Continue Your Witness, Even When You Feel Surrounded by Enemies

We were promised we would have trouble in this world. Even when we obey God, follow Jesus wholeheartedly, and trust in Him, we will have hard times and enemies in this world. Jesus wouldn’t have told us to pray for our enemies if we were never going to have any. Jesus also died to remove the shame from falling short of the glory of God. We have enemies because we all fall short. Sin is a reality for all of us, making us do and say things we regret, and burn bridges with people once beloved that will never be repaired. The apostle James wrote:

“Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world” (James 4:8).

When it gets hard, we run to our Refuge. When our enemies literally surround us, we are protected by the Rock. When it seems like there is no safe place, His arms are open to receive us. We are all called to bear witness. Our lives are our testimony. Life is hard, but life is good. It’s both. Often, at the same time.

Running to God means realizing it’s through Him we are able to see and realize anything good in this life. He is good. His plans for us are good. In the hard moments, we need Him to remind us we are safe in His arms, provided and cared for, and understood. He loves us for who we are, right where we are at.

“If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully keep all his commands that I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the world” (Deuteronomy 28:1).

Our lives are our testimony. The power of God is active in every believer. When we are obedient to surrender to God’s will for our lives, the perspective with which we see and act shifts dramatically. Jabez is mentioned in once verse of the Bible, yet his desire to be used by God is still being prayed:

“He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!’ And God granted him his request” (1 Chronicles 4:10).

Being a witness for Christ isn’t about accolades or achievements. Even good accolades and achievements which do really great work to reach people with the Gospel aren’t as important as the attitude of our hearts when we set out to live our everyday lives. Daily surrender to His agenda is the most important ingredient in a powerful witness, followed by hard work. Working at whatever He has given us to do, with all of our might, as if working directly for Him. Because we are. Our lives are our witness.

Even if it’s sitting in the bleachers of a high school gymnasium, surrounded by enemies. Laughing with friends, rather than shutting down. What I saw as a failure to stay for three games that day, the Lord showed me, was a victory in the one at which I remained. Remaining through discomfort takes more reliance on the Lord than sitting through easy situations. And that’s what God wants, for us to lean on Him. He wants us to lean on Him with all of our strength, in all of our weakness, so He can activate His strength and power through our witness. All glory goes to Him, and He alone.

Humanity exists to bring glory to God. Today, I’m not any more thankful for those enemies, nor comfortable around them. The trauma from what happened still causes fear in my stomach when I see them. The hurt was real to me, even if it wasn’t to them. God sees it all. He sees me. He waits for me, in those moments, to wait on Him, patiently, knowing He’s already shown up. Bravery and courage which come from the Holy Spirit living in me through Christ, allow me to wait on Him, evident or not, knowing He’s there.

Keep witnessing in power, but not ours. Take a backseat and let the power of the Almighty God flex in our everyday lives. He is always with us. We are never alone, even when we’re surrounded by enemies.

More from this author
Praying for a Friend
Love Differently – Even When It’s Difficult
Trust in the Unchanging Power of God

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Meg is a graduate of Ashland University. She is a writer, author, editor, and digital content creator. She stepped away from her job in Internet Marketing in 2008 to raise her daughters, which gave her passion for writing a chance to shine through her blog, Sunny&80… Life within the Love of Christ. Meg has served as a Children’s Worship Team Leader and Middle School Leader for her local church. She founded and led the Breakfast Club Bible Study for Tweens, has served as a Young Life Leader and Committee Member, and led Women’s Bible Study. She has also volunteered as a content creator for her local church, studied Bible/Ministerial Training through Global University, completed COMPEL PRO Writers Training, and is Ethically AI Certified. A contributing writer for Salem Web Network since 2016, Meg is now thrilled to be a part of the team at Salem Web Network. You can find her entire library of books on her Amazon Author Page.