How to conquer the 7 types of spiritual attacks against us, part 2
March 21, 2017
Now that we understand the overview of Romans 8 through the eyes of figures of speech, let’s break Romans 8:35 down into smaller components and details so we can get a clearer and more accurate understanding.
After that, we’ll ascend to higher ground and see from God’s heavenly vantage point with a full 360 degree view.
There won’t be any blind spots because we’ll be flooded with his perfect light and learn how to overcome the 7 different ways the world can attack us.
As is always the case, since the word of God is an inexhaustible resource of profound truth and deep insights into the very heart of life, this research study ended up being a jillion times deeper and bigger than I initially thought, so out of necessity, I’m breaking it up into several different parts in sequence.
This part 2 covers the first 2 ways of attack: tribulation and distress.
And no, this tribulation doesn’t have anything to do with the great tribulation in revelation!
Jesus Christ has already saved us from having to go through that [I Thessalonians 4:13-18].
Funny thing is, I don’t even know how many articles on Romans 8:35 there will be yet, but we will find out soon enough.
First off, if you are in any way the cause of any of these 7 methods of attack, or even a contributing factor, don’t condemn yourself, live in guilt or regret for the next 10, 20 or 30 years!
You only live once. Redeem your time wisely.
Get God’s forgiveness NOW and move on.
I John 1
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Don’t go to a priest’s confessional booth.
Go directly to God because he has already supplied the finest and final high priest of all time for all time: Jesus Christ, who makes intercession for us according to the will of God.
Ephesians 3:12
In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.
Psalms 103
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear [reverence] him.
Mercy is deserved judgment withheld. Whew!
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
If you go north or south far enough, you will end up going in the opposite direction. In other words, you will get smacked in the face with your past sins that God has already forgotten.
[This brings up another issue: if you do ever have your sins haunt you and God has already forgiven & forgotten, then they could not be originating from God.
Therefore, they are coming from another source, which ultimately will be Satan].
But if you go either west or east, you will never end up going in the opposite direction.
globe-1491
Romans 8:35
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Galatians 5
7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
In verse 7, the question was not when, why, what, where or how, but WHO.
Who attacks us? Certainly not God who wants us to obey his truth. It is the devil who indirectly attacks us 7 different ways.
An entire teaching could very easily be taught on Galatians 5:7 & 8 alone, so we’ll just hit the highlights.
Galatians 5:8 – Definition of persuasion:
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
treacherous or deceptive persuasion
Isaiah 24:16
…the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
Treacherous dealers are as evil as they get.
They have been and are the dark spiritual movers and shakers throughout history.
They are the ones who have infiltrated, contaminated, saturated and dominated cultures and countries around the world with confusion, drugs, fear, idolatry, lies, lust, murder, pride and wars, just to name a few.
Although they operate in virtually every industry that has money and power, they are especially concentrated in politics and religion.
That’s where the treachery really begins. We must be able to separate truth from very subtle errors. Ultimately, confusing and foggy gray areas will be exposed by God’s light and laser-sharp truth.
As God’s spiritual athlete, the competition is in our mind.
That’s where this chart and the word of God can be so helpful in understanding how to properly process things in our environment and still be victorious.
How to process stress and distress in Romans 8:35
The secondary appraisal section is where the stress begins.
The bible calls a non-christian the natural man because he or she does not have the gift of holy spirit within.
In other words, they only have a body and soul, but not holy spirit. They are missing the third and most important part.
With only a body and soul, our resources and abilities are limited, so when faced with situations that require more than what we have, stress is produced.
The effects can be anywhere from merely annoying to fatal.
But as a Christian, we not only have the gift of holy spirit within, but we have the word of God and a powerful connection to God.
That’s priceless.
II Corinthians 3
4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:
5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
II Corinthians 9
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
Psalms 18 [amplified bible]
1 “I love You [fervently and devotedly], O Lord, my strength.”
2 The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and the One who rescues me;
My God, my rock and strength in whom I trust and take refuge;
My shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower—my stronghold.
3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
And I am saved from my enemies.
Psalms 147
4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
As Christians, we can tap into God’s deep and infinite understanding of life.
Romans 8
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities [infirmity]: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
This is THE spiritual stress-killing app, knowing “that all things work together for good to them that love God”.
Defeat stress with God’s infinite resources 24/7/365!
Enter the figure of speech Anaphora
Romans 8: 33-35 contain the figure of speech anaphora.
“Anaphora Definition
In writing or speech, the deliberate repetition of the first part of the sentence in order to achieve an artistic effect is known as Anaphora.
Anaphora, possibly the oldest literary device, has its roots in Biblical Psalms used to emphasize certain words or phrases. Gradually, Elizabethan and Romantic writers brought this device into practice. Examine the following psalm:
“O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
Have mercy upon me, O LORD; for I am weak: O LORD, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O LORD, how long?”
The repetition of the phrase “O Lord,” attempts to create a spiritual sentiment. This is anaphora.
