God wants to establish and strengthen you in such a way that you are able to resist the enemy and actively oppose the pressure or power that comes in an evil day. The Holy Spirit was sent to give you the power to keep standing and present an adequate testimony of the victory that is in Christ. When Paul was speaking to the church in Ephesus 6:13, he said we were given spiritual armor of God so that we would be able to withstand or resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything to keep standing. We are told of a great day that is coming when the accuser of our souls will be cast down. Revelation 12:11 tells us “they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” From the beginning, the adversary that is trying to get you down has been bringing all kinds of situations in life and accusations against us. He uses anything he can to try to destroy your faith, confidence, and testimony.
In the Old Testament, we are given stories of individuals who resisted the evil that came against them. One of those individuals was a prophet of God named Elijah. Elijah was a man on whom the Holy Spirit rested. He had such a strong testimony of God’s presence and power on his life. You probably remember that when Elisha came up to replace the elder prophet Elijah, his one request was to have a double portion of the spirit that rested on Elijah. Elijah, that old man of God had a testimony of the power of God in his life.
Elijah’s story is a good example of GETTING BACK UP.
1 Kings 19:14 NIV He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”
That great man of God stood before the Lord of hosts when he said this.
He came to feel that he was the only one that is holding on to the faith. It seemed to him that everyone was compromising and turning from God. He felt that he was the only one that was standing true to the faith. Have you ever felt that you were out there standing for what was right and that you were alone against the enemy? Discouragement started creeping in when Elijah could find no one else who was strong in the Lord.
If you are going to have an unshakable life, you have to learn how to say, “It’s not going to get me down.”
Most of us know something about having to stand in difficult times. When discouragement comes in, it is hard sometimes to keep resisting the evil that is coming against us. Discouragement and disappointment will attack your faith, resistance, and the desire to keep pressing on. Everyone will face situations in life when we have to press hard just to keep standing.
The Psalmist David became discouraged when his adversaries and enemies encamped all around him and would have devoured his flesh.
The Apostle Paul was afflicted in every way.
In 2 Corinthians 1:8, he said “we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life.”
2 Corinthians 4:8–9 “We were hedged in and hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”
Peter spoke about being grieved by various trials, (1 Peter 1:6-7
You need to know that various trials, troubles and distresses will come to all of us.
Go back to that great prophet Elijah.
James 5:17 AMP Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours].
Elijah experienced dramatic confrontations, miracles and successes in life.
In a four year period, he witnessed God’s great power and provision. (1 Kings 17-19) God miraculously supplied water and food in a drought. He and the widow of Zarephath were sustained by a morsel of bread and a little oil. When the widow’s son died, Elijah prayed and the child lived.
He stood alone as a strong witness for the Lord.
He challenged 450 of Baal’s prophets, called down fire from heaven and personally destroyed them. It was a great victory for Elijah and righteousness. After that great victory, Elijah called an end to the drought. He prophesied to Ahab, “I hear a sound of a heavy rain.” Then Elijah ascended Mount Carmel and bowed down on the ground, put his face between his knees and earnestly prayed six times, but his servant saw nothing. After the seventh prayer, a cloud the size of a man’s hand started rising out of the sea. Before his servant could get to King Ahab, the skies turned black with clouds and the rain came. The Lord God Jehovah was reestablished as superior to the Baals and Pagan gods.
After overcoming many negative circumstances, Elijah faced overwhelming discouragement and felt isolated and alone.
At the peak of his victories, he fell into discouragement and did not feel like he could continue.
Have you ever been there?
You just went through a difficult time, got your miracle and then you fell into discouragement and felt alone. Your situation may have been different and things did not work out the way you thought. Then all of a sudden, your energy was gone and you didn’t feel that you could continue standing. The load of everything hit you like a storm. Discouragement and heaviness of spirit is a weapon the adversary uses against God’s people.
In 1 Kings 19, God says you can defeat discouragement.
Elijah’s experience shows us how to get back up and defeat discouragement.
One of the first things we must do is recognize what caused your discouragement.
The Bible shows us what caused Elijah’s discouragement.
James 5:17 AMP Elijah was a human being with a nature such as we have [with feelings, affections, and a constitution like ours].
Elijah faced discouragement because he had a human nature such as we all have.
Discouraged and alone, he ran until he could run no more, and then he sat down under a juniper tree and asked God to let him die.
How could he go from raising the dead, breaking a drought, and calling fire down from heaven to sitting under a juniper tree wanting to die?
Everything he had been working to achieve had been accomplished. The whole nation was on the verge of returning to God. Great signs and miracles happened in answer to his prayers. Then discouragement hit like lightning and he couldn’t take any more, and was ready to die. He felt that he was standing alone and no one cared or understood.
What could have caused such a dramatic change? Several things brought on Elijah’s discouragement.
First, he was physically exhausted.
