Have you ever experienced persecution?  Many of us hear the word “persecution” and immediately think of imprisonment, beatings, ridicule, being on trial, etc., but persecution can be as simple as someone’s fighting words toward you for your belief in God.  The idea of persecution is uncomfortable.  When I hear the word persecution, I think of Jesus on the cross for his sinless life, I think of Paul being put in prison for his belief in God, I think of the disciples’ mistreatment for following after Jesus.  When we follow after Jesus, we are in turn signing up for future persecution.  Why is that?  Jesus sparks something in people… usually it sparks something good or bad.  The idea of being persecuted against is uncomfortable. Nobody wants to willingly sign up to be slandered, talked about, made fun of, beat, unjustly judged and so much more.  No one wants to willingly experience that.  The reality is that when we choose to follow Jesus, the chance of being persecuted increases greatly, in fact, Jesus tells us this will happen.  Jesus’ most famous speech recorded was the sermon on the mount.  Within the introduction of that sermon, Jesus tells us, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:10-12 

While none of us would choose to be persecuted against, Jesus tells us that those who are persecuted against for righteousness sake will inherit the kingdom of Heaven.  We know that when we are on Jesus’ side, the enemy will fight to get us back, which will result in persecution.  Jesus reminds us that he didn’t come to bring peace.  What?  The king of peace didn’t come to bring peace?  It can be so confusing to us on the surface, but we must keep reading.  “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth.  I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” Matthew 10:34  This can feel so contrary to what we always hear about Jesus… King of peace, peacemaker, peace on earth… What am I missing?  He didn’t come to bring peace, but what did he come to bring?  A sword.  Why would you need a sword?  Swords are used to defend yourself, to suit up for battle, to be armed and ready for whatever comes your way.  If we know we are going to be persecuted against, we want to be on guard and ready to defend.  Thankfully, our King brings a sword and defends our case.  

So as Jesus tells us that he comes to bring a sword, it immediately makes me think of the armor of God.  If you are being persecuted against, you want and need something to defend yourself.  God tells us that we are to put on the armor of God… and what kind of sword are we to pick up?  The sword of the spirit… to what?  To defend against the enemies attacks and we are to pick up the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.  The Word- the very thing we can be persecuted against is the one thing that God tells us will help fight off the enemy, the authorities of this world.  So while persecution may lie in people’s empty words directed towards you for your belief in Jesus, we are to rejoice and be glad.  Rejoice and be glad for persecution?  Yes, because your reward is great in heaven.  Heaven is our reward.  Heaven is worth every single slanderous word spoken against us, for every judgment directed towards us, it’s worth it all.  Heaven is worth each time you must defend Jesus over remaining in a comfortable state.  

There was a time in my life when I felt like I had hit a peak spiritual maturity point.  I felt good in my relationship with God.  I felt like whatever came my way, I wouldn’t care because I had such strong confidence in God and him alone, that nothing could make me waver.  And then persecution hit.  I thought I was moving with the spirit, I thought I was listening to the nudge to push a little further in a conversation with a family member to challenge them in furthering their relationship with Jesus, but the outcome wasn’t great.  I left the conversation disappointed and more confused than ever.  I felt mocked for “living my entire life off of a book that was written thousands of years ago”… and that’s exactly what I’m doing.  In the moment, I proudly said “YES, EXACTLY! That’s exactly what I’m doing”… and then the confusion set into place after we got off the phone.  “Wow. That is what I’m doing.  That does sound a little crazy, right?  Maybe it is weird that I’m following my life after a book written so very long ago… what if I’m actually wrong and they’re right?” The enemy does his best work in moments like this.  It’s like he specializes in spiraling and multiplying our thoughts… which is exactly what I did in that moment.  You see, in that moment- I did proudly stand up for God’s word, because God’s word to an unbeliever seems empty, but to the follower of Jesus?  It’s alive and active, sharper than a double edged sword.  And what is the sword?  Well the sword is what Jesus came to bring… remember?  You see, sometimes the very thing we are persecuted against, is the very thing that will help you stand your ground in persecution.  To the unbeliever, it looks crazy, I get that.  To the follower of Jesus, God’s word, God’s very breathed word is everything.  We are told time and time again that we are to follow God’s commands and follow after his law and the law is His word.  Of course the enemy would try to make me feel insecure about me living my life off of a “book that was written thousands of years ago”.  He wants me to feel insecure so I stop following in it- and that’s exactly what I’m reminding both you and I to do- to continue to follow in it.  The very Word, which we may be mocked for, persecuted against for, unjustly judged for, is the very thing that we are to retaliate back with. 

As we face persecution, remember that we are not facing the persecution alone.  God is within you, helping you persevere through the persecution.  Yes, the enemy is whispering thoughts of doubt right next to you, but “he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4.  In moments of questioning yourself and questioning how you are to endure, remember that God has given us our own personal swords, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.  That is when we are reminded even more to look to God’s word and grow in strength from Him.  His very own word is the very thing that we need to use to defend ourselves against the persecution.  God’s word will always guide us, it will always grow us and it will always prevail.  “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105.  It doesn’t mean the path isn’t going to be murky, it doesn’t mean the path is going to be straight, but God’s word will light up our next steps.  God will guide us where to go, even when the persecution seems great.  What a true comfort that is within the uncomfortable moments.  When we read God’s word, He will also remind us that we are not alone in the persecution.  Many of the heroes of the Bible faced persecution throughout their entire walk.  People were mocked, treated unjustly and even put to death for their belief in Jesus and following in God’s way.  Jesus, the very son of God, faced persecution throughout his entire ministry and eventually died for all of our sins.  Persecution is inevitable.  

The inevitability of persecution for Jesus is sure, but what’s even more sure is that God’s Word will prevail.  It hurt hearing my family member unintentionally mock me for living my life off of a book, but I also need to remember that those who don’t follow in Jesus’ way, don’t understand Jesus’ way.  And that’s where all of us come into play.  That is why it is so important for us to persevere through the persecution.  The word tells us that the enemy has blinded the eyes of unbelievers (2 Corinthians 4:4), so of course living your life off of a book written thousands of years ago would seem crazy… you might have even thought that it was crazy too before you accepted Christ.  To the unbeliever, living by The Word might seem crazy, but remember, Joseph was in a place of persecution and suffering.  “They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons, till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the Lord proved him true.” Psalm 105:18-19  Joseph was in a place that many of us will never experience, he got to a point where he could no longer fight for himself, but that’s where God can do his best work.  In our humility, in our submission, God can and will win the battle.  In what seemed like a hopeless situation, “the word of the Lord proved him true.”  So while we face our own persecution for Jesus, we must wait… till the word of the Lord will prove us true.  I will live my life off of a book written thousands of years ago, because that very book is the book of life.  That very book is The Truth, The Life, and The Way… and we are to walk in that.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” 1 John 1:1 Trust in His Word and use the very Word in your persecution for Jesus.