“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” — Romans 8:28

Satan and his demons work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, against the Body of Christ. The enemy seeks to steal from us, kill us, and destroy us. Even though he knows how to oppose God’s children, the devil can fortunately do nothing to us unless we give him spiritual access. Christ has given us authority over him! Jesus said:

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” — Luke 10:19

Despite this glorious truth, many Christians seem to never benefit from this authority proclaimed by our Lord. All kinds of misfortunes sent by Satan are too often attributed to God. These afflictions are even received as gifts from the Lord Himself! What a scandal! This is truly heartbreaking, because even though we read promises in the Bible, it often seems there is a special clause that cancels the promise.

— Yes, the Bible reveals this or that promise, but if God decides to let Satan afflict you, just accept your misery! God will use it for your good. This belief sounds correct and is affirmed by practically all Christians, regardless of denomination. “Sure! The promises are there, but they don’t necessarily apply to us because God gave Himself an escape clause by giving us Romans 8:28.”

Tradition teaches that all kinds of misfortunes can strike us and that we can find comfort in believing God has a hidden plan in our cursed suffering. Let me take a moment with you to examine this verse that has been so greatly misunderstood!

Indeed, when taken out of context, this verse seems to say exactly what tradition claims. Unfortunately, that tradition misrepresents the meaning of the passage and is guilty of leading many to abandon the faith. This tradition has neutralized the Church, made it passive, and distorted the image of the God of the Bible! Not everything that happens to believers is necessarily sent or even allowed by God. On the contrary, God has given us the responsibility to be vigilant, and He commands us to stop the enemy from devouring us!

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” — 1 Peter 5:8

Notice, the apostle Peter never said: “Lie down like doormats! Let Satan do what he wants with you. God is in control. If the Lord wants to deliver you, He will. If not, just endure!” No, and again, no! If we read the context of Romans 8:26–28, we understand that this passage refers to prayers of consecration.

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” — Romans 8:26–28

When the enemy is working against you, when you feel oppressed, or when you find yourself in a difficult situation, the Spirit of God knows how to inspire your prayers to thwart Satan’s destructive plans. As you pray, the Holy Spirit begins to come to your aid. What Satan meant for harm, the Spirit of God knows how to turn into good!

When we pray Spirit-inspired, Spirit-led prayers, that is when we can truly declare the promise: “All things work together for good to those who love God.” This truth is deeply connected to and dependent upon our prayer life. Without it, we cannot confidently claim that the enemy’s terror will serve our good, because it is the Spirit of God who brings the miracle. So let us be awake! Let us discern and pray in the Spirit starting today!

This text is an excerpt from the book “365 Days at the Master’s Feet,” written by several French-speaking authors, with Jérémy Sourdril as the main contributor.

We invite you to read the following article: “RELATIONAL PROBLEM.”

PRAYER IN THE SPIRIT. PRAYER IN THE SPIRIT. PRAYER IN THE SPIRIT.