Functions of Anaphora
Apart from the function of giving prominence to ideas, the use of anaphora in literature adds rhythm to it and thus, making it more pleasurable to read and easier to remember. As a literary device, anaphora serves the purpose of furnishing artistic effect to the passages of prose and poetry.
As a rhetorical device, it is used to appeal to the emotions of the audience in order to persuade, inspire, motivate and encourage them“.
Romans 8
33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth.
34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
We are going to analyze each of the 7 attacks in the order they occur in the verse, then see how they all fit together.
- Tribulation definition:
Strong’s Concordance #2347
thlipsis: tribulation
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Phonetic Spelling: (thlip’-sis)
Definition: persecution, affliction, distress, tribulation.
HELPS Word-studies
2347 thlípsis – properly, pressure (what constricts or rubs together), used of a narrow place that “hems someone in”; tribulation, especially internal pressure that causes someone to feel confined (restricted, “without options”).
2347 /thlípsis (“compression, tribulation”) carries the challenge of coping with the internal pressure of a tribulation, especially when feeling there is “no way of escape” (“hemmed in”).
[By contrast, 4730 (stenoxōría) focuses on the external pressure exerted by circumstances.]
This is mental pressure in a stressful situation, something we all get trapped in sometimes.
Some synonyms are harassment and vexation.
How to conquer:
One thing that can really help is to understand the purpose of mental pressure, harassment or vexation.
Romans 15:13
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of holy spirit.
From one point of view, there are 3 great principles of life: believing, love and hope.
There is joy and peace in believing.
In other words, at least 2 of the ingredients of believing are joy and peace.
If you are making food according to a recipe, what happens if you leave an ingredient out?
It doesn’t come out right.
The same happens with believing. If joy or peace are missing, then you can no longer believe according to God’s word and that’s the point.
The purpose of these first 2 attacks of mental pressure and distress is to corrupt, disrupt or steal your believing.
Mental pressure and distress are fundamentally the same. The only difference is that distress is a greater degree of mental pressure.
Back in Genesis 3, the first thing that the serpent did was steal away Eve’s believing in what God had said by introducing doubt and confusion.
So now that you know that, you can be better prepared to defeat it.
If your mental stress is caused by temptations, then this section is for you.
I Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer [allow] you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
Tribulation is “especially when feeling there is “no way of escape””; yet when we trust in God, he makes “a way to escape”.
But I want to make it extremely clear who is providing the temptation and who is not!
It wouldn’t make sense that God would stress us out, then provide a way to escape that same stress.
God doesn’t play games with us, but somebody else does…
Matthew 4
1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
Israel wilderness similar to the one Jesus was tempted in.
The tempter is one of many names of the devil, highlighting one of his many negative attributes.
James 1:13
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
God doesn’t tempt anybody, so stop blaming him.
One antidote to temptation is just one verse back.
James 1:12
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
How do we know that we actually love God? We can’t go by OUR definition of love, but GOD’S definition.
I John 5
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
I’m not talking about the 10 commandments in the old testament because they were written directly to the Israelites.
I’m talking about the many commandments in the new testament that are written directly to Christians today.
1 Thessalonians 4:11
And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;
At the judgment seat of Christ, we will receive a crown of life for defeating temptations!
Hebrews 4
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Since we have Christ in us the hope of Glory, and Jesus Christ defeated all temptations, we can too.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Another way to defeat stress and feeling trapped is to seek God’s peace.
Philippians 4
6 Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth [surpasses] all understanding, shall keep [guard] your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Spending too much time with ungodly people or getting into toxic relationships can be a source of vexation and stress you don’t need.
Numbers 33:55
But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.
II Corinthians 6
14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
Job 19:2
How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?
A good friend or acquaintance will build you up, not tear you down.
We can overcome the world, the source of the stress.
I John 4:4
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
I John 5:5
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith [believing].
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Don’t let this counterfeit trap destroy your believing!
Ecclesiastes 4:6
Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.
God’s wisdom can provide tremendous relief from stress!
Table: the 8 characteristics of God’s wisdom from James 3:17.
2. Distress definition:
Strong’s Concordance #4730
stenochória: narrowness of space, fig. difficulty
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Phonetic Spelling: (sten-okh-o-ree’-ah)
Definition: a narrow space, great distress, anguish.
HELPS Word-studies
4730 stenoxōría (from 4728 /stenós, “narrow, confined” and 5561 /xṓra, “space, territory, area”) – properly, a narrow place; (figuratively) a difficult circumstance – which God always authorized and hence only produces a temporal sense of confinement. Through Christ’s inworking of faith (4102 /pístis, “divine persuasion”), internal distress (sense of pressure, anguish) is ironically the way He shows His limitless work – in our “limitations”!
[Ro 2:9 however uses 4730 (stenoxōría) for negative confinements (inner distress), that result from living outside of God’s will.]
Stess: mental, emotional, or physical strain or tension
Distress: great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering; affliction; trouble.
