This morning we continue our series, “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing our mini-series entitled, “Grace Based Success (Prosperity)”. In our last message we looked at verses 7-12 of Daniel chapter three, where King Nebuchadnezzar was informed that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to his idol. Let’s pick it up from there.
The Bible says, “Nebuchadnezzar became very angry. He called for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So they were brought to him. And Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don’t worship my gods? And is it true that you didn’t bow down and worship the gold idol I have set up? Now when you hear the sound of the horns, flutes, lyres, sambucas, harps, bagpipes, and all the other musical instruments, you must bow down and worship the gold idol. If you are ready to worship the idol I have made, that is good. But if you don’t worship it, you will be thrown very quickly into the hot furnace. Then no god will be able to save you from my power!”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. The enemy will always give you another chance to fail.
a) Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to to King Nebuchadnezzar’s idol. The king had already made it clear that whoever did not bow was going to burn. But before throwing the three Hebrew boys in the fiery furnace, Nebuchadnezzar gave them one more chance to bow.
b) Satan is not happy when you reject him, but he is cunning enough to give you chance after chance to sin.
c) While satan is persistent in attempting to get you to sin, God’s grace on your life can empower you to be more persistent in resisting his temptations.
d) God will give you the grace to continue to stand, even when the pressure is on you to quit.
2. The enemy is always ready to receive you back into his good-graces of darkness.
a) Even though the text says King Nebuchadnezzar was very angry with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego for refusing to bow to his idol, the king was also seemingly accommodating. He said, “If you are ready to worship the idol I have made, that is good.” It seemed like the king was ready to let bygones be bygones.
b) Satan is quick to receive you back into his tangled web of darkness. He will even make it look good for you, like he did for the Hebrew boys. But don’t allow yourself to be deceived. That dirty-nasty devil only wants to destroy you. He will disguise himself as an angel of light to trick you, but the Holy Spirit will expose his deceit and empower you to remain strong in your resistance of satan.
c) In the New Testament the Apostle Paul said, “In conclusion be strong—not in yourselves but in the Lord, in the power of his boundless resource. Put on God’s complete armour so that you can successfully resist all the devil’s methods of attack. For our fight is not against any physical enemy: it is against organisations and powers that are spiritual. We are up against the unseen power that controls this dark world, and spiritual agents from the very headquarters of evil. Therefore you must wear the whole armour of God that you may be able to resist evil in its day of power, and that even when you have fought to a standstill you may still stand your ground.” (Ephesians 6:10-13 Phillips)
d) By God’s grace you can stand, keep on standing, and when you have done all the standing you think you can take, you will be able to stand even longer by the power of the Holy Spirit!
3. The enemy will always overstate his power.
a) Satan is not going to be honest with you. Satan knows he is a defeated foe, but he will never tell you that. Satan will make it seem like he has ALL power – but in reality, Jesus already defeated him.
b) King Nebuchadnezzar said, “No god will be able to save you from my power!” That is a clear overstatement of his power, and satan does the same thing.
c) Satan wants you to think no one can save you from grips, but the truth is: God has all power and in a discussion between God and satan, it’s not even a discussion. There is no competition between God and satan. Satan has been defeated, he is under our feet, and God sits on the circle of the earth!
d) Don’t let satan trick you into panic, stress, anxiety or worry. When you are with God and you yield to His grace, there is NO WAY you can lose!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for teaching me about Your grace and my requirement to live by faith. You have great plans for me and You made those plans before the world began. I live my life with a daily excitement to live out what You have destined me to do. You placed greatness IN me and by Your grace there shall be an outworking of the internal. But I know it will not come without opposition. The enemy will come against me, and I will stand against Him. I don’t back down. I don’t give up. I don’t cave in. I never quit. I clothe myself with the whole Armor of God that I may be able to stand, and I stand. I stand strong by Your grace. I stand long by Your power. I stand, I keep on standing, and when the pressure is on me to quit, the power of the Holy Spirit enables me to stand with supernatural strength. Satan will invite me back into darkness, but I stand. Satan will give me chance after chance to sin, but I stand. Satan will overstate his power and attempt to scare me into buckling, but fear has no power over me, and I STAND! I stand by Your power. I stand by Your grace. I stand for Your glory. I am a Soldier in Your Army, a citizen in Your Kingdom, a child in Your family, and I stand against satan and the powers of darkness. Satan is defeated, You Father God are exalted, and Jesus the Christ is Lord! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
