Standing Strong In Persecution

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2
Timothy 3:12
It is natural for life to be stormy, especially when you want to live a godly life
for Jesus! Many Christians are surprised when they are subjected to attacks and
oppositions. 1 Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the
fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.”
There is nothing strange about being a target of spiritual attacks and
oppositions. If Jesus suffered persecution, we too will suffer for Him.

Remember the words of Jesus, “A servant is not greater than his master. If they
persecuted Me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). The Early Church
apostles were persecuted for preaching the name of Jesus. In Acts 4, Peter and
John were arrested by the rulers, elders and scribes for preaching the gospel.
They were commanded not to speak or preach about Jesus in the city. However,
they did not draw back in fear. Instead, they were strengthened in their faith
through the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness. How do we
stand strong in the face of pressure or persecution?

There are four things we can learn from Acts 4:

(1) Be filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:29-31). When the Holy Spirit
comes upon you, you will be bold. Though Peter and John were uneducated
fishermen, they were so bold that the religious leaders could immediately
notice something supernatural about them (4:13)!

(2) Stand up for what is right (4:20). Courage is not the absence of fear.
Courage is doing what is right in spite of your fears. Instead of remaining silent,
Peter and John knew they can do nothing but to speak the things which they
had seen and heard. They persevered in doing what was right in the eyes of
God.

(3) Keep praising God when you go through the fire (4:24). Instead of
complaining, Peter and John, together with the rest of the disciples, opened
their mouths to praise the Lord. Praise is the language of faith. Praise opens the
door for God’s supernatural intervention in your life and situation.

(4) Pray for God’s grace to continue serving Him (4:32-33). After the
arrest and stern warning, the apostles could have toned down their ministry
work. But they prayed that God would empower them even more to continue
preaching the gospel. The Bible says, great grace was upon the apostles to
continue serving the Lord.

When you are persecuted for your faith, don’t be discouraged. When you come
to the end of your natural strength, remember that the grace of God is
sufficient for you! Philippians 1:6 is a great verse you can meditate on: “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.”