The last four years of his life were filled with highly emotional and taxing events. When you scan 1 Kings 17-19 it is easy to understand why he was exhausted. Each of us are subject to the same kinds of feelings, affections and nature. Even when we pray and supernatural events happen, it is hard sometimes to keep standing, especially when you feel that you are facing these things by yourself. Elijah was depleted and discouragement settled in. When your physical, emotional, and spiritual reserves are gone, it is easy to become tired and discouraged.
Not only was he physically exhausted, he was not eating right.
Second, Elijah was hungry.
What he had been through caused his unplanned trip. He did not have time to recover from fasting, prayer and physical exertion. He was physically weak from hunger and was out of strength. Some of you know what it is like to not eat right. Day after day you neglect the needs of your physical body. You are not starving, but you are not taking care of yourself. Your nerves are on edge and your body is screaming at you. You keep telling yourself, “I will do better tomorrow.” Take a critical look at what is going on in your life.
Third, he was emotionally depleted.
What he had been through was emotionally challenging. Highly emotional events will deplete your spiritual and physical well-being. Those things present excessive demands and stress. Elijah was emotionally exhausted. It was a physical and spiritual challenge when God told him to present himself to Ahab. Jezebel and Ahab had been killing the Lord’s prophets and Elijah was certain that he was the only one remaining. In the last four years, he was emotionally and physically challenged. It must have been an emotional event to have a dead child rise from the dead as a result of your prayer. It is hard to imagine the challenge he faced before the 450 prophets of Baal when fire fell down out of heaven. Now, he was emotionally exhausted. Some of you know what emotional exhaustion is like.
Fourth, he was spiritually discouraged.
Everything he had been through hit him at once and he did not know how to deal with it all.
Then he lost his spiritual perspective.
In the stress of the moment, he was overwhelmed. As far as he could tell, everything suddenly changed. Although he just saw fire fall from heaven and a three year drought end with the skies full of rain clouds, now he was cast down in spirit. He did not say: “I have lost my spiritual perspective.” He simply told God he was ready to die. He could not understand how he got into that condition. He felt isolated and that no one seemed to appreciate what he had been through. No one else was taking a stand for God. Your adversary will use those times when you are spiritually, emotionally, and physically weak to drag you down.
What brings on spiritual discouragement?
First, unmet or unrealistic expectations.
You prayed and great things happened, but your expectations are not fully realized. Have you ever prayed and did not get everything you prayed for? It is easy to forget to celebrate your victories. Can you see all of the things that the Lord has done for you? Often in life instead of celebrating victories, all we see is the next challenge that we have to face. One more river to cross, one more mountain to climb, one more valley that I have to go through! You keep telling yourself, “What’s next!”
Second, because you are worn out, you do not maintain your spiritual disciplines.
When you are going through life’s trials, troubles, and challenges, you cannot afford to stop praying and coming to God for help. You cannot stay fresh and strong without prayer and fellowship with God. You cannot maintain the same level of victory, anointing, and glory without fellowship with God. You need to remember that it was God who helped you through all of the things you have faced. He is the one who gave you victories in the past.
Third, the spiritual and physical attacks did not stop.
Previous victories will not stop your adversary from looking for another opportunity to kill, steal, and destroy.
You need to take time to celebrate your victories.
Every small victory is a time to celebrate. Don’t allow the next challenge to rob you of the celebrations of what God has done in your life. Take a moment and remember what the Lord has done in your life.
When Elijah became discouraged, he was ready to abandon God’s purpose for his life.
He wanted to quit and die. His mind was flooded with negative thinking. He felt isolated, abandoned and under attack. Jesus said: “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34) If Elijah stayed in that physical and spiritual condition, he would surely die.
God has a cure for discouragement.
Listen to God’s Word.
Psalm 27:1 NKJV The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 138:7 NKJV Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 NIV We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
Philippians 1:6 NKJV Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
In John 14:1 NIV Jesus said, “ Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me.”
God had a cure for Elijah’s discouragement.
God addressed everything that had brought Elijah down.
- He prayed in his distress – God heard his prayer.
- He was tired – God gave him rest.
- He was hungry – God gave him food.
- He was thirsty – God gave him drink.
- He was alone – God gave him help.
God has not forsaken you.
He has not abandoned you to your situation. He has been your help and strength in the past and He is a very present help in the time of your trouble.
God still has a purpose and plan for your life.
God was not finished with Elijah. Elijah was still recuperating when God gave him his next assignment. God is still working in your life.
Don’t wait until you have fully recuperated.
Healing will come when you get back up and do what God has planned for you. God told Elijah to get up and get busy.
Allow God in to heal your spirit, emotions and body over what has happened in your life.
Don’t block God from the areas that hurt. He has the healing balm and anointing oil that heals and meets all your needs. He will help you when you stop running from Him.
Turn off the negative voices that keeps saying, “God has forsaken you.”
You have survived. God has given you fresh bread from heaven. He has given you miracles and answers from heaven in the past and He is here to help you now. He is not out of the power to answer your need.
Start celebrating everything that God has done for you.
