Acts 7:55
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
If you do anything for the LORD, you will find attacks will come. Success is a funny thing in that God’s people should rejoice when God is blessing someone, but often they criticize and attack out of jealousy and because a light is being shined on their laziness. When you are doing nothing like others around you, there is no purpose for them to hate you because you are doing what they are doing. However, when God blesses you and your ministry begins to grow, you will find that attacks will come, not only from the world, but sadly, from those who you would call Christian friends.
How you answer the attacks determines what becomes of God’s blessings on your life. When Stephen was attacked, his answer was not to attack back, but to keep doing what brought those attacks. Stephen’s answer to attacks is what brought great conviction on Saul that led to his salvation.
If you want God to use you, you are going to have to endure attacks. The early church did not thrive by getting along with everyone, but it thrived in attack and hardships. The church did not seek battles, but its answer to attacks is what brought God’s blessing on the church. When you look at Stephen’s answer to attacks, you find how you can get God’s blessings on you if you answer in the same way. Let me show you how he answered.
First, be filled with the Holy Ghost. You will not properly answer the attacks of jealous and evil people against you if you are not filled with the Holy Ghost. Only the Holy Ghost can control your tongue and spirit in times of attack. If you want to answer attacks in a godly manner, you must be filled with the Holy Ghost.
Second, change the perspective of what you choose to dwell upon. Stephen looked up towards Heaven when he was attacked, and that is what kept him in the right spirit. Attacks are never easy to endure, but the way to keep your spirit right during the attack is to keep your focus on God. Focusing on God during attacks disarms those who want to hurt you because you choose not to attack back, which is what they really want you to do. If you attack back, it justifies the attacker in their mind; therefore, you must keep your focus on God so that your answer to the attack is to continue to talk about the great God you serve.
Third, don’t change what you are doing. You must be doing something right if what you were doing got Satan to bring attacks against you. Don’t stop what you are doing if your actions bring Satan’s attacks because his attack shows that you are making an impact against his cause. I have found the best answer to those whom Satan uses to attack me are the results from continuing to do what brought those attacks. Those who attack me may not like me and what I am doing, but they can’t argue against God’s blessings that brought the attack.
Fourth, pray when attacks come. Pray for God to get ahold of the hearts of those attacking you, and pray for God’s help to keep your spirit right. The attacks against you can become a tool God uses to further His cause if you pray for God to take those attacks and use them as a tool to reach more people for Christ.
