Triumphing Over Afflictions

Triumphing Over Affliction

Study Text: James 5: 13 - 16

Introduction:

- Prayer is the only Scriptural medicine prescribed to overcome afflictions. Whatever the affliction, be it poverty, hardship, struggling with your business, sickness and so on, do not get worried, but channel all your energy and time into prayer.

- This is because the Devil is at work to rob you of your joy and peace of mind, and if you lose the strength to pray, you may not be able to resist being taken away from the way of righteousness.

- In our times of affliction, God will do nothing, except you invite Him into it. Matthew 7:7. And it is also important to ask or pray with faith in your heart, for the Bible says, “without faith it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6

- Affliction is part of our Christian experience. The moment you are identified with Christ, the enemy will begin to trouble you, but we have been given victory already through Jesus Christ, we only need to activate and enjoy the victory through prayers.

- There are many example of people in the Bible who went through affliction and they turned to God and He did not forsake them.

- In the same way, He will not forsake you also, if you turn to Him all day and night in the times of afflictions. We have the examples of Jacob, Hannah, Jabez, Job, the Apostles at various instance.

- We shall be discussing the topic under three subheadings:

1. The Description of Afflictions

2. The Dimensions of Afflictions

3. The Deliverance from Afflictions

1. The Description of Afflictions

- There are several ways we can look at and describe what affliction is:

1. It is a programmed and sudden calamity by the Devil

- This comes with the purpose of uprooting your faith and confidence in God and to take you bound by the Devil to fulfill his own purpose.

- We saw the example of this in Job, when the Devil attacked him with sudden calamity of manifolds, and later tampered with his health. Job 2:4-10.

2. It is a continuous oppression and hard labours by the Task Masters.

- All forms of maltreatment and hard labour without commensurate reward, measured by the people in power or authority either in the physical or spiritual.

- After the death of Joseph, the new Pharaoh turned the children of Israel to slaves with hard labour, and afflicted them continually making life to become unbearable for them. Exodus 3:7-10

- There are people suffering afflictions from the demonic task masters, labouring in pain and sorrow and have no reward or enjoyment for their labours.

3. All forms of Satanic bondage and demonic oppression, making people to misbehave and unable to fulfill the purpose of God for their lives.

- Demonic attacks comes in different forms and manifestations through unknown evil covenants and curses. They lead to stagnation, absence of favour and breakthroughs in life. Mark 5:1-6.

4. All forms of sicknesses and diseases that is prolonged and can not be managed by Medical attention.

- The Devil do afflict people with the spirit of infirmities and make them not to enjoy the peace that Jesus has given to them.

- We have the example of a woman who was bound with the spirit of infirmities for eighteen years, until Jesus came to set her free. Luke 13:11-13.

5. All forms and manifestations of the devourer of income

- The Devil specialises in making people to gather and them attack them at the harvest time. Whenever you gather money to achieve good things, and bad things always come to take the money.

- The Bible recommends faithfulness to God with our lives, and in payment of tithes and offerings, to enjoy our blessings without the intrusion of the devourer.

- In the account of the woman with the issue of blood, we were told that all her living income were spent on Physicians, and was not getting better. Her case was double affliction: affliction with sickness and with the devourer. Luke 8:43-44.

6. Experiencing unexplainable delay in one area of life or the other.

- When the expected blessings are unduly delayed without explainable reason. Some have delay in making progress in life, in physical growth, in going to schools, getting job, getting married and having children.

- We have the example of Hannah in the Bible, who experienced delay in having Children, despite being the first wife. 1 Samuel 1: 1-6.

7. Absence of peace in the family

- People can be afflicted with certain family storms, which disturb the peace of the family. These include having troublesome spouses, difficult children that can not be controlled, frequent failures and disappointment, loss of lives and properties, etc.