Our God Is Powerful, Evans Olang

Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

There is nothing exciting as seeing God display His power in situations we have no control over. In the process of God displaying His power, the old silly devil does the same. We often get terrified of his power and find that we are not progressing. I want us to understand that the devil is powerful, no doubt. He has his way of performing magic tricks, no doubt. We cannot render him powerless but we sure can render powerless what he sends our way because of who is for us. God is amazing, He is not going about rendering the enemy powerless, He goes about showing greater power than the devil’s.

Exodus 4:2, “So the Lord said to him (Moses),” “What is that in your hand?” He said , A rod”. Pastor Phil in the past has talked about the foolishness of God being wiser than men’s wisdom, here we see God giving Moses a rod to use to deliver the children of Israel. Instead of God giving him an army, He gives him a simple shepherds’ rod. Why is the rod so important, because Exodus 4:20 reads “And Moses took the rod of God in his hands”. In other words, he carried the power of God in his hands for every situation. Aaron being Moses’ spokesman sometimes carried the rod of God for Moses. Exodus 7:10, “So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent”. If God is going to go against the works of the enemy, He will device something that the enemy tends to use and use it against him. God had told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart that He may display His greater power in those times. He cast the rod and it turned into a serpent, however the enemy also has power, vs. 11, “But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, …for everyone threw down his rod, and they became serpents”. Many stop at this point because the power of God comes first and then the power of the enemy comes second, and both powers look equal. Here is the difference vs. 12, “…but Aaron’s rod (God’s rod) swallowed up their rods”. God’s power went far beyond the enemies’ powers and swallowed everything that had been presented. That is what God does for His children, as He is displaying His power, He will allow the enemy to display his and then swallow his. Instead of chasing and wounding the serpents, He took them out of the picture. What then shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us.

Here is another encounter. In Numbers 21, the children of Israel had been complaining to Moses about leaving Egypt, God gets tired of their complaints and in Numbers 21:6, “So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and many of the people of Israel died”. This is what happens when Lord if not for us, we get bit by the enemy. As usual Moses gathered courage to go before God to repent on behalf of his people and in vs. 8, “Then the Lord said to Moses, Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live”. What a picture of the cross, God doing something big that renders the works of the enemy powerless. In the beginning they were powerful killers, but then God gives orders for a serpent to be made and put on the pole, a picture of Christ taking a form of sinful man yet without sin. This is a picture of Christ being the Savior of every mankind from death. As long as our eyes are on the cross, yes the serpents may be around and we can see them and encounter with them, but their power’s have nothing against us. Christ on the cross rendered his works powerless, 1John 3:8, “…for this purpose was the Son of God manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil”. A time to destroy his works is now, a time to destroy him will come later. So when the enemy comes against you, don’t freak out because of his power, just let him know that God will knock him out and swallow him, God is setting him up for that. When he reminds you of your past, remind him of his future. IF GOD BE FOR US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US FOR OUR GOD IS POWERFUL!!. Blessings Ev