From Within the Fire

^{16 "}Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. ¹⁷ If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. ¹⁸ But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual ²⁰ and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. ²¹ So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. ²² The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, ²³ and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace." Daniel 3:16-23

We are at war, and the strength that we need to keep fighting does not come from ourselves. Our strength comes from our faith and devotion to the Lord Our God. Each and every day, we face obstacles and challenges that test our faith and whether or not we will take a firm stand for  God. In the midst of the demands and temptations that his world throws at us, staying true to our faith and call requires us to have the bold faith and trust in the Lord that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had. Daniel 3:17-18 has such a strong message to it when they take a bold stand and say, "the God we serve is able to deliver us...but even if  he does not...we will not serve your gods...".

We are called. Called to be bold. To be strong. To trust in God. When we take a stand for God, we are called to trust in Him, even if it doesn't turn out the way we would plan. Know that God is capable of delivering you and me from anything this world can throw at us, but remember that even if He does not, it works out for His purpose for our lives and our ultimate good. The Bible tells us that "all things work together for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28). Always know that no matter what, if we truly love God and trust in His sovereignty, He will be with us and His plan will be fulfilled for His glory and our ultimate good. 

Our world is in turmoil. The Christian faith is being criticized; The Living God is being mocked; and souls are at risk. We don't need to take a stand because God needs us to defend Him, but we MUST take a stand for our faith for the sake of our integrity and so that the world can see the power of God through our lives. Taking a stand is not easy. Even more, if you have been fooled into believing that things will get easier once you stand up for your faith, you are wrong. We all know that Satan has been defeated, but that doesn't mean he is giving up. When we take a bold stand for the faith, Satan fights back even harder. We can see that result in Daniel 3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stand up for their faith, and verse 19 says that Nebuchadnezzar was infuriated and "ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter". Taking a stand for our faith does not always put us in easier situations. Just like in Daniel 3, the danger is amped, our fate can look bleaker, and the temptation to give in and back down is even stronger. Satan continues to tell us that it isn't worth it and we would be better off just giving in. But those are LIES. The trio in Daniel 3 see the danger has increased, and you know that the temptation to bow down to the false gods is even stronger. However, their faith stays solid and they stick with God because they know God will stick with them, and as we see, God saves and delivers them from within the fire. 

 "Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”

They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”
²⁵ He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
²⁶ Nebuchadnezzar then approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out! Come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, ²⁷ and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them." Daniel 3: 24-27

We are called to never back down. When we take a stand against worldly culture, sexual temptation, immoral behavior, idolatry, and all sinful distractions, Satan fights back even stronger. However, God always provides the strength for us to fight back and survive. We are in a constant spiritual battle for souls and for our own holiness, but we are not alone. God is with us and He will always be fighting with us and for us, form withing the fire of our own temptation and struggles. Satan continues to pummel us with our earthly desires and sin, but just as when God delivers Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, there is going to be day when God says ENOUGH and Christ will return in ultimate glory and deliver us once and for all from our weakness, and we will rejoice in heaven with Or Lord for eternity. The question is what will I, you, we, do until that moment? Will we give in to our weakness, or will we trust in the power of God and never back down form our fight against Satan? I encourage all of you reading this to think hard about what God is calling you to fight for. It may be your marriage, your friendships, your integrity, your sexual purity, or many other things. DON"T BACK DOWN. DO NOT GIVE IN. Pray to Him and ask Him for the strength to stand your ground. The Creator of the Universe will be fighting with you, and Satan is fighting a losing battle. The victory has been won, so fight with the confidence in knowing that when you stand your ground against the forces of Hell, you can't lose. You may get knocked down, but God will pick you back up. Don't stay down. Fight for your faith. Fight for your integrity. Fight for everything that Jesus stood for. Don't let Satan gain any more footholds in your heart, but in the name of Jesus Christ, cast him away and fill yourself with the Holy Spirit. When we do this, we come out of the fire stronger and even more ready to fight for our faith. Just as in Daniel 3, the stench of our struggle is not evident. Not in our attitudes, not in our conscience, but instead we emerge empowered by the Lord Our God, who fought with us from within the fire, from within our struggles, and one day He will send Jesus back to deliver us once and for all, and we will have the incredible, undeserved honor of praising God in His presence for the rest of eternity. We get knocked down, but we are never  out. With God, we can have the courage to never back down from a fight with Satan, because we have already joined the winning team.