Opposition, to God’s person and work

Targets of opposition from evil forces

The Lord himself

(KJV 1900)

1 Why do the heathen rage,

And the people imagine a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves,

And the rulers take counsel together,

Against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

3 Let us break their bands asunder,

And cast away their cords from us.

(KJV 1900)

3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

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God’s people

Acts 8:1–3 KJV 1900

And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.

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God’s work

1 Thessalonians 2:2 KJV 1900

But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention.

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Revelation 12:1 KJV 1900

And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:

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Sources of opposition

The world

John 15:18–19 KJV 1900

If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

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The flesh

Galatians 5:17 KJV 1900

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

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The devil

1 Peter 5:8 KJV 1900

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

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Strategies used in opposition

Shows of strength

Judges 6:5 KJV 1900

For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

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1 Samuel 17:10–11 KJV 1900

And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

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Discouraging propaganda

2 Kings 18:19–22 KJV 1900

And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak ye now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria, What confidence is this wherein thou trustest? Thou sayest, (but they are but vain words,) I have counsel and strength for the war. Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me? Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him. But if ye say unto me, We trust in the Lord our God: is not that he, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem?

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Surprise

(KJV 1900)

11 And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. 12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

(KJV 1900)

8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages:

In the secret places doth he murder the innocent:

His eyes are privily set against the poor.

9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den:

He lieth in wait to catch the poor:

He doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.

(KJV 1900)

4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect:

Suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.

Seduction

(KJV 1900)

9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

(KJV 1900)

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

(KJV 1900)

14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

(KJV 1900)

20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

Deceitfulness

Jude 4 KJV 1900

For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Sustained pressure

(KJV 1900)

10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.

(KJV 1900)

6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. 7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.

(KJV 1900)

25 And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass’s head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove’s dung for five pieces of silver.

(KJV 1900)

4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

Motives for opposition

Jealousy

1 Samuel 18:9 KJV 1900

And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

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Troubled conscience

John 7:7 KJV 1900

The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

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Vested interests

(KJV 1900)

19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

(KJV 1900)

24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; 25 Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. 26 Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: 27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

No just cause

(KJV 1900)

4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head:

They that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty:

Then I restored that which I took not away.

(KJV 1900)

25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

Dealing with opposition

Being prepared

(KJV 1900)

17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.

(KJV 1900)

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

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Keeping a right perspective

(KJV 1900)

15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? 16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

(KJV 1900)

14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.

(KJV 1900)

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Prayer

Nehemiah 6:9 KJV 1900

For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

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Patience

2 Timothy 2:25 KJV 1900

In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;

Prudence

(KJV 1900)

And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply. 2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3 God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb: and what was I able to do in comparison of you? Then their anger was abated toward him, when he had said that.

(KJV 1900)

A soft answer turneth away wrath:

But grievous words stir up anger.

(KJV 1900)

25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?

(KJV 1900)

6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question.

(KJV 1900)

11 For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

(KJV 1900)

3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed:

Perseverance

(KJV 1900)

58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

(KJV 1900)

27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

(KJV 1900)

9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

(KJV 1900)

9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

(KJV 1900)

10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

(KJV 1900)

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.