One of the meanings of the prefix dis is “expressing intensive force”, so distress is a greater or stronger version of stress [wait until you see how this fits into the pyramid in a future article!].
This word distress is only used 4 times in the bible. 4 is the worldly number and Satan is the god of this world, so this distress ultimately originates from him.
How to conquer:
The opposite of distress is comfort, which is why so many of us reach for comfort foods like chocolate, hamburgers or pizza when the going gets rough.
God has already provided 5 good things to help us heal and relieve distress: music, nature, sex, sleep and most importantly, his word.
Emerald Bay on lake Tahoe. In the bible, the color blue represents the peace of God.
II Corinthians 1
2 Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
6 And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.
8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:
9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;
In this section, the root words console and comfort are used 9 times!
Nine in the bible indicates finality. God’s consolation and comfort are the final answers for our heart’s distress.
God’s deliverance is past, present and future.
Verse 4 uses the same root word comfort 4 times. Here is one definition.
Strong’s Concordance #3874
paraklésis: a calling to one’s aid, i.e. encouragement, comfort
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Phonetic Spelling: (par-ak’-lay-sis)
Definition: a calling for, summons, hence: (a) exhortation, (b) entreaty, (c) encouragement, joy, gladness, (d) consolation, comfort.
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 3874 paráklēsis – properly, a call (urging), done by someone “close beside,” i.e. a personal exhortation that delivers the “evidence that stands up in God’s court.”
[3874 (paráklēsis) is cognate with 3875 /paráklētos (“legal advocate”) and thus has legal overtones.]
3874 (paráklēsis) is an “intimate call” that someone personally gives to deliver God’s verdict, i.e. “the close-call” that reveals how the Lord weighs in the relevant facts (evidence). 3874 /paráklēsis (“holy urging”) is used of the Lord directly motivating and inspiring believers to carry out His plan, delivering His particular message to someone else. The core-meaning of 3874 /paráklēsis (“personal urging”) is shaped by the individual context, so it can refer to: exhortation, warning, encouragement (comfort), etc.
Another way God can comfort us is by way of the 9 manifestations of holy spirit, [often mis-called the gifts of the spirit].
I Corinthians 14:3
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
When the worship manifestations of speaking in tongues with interpretation and prophecy are operated accurately and in order, they give us 3 great forms of relief from distress:
- Edification: God gives us hand-delivered, just what the doctor ordered words to build up our hearts that can strengthen, heal and restore our wounds from the world
- Exhortation: this is #3874 defined above
- Comfort: this is tenderness, consolation and comfort
#3 is this word:
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 3889 paramythía (a feminine noun) – “primarily ‘a speaking closely to anyone’ (para, ‘near,’ mythos, ‘speech’); hence it denotes ‘consolation, comfort,’ with a greater degree of tenderness than 3874 (paráklēsis)” (Vine, Unger, White, NT, 111, italics added). See 3888 (paramytheomai).
When we operate the manifestations of holy spirit with precision and order [I Corinthians 12-14], we will receive the fruit of holy spirit, like a cluster of grapes on a grapevine.
The 9 fruit of holy spirit are the result of operating the 9 manifestations of holy spirit. The fruit of holy spirit is like a cluster of grapes. Attribution for image is “Fir0002/Flagstaffotos”.
Galatians 5 [amplified bible]
22 But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Who in their right mind wouldn’t want these?!
Defeat distress with perfect love
I John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
Definition of torment:
Strong’s Concordance #2851
kolasis: correction
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Phonetic Spelling: (kol’-as-is)
Definition: chastisement, punishment, torment, perhaps with the idea of deprivation.
HELPS Word-studies
Cognate: 2851 kólasis (from kolaphos, “a buffeting, a blow”) – properly, punishment that “fits” (matches) the one punished (R. Trench); torment from living in the dread of upcoming judgment from shirking one’s duty (cf. WS at 1 Jn 4:18).
Perfected love casts out tormenting fear (2851 /kólasis)
“Punishment that “fits” (matches) the one punished”.
Why is fear like this?
Enter the law of believing.
Job 3
25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
26 I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.
Fear is negative believing and what you are believing for, you will receive.
Romans 1:17
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith [from the Greek word pistis = believing].
In other words, believing, whether positive or negative [fear] will yield proportional results in your life, so how do you overcome it?
As we’ve seen, God’s love casts out fear, but now we’ll see the whole picture.
II Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
- God’s power overcomes the ultimate source of the fear, the devil
- God’s love casts out the fear itself
- The sound mind of Christ prevents the fear from coming back
How to overcome fear with power, love and a sound mind!
Fear is one of the many sources of distress that we can eliminate with God’s resources.
II Corinthians 12 [amplified bible]
9 but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me.
10 So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength].
In verse 10, the root word distress is the same in Romans 8:35.
II Corinthians 9
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
9 (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever.
10 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)
11 Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.
Amen.
