There are no ifs with God!
Matthew 4:3 “And the tempter came to Him and said, “If you are the Son of God . . .”
Matthew 4:6 “If you are the Son of God . . .”
Matthew 4: 9 . . . he said to Him, “All these things I will give you if you fall down and worship me.”
Notice that satan’s communication is built on the edge of an if. In each of the enemy’s temptations, that tiny word shapes his statements to the Savor. Doubts and Demands – these are the tactics of the Father of Lies; not just with Jesus, but with God’s children throughout history and with His disciples even today.
Be on your guard. What truth is he calling into question in your own life? Which promises of God is the enemy tempting you to doubt today?
Satan taunts: If God loves you, why is He so quiet? If you are His child, why can’t you hear His voice?
The Word declares: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Never. Period. Does God seem distant? Is His still, small voice so still and so small that you strain to hear it? Stand on His promise. Believe that He is near. Instead of retreating from His presence, draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8)
Satan taunts: If you are God’s child, why would He allow you to suffer this way? If He is good and powerful, why won’t He step in to ease your pain?
The Word declares: “But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Peter 5:9-10) And so we understand that the trials we experience and the sorrow we endure are not without purpose. God is at work in us just as He worked in and through Christ’s suffering on our behalf. Resist the evil one, firm in your faith!
Satan taunts: If only you could be good God would love you, but you just sin, sin, sin. You are too broken, too much of a mess – a real wreck. What if you are just too far gone to be forgiven this time?
The Word declares: ” For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (Hebrews8:12) Confess your sin to the Lord and He not only forgives, He forgets! To believe otherwise is to embrace a lie. God is not caught off guard by your sin. He is fully aware, even more so than you are yourself, of your desperate condition. His standard it not goodness. It’s righteousness. And, there is none righteous, not even one. (Romans 3:10) For this reason Christ died, the Righteous for the unrighteous, the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. (1 Peter 3:18) God is not asking you to try harder. He is not calling you to be good. He’s calling you to abide in Christ. Confess your sin and receive His forgiveness.
No matter what your situation, step back from the edge of satan’s if and remember: “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.” ( 2 Corinthians 1:20) With God there are no ifs. His promises are always only yes and amen!
Thanks for the reminder, Kristen. Hard times can test our faith, but God is always faithful.
Yes, He is! Thanks for being a living example of how to trust God and keep trusting Him when you find yourself in unexpected and confusing circumstances. I thank God for you, friend!