This article is based on Pastor Adrian Rogers' message, When Faith Is In The Fire.
Christians are twice-born men and women in a world of once-born people. Therefore, to stand on the principles of God's Word—those things which are true and righteous and will last throughout eternity—we're going to be going against the tide most of the time.
How do you stand alone against the world?
In Daniel 3, Nebuchadnezzar, the megalomaniac king of Babylon, made an image of gold 60 cubits high and six cubits wide (100.5 ft by 10.5 ft). He commanded every person to bow down and worship this gigantic image—on pain of death in the furnace, a large kiln fired up to a searing temperature.
Many of us know the story of the three Jewish men who would not worship that image. They were thrown into the furnace because they would not budge, they would not bow. The king said to them,
“If you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” (Daniel 3:15b).
These young men had God's word in their hearts. They knew what was right.
One big decision to trust God will keep you from having to make a lot of little decisions.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king” (Daniel 3:16-17).
They did not worry or consult anyone. Their faith was a settled faith, and it was strong faith. When the enemy says, “Who is the god who will deliver you?” there is a God who said, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me” (Psalm 50:15).
Theirs was also steadfast faith.
“If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-18, emphasis added).
They had no doubt of God's power. They simply knew that it might be God’s sovereign plan for them to die in these flames.
Does your faith have an “if not” clause in it? Our God is able to deliver us; we all like that. But if He doesn't, are you still going to serve Him?
It is one thing to have faith to escape. It is another thing to have faith to endure. It is one thing to be sick and have faith to be healed. It is another thing to not be healed and still praise God. It is one thing to be delivered. It is another thing to die in faith.
Hard times come to believers and unbelievers alike. The storms of life that shake us all at one time or another.
Some storms are unavoidable—the simple “life is hard” times that fall on the just and the unjust. But once in a storm, the Christian is secure and equipped for an encouraging spiritual outcome, knowing that Cod commands the wind and waves. Those without Christ are not equipped.
This is where Paul was in Acts 27—a literal sea storm. He was a prisoner, on his way to Rome to stand trial. He warned the ship’s captain not to sail because he foresaw the storm. His advice was ignored.
Paul showed us what to do: he remained calm.
Because Paul’s sins were already drowned in the blood of Jesus, he lived in confidence in God. He reached out to steady others, even his captors. “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me” (Acts 27:25).
Jonah found himself in a tempest and the belly of a great fish because of his own disobedience. Even so, God used the storm and the fish to teach Jonah about His patience and His mercy.
Whatever the reason you are in a storm, God will guard you in it, teach you from it, and bring you to Himself.
There is a dark, diabolical war being fought. It is a war between Heaven and Hell, Christ and Satan. You cannot afford to be ignorant, and you cannot possibly be neutral.
Because we will all experience hard times, God has commanded us to gear up for battle.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:11-13).
The rest of Ephesians 6 tells us of the weapons we have in Christ Jesus:
This passage provides you with a prayer for difficult times. With the Holy Spirit’s protection, you are ready to stand in a storm.
And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except their own God!” (Daniel 3:27-28).
When will this world start having respect for the Lord Jesus Christ, the God of the Bible? When they see Christians, by the grace of God, willing to stand alone.
Daniel 3:1-30; Psalm 50:15; Acts 27:25; Ephesians 6
As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:36-39).
Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint (Isaiah 40:30-31).
