“For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They encircle me with words of hate, and attack me without cause. In return for my love they accuse me, but I give myself to prayer. So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.”
Psalm 109:2-5 (ESV)
Many of us have read in the Bible about the number of times the very people that Jesus Christ came to save slandered his name. They even called him the devil and said all kinds of wicked and untrue things about Him. If anyone had a reason to be angry and retaliate, it was the Son of the Living God, but that was not His way. He said in Matthew 5:9-10(NLT), “9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God. 10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.” The world and its wickedness teach the exact opposite of the teaching of Christ, and many of us have so abandoned the heft of His instruction that we can’t imagine turning the other cheek or choosing peace instead of retaliation. We have ignored His instruction because we lack faith and allegiance to the disciplined and powerful life that Christ lived. We must change this.
Jesus Christ told the disciples in John 14:15-17(NLT), “15 If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.” To be powerful, you must be prepared. That’s why God has given us the example of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom and knowledge of this Word, so that we are prepared 24/7 to stand firm against the strategies of the devil and walk in the victory of Christ.
An anointing is the supernatural power of God to execute or carry out specific assignments according to His Will. God has put the ability to do His work in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The person of the Holy Spirit gives us supernatural power and ability to do supernatural things, and we would be in trouble to attempt to get ahead of the Spirit’s guidance, power, and authority.
The work that God calls us to do is the most important of any other. If He tells us to do something, then through the Holy Spirit, God’s anointing will provide the faith to us that is necessary to do what He has ordained. We shouldn’t think that everything will be smooth sailing. Jesus teaches us in John 15:18-19 (ESV) “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” He didn’t keep this a secret but wanted us to know that because we are His adopted brothers and sisters, we too will endure wickedness from people just as he did. He expects us to be spiritually prepared and mature enough to handle evildoers the same way He did.
People are going to try us, because the enemy will work through them, but God teaches us the knowledge and strategy for spiritual attacks in Ephesians 6:12-15(ESV), “12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. 14 Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.” The different categories of evil powers listed in verse 12 are the various ranks in satan’s army. These are the demonic spirits in the second heaven that keep watch and control people, bloodlines, cities, regions, and countries within the earth. Make no mistake, these demons are our enemies, not the people they use and possess.
When we are ill-equipped in God’s weaponry and wisdom, we allow the demons that are in people to bring us to their level. Through their anger, belligerence, folly and foolishness, they trick us into responding to them in the flesh. That’s a huge mistake. It’s a notorious plot of the enemy, because when we take it there, we are in his territory, and that’s no place for a saint.
Haters are going to talk, that’s what they do. Jesus Christ warned us in John 10:10 that the only reason that satan and his demons are in the world is to steal from us and to kill and destroy us. God also warns us in 1Peter 5:8 to be prepared and watchful because the devil prowls the earth like a roaring lion, looking for folks he can devour. So, you already know that the devil wants to separate us from the power of the anointing of God, and he uses people to do it. Don’t fall for the trick.
The evil in them smells the anointing in us, and they hate it, but don’t you dare react unwisely to those that try to tear you down. Let the Lord fight your battles and be obedient to follow the example of Christ. God tells us in 1Thessalonians 5:5(ESV), “For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.” We don’t have any business going into satan’s realm of darkness, because he’ll do his best to trap us there. Understand that those that belong to the darkness hate your light and will fight to keep it from exposing them, but again, that’s not your business. Your business is to walk in your anointing and do so with love in your heart and unwavering faith in God.
The psalmist in Psalm 24:8(NLT) proclaimed, “Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty; the Lord, invincible in battle.” God is the One with the power, and nothing or no one in this world, or any place in the universe, can compare to it. So, put on God’s armor. Don’t try to win a spiritual war with worldly weapons. That won’t work. When someone comes against you, your weapon is the Word of the One that is strong and mighty, and invincible in battle. You represent Him. Words of hate or a lack of self-control are weapons of the enemy, but they are weak when it comes to the power of God’s love. So, remain true to your call.
The anointing of the Lord that rests on us offends the wicked. There will always be demon spirits watching us, eager to send people our way to discourage and tear us down, but God has a remedy for that. He tells us in Romans 8:31(NLT), “What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?” We should rejoice when they try to steal our shine. See it as proof of your anointing and let it be motivation to go higher in Christ. Have confidence that God has your back. Be as humble and kind as Christ, and understand that, yes, there are those that might hate your shine, but the love of God will melt their weapons and turn them to kindness towards you.■
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Your Anointing Reveals Your Enemies?”, written by KLizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack, for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2023. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.