace, fighting an enemy that is stronger than we are, but CONQUERING through the power of the Spirit (Eph 6:14).

The believer is unable to stand against Satan on his own, and yet, he is to stand. Our INABILITY does not remove our responsibility, and if we will but believe God, all shall be as He has said - (Mark 9:23) “Jesus said unto him, If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes”.

God has power for us, and He GIVES it FREELY through Christ Jesus. We don’t have to earn salvation; He CHOSE us for it and gave it to us from the foundation of the world. We are ELECT, loved, forgiven, and blessed. All I need to serve God is mine, right now, as if I’d been obeying Him my whole life, because the obedience of God’s Son is ENOUGH for Him to bless ANY sinner in the world with STRENGTH over Satan.

Don’t say, “I can’t”, and then stop; believe Christ and DO what He says.

First, it is the Lord’s might that we are strong in – “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Eph 6:10). It doesn’t matter our own personal weakness, which is GREAT. It only matters the power of the Lord Jesus over sin. He quieted the sea, cast out demons, raised the dead, and turned sinners into saints. He has the SAME power now.

People need to see holiness. They must be confronted by men and women that believe God so much, that it comes out in their lives. This power over sin is God’s witness that He sent the messenger with the message, because He grants HOLINESS and conduct becoming Christ to all that believe (Matt 28:18-20).

Secondly, Satan can be defeated by faith – “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked” (Eph 6:16). Satan says, “Has God said”, and faith says, “God has said”. Satan says, “Sin that grace abounds”, and God says, “servants of righteousness” describing everyone that He redeems (Rom 6:18). He changed us, gave us newness of life, and while we have the old nature of sin in us, we are who God says we are, living for the reason that He declares.

We don’t live for our glory, but His. We don’t live to make ourselves known, but Him. We do all to the glory of God, rather than to the glory of self, as Satan SKILLFULLY deceives us. He comes saying, “Don’t be TOO holy. Walk a middle ground. Sin a little. You can’t be perfect. You’re a sinner, so you should sin. It is EXPECTED that you’d sin a little”. Yet, it is expected that we live in God’s power for God’s purpose, and He won’t change His purpose to serve us. He brings us to His will, rather than Him allowing us to do as we see fit.

Satan has lie after lie, but FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ, not only His work at the cross but also the meaning and PURPOSE of that work, delivers us from Satan’s lies to newness of life and peace.

Thirdly, the gospel is a mystery to be made known – “[Pray] for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: hat therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph 6:19-20). We preach Christ CLEARLY, but men do not understand because it is a mystery to them how FREE and encompassing SALVATION is. Man CANNOT see that what God REQUIRES is STRENUOUS above any human ability, and it is GIVEN to every believer in spite of his sins – “Now we have received , not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God” (I Cor 2:14).

We can be BILLIONS of times more wicked than we see ourselves, but if we BELIEVE the gospel of grace, God has CLEANSED us and made us whole. We are no longer slaves.

Let our gospel be the mystery of holiness by the mystery of grace: let us live godly by the power of God GIVEN to us for Christ’s sake, who bore our sins!

Lastly, the Lord makes known to us the gospel, helps us, and deals with us through people – “But that you also may know my affairs, and how I do, Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known to you all things: whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that you might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your hearts” (Eph 6:21-22). The ministry is not “SOVEREIGN GRACE so stay at home”; the God of glory uses men and women, like us, to do His will. He saves by people, encourages by people, strengthens by people, and does all that He does in the world THROUGH the church.