Right Before God Uses You, The Devil Will Try These Attacks

Just before God uses you, the enemy will try these attacks on you. Could it be the attack you're experiencing now is the final step before you step into a breakthrough, a promotion, into the divine destiny that God has for you? I want to talk to you about your calling. You may be facing hardship right now. Maybe you're frustrated with the lack of progress. Maybe you're disheartened because of all of the things going wrong around you. But could it be that you're right on the verge of being used by God for his glory? Could it be that God is going to take everything you're experiencing now and cause it to be used to expand his kingdom? Yes, the enemy waits until we're vulnerable, alone. He'll wait until you come down from the mountain and you step into the valley. He'll wait until after some great victory. He'll wait until after an encounter with God. He'll wait until after God has clearly spoken to you. He attacks in silence. He attacks in the wilderness. Matthew 4, please go there with me. I want to show you something here. Matthew 4, beginning at verse 1. Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For 40 days and 40 nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time, the devil came and said to him, if you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread. But Jesus told him, no, the Scriptures say people do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Then the devil took him to the holy city Jerusalem, to the highest point of the temple, And said, if you are the Son of God, jump off. For the Scriptures say he will order his angels to protect you, and they will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone. Jesus responded, the Scriptures also say you must not test the Lord your God. Next, the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. I will give it all to you, he said, if you will kneel down and worship me. Get out of here, Satan, Jesus told him, for the Scriptures say you must worship the Lord your God and serve him only. Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus. Let's glean some wisdom from this portion of Scripture, and let's apply it to your life, because again, you may be being attacked right now And it could look like this. Notice here that attack number 1 was an attack on his identity. If you are the Son of God. Now think about this. Even though Jesus had just been declared the Son of God by the very voice of the Father from a heavenly realm, even though the Holy Spirit was seen descending upon Jesus at his baptism, Even though there were witnesses to confirm that this indeed was the Son of God, the enemy still attacked him. You see, the enemy will assault your identity because that's the foundation of your calling. The enemy will get you to question, am I a child of God? Do I belong to him? Have I been accepted? Am I loved by him? Does he truly look at me with favor? Does he truly look at me with kindness and mercy and compassion? Well, the enemy wants you to see God through a different lens. Because once you begin to question your connection with God, once you begin to question his love for you, that begins to shake the foundations of who you think you are. And once your identity has been weakened, or I should say, once your sense of identity has been weakened, then this becomes the basis by which you carry out your calling. So the enemy's first move is going to be to sow doubt. If you are the Son of God, if God actually loves you, if you actually have his favor, if God actually called you, if God actually said that, if God is actually going to supply. Well, that's where the battle begins. This is why we need to be thankful for the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit is the one who within us confirms our adoption. The Holy Spirit causes us to cry out, Abba, Father. In other words, the Holy Spirit persuades us of our sonship. The Holy Spirit convinces us that we indeed belong to God. The devil will try to confuse your calling by attacking your confidence in who God says you are. And this becomes the basis of how you operate. If you begin in the calling of God with insecurity, If you begin with questions about who you are in him and who he is in you, if you begin with that kind of doubt, then you walk in insecurity, you walk in uncertainty, you walk in fear, you walk in confusion, you walk in self-doubt. You're constantly going to be changing directions. You're constantly going to be chasing the next trend. You're constantly going to be wondering if you're actually making an impact. Once the enemy has got you to question your identity, Again, he has shaken the foundation of your calling. So tell me in the comment section, what are some of the ways that the enemy tries to get you to question your identity? Well, think about it, because if you can identify this, then that becomes all the more easy for you to resist those attacks of the enemy. Once you know those trigger points, once you know how the enemy strategizes against you, once you know that familiar attack that he uses on you, Again and again, it becomes easier to overcome that attack. So think about it right now. How does the devil convince you that you don't belong to God? The second attack we see, turn these stones into bread. This is the attack on fleshly needs. Now hear me, please, clearly. You need to overcome the cravings of the flesh now. Today's private sin destroys tomorrow's public ministry expression. Today's private sin eats away at tomorrow's effectiveness. You're planting seeds right now. You sow seeds in secret, and what you do in secret is affecting who you're becoming in life. And so the enemy will get you or try to get you. And ultimately, it's you who make the choice. The enemy will try to get you to give in to those sinful cravings. And he makes it seem reasonable, logical. He downplays it, explains it away, causes you to excuse it. Why? Because think about how he tempted Jesus. If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread. He was attacking a vulnerability there. He knew Jesus was hungry. He knew Jesus was weary and tired. And doesn't it seem reasonable that if you're hungry and you're the Son of God, of course you should turn those stones into bread so that you can satisfy your hunger? And in getting us to downplay the severity of our sin, in getting us to justify our wrongdoing, he causes us to compromise, all the while excusing that compromise in our lives. He makes the temptation sound logical. Why not just eat? Why not just satisfy this need? You may be saying to yourself, it's just a little bit of scrolling on social media. It's just a little look at that photo or that video. It's just a little drink of this or that. It's just a little taste of what I desire. After all, it's not necessarily a big problem yet. I got this under control. I can handle this. I'm not going to let this become too big of a problem, or eventually I'll deal with this. And then one day off in the future, on that day of idealism, that day that I've made up in my mind, everything's just going to work out. There's no urgency to take care of these things. And so that problem grows. And here's the problem. If you don't take care of this, if you don't keep this area in your life weak, then that craving grows with the success of your ministry. That craving grows with the fruitfulness of your effectiveness in the kingdom of God. The wheat and the tares grow together. And so as you begin to see fruitfulness, as God begins to use you, as you begin to make progress in your walk with the Lord, if you don't take care of what you think is a need, it's actually a sinful craving. Then that problem will grow. Now, when I talk about progress, of course, I'm not talking about reading the Word, praying. Those things weaken the flesh. I'm just talking about what we do for God. What you do for God can succeed even while you're struggling. And that's a dangerous thing. And that's not what you want. You want your character to grow with your calling. Just a little bit of anger-driven comments. Maybe gluttony brought on by discomfort. Or maybe you're feeling a little lonely, so you do a little bit of shopping. Sex, food, affirmation, distraction— comfort gained without surrender brings only emptiness. And we just give in to those cravings so that we can feel comfortable, so that we can feel soothed and satisfied. And all the while, we're training ourselves to need that thing that we should be rid of. The devil will tempt you to prioritize comfort over calling, to feed your flesh at the cost of your spirit. I really need you to hear this, please. There's someone listening who needs to hear this because this will cripple you later. Those things don't go away. And if you don't deal with that now, it's only going to become a bigger problem later. That's a guarantee. No one is strong enough to overcome that. Listen, if this message is blessing you and you think other Christians need to be challenged like this, you think we need more preaching like this, do me a favor and go ahead right now and click like on the video. That like will help to spread this content to more people. Make sure you're commenting. And also, don't forget to subscribe if you want to continue to receive teachings like this. If you feel God has connected us and you want to stay connected, you want to continue to receive these challenging messages, then make sure you subscribe right now and click that notification bell when you do. Number 3, throw yourself down. He's trying to get Jesus to perform. This is the attack through pressure to perform. It's the bait. Listen to me now. It's the bait of spiritual manipulation. dressed as faith. Please understand this. This is something that not necessarily everyone will deal with in every season, but you have to be aware of it. For example, over-posting on social media for validation. You're doing something for God, and it has to be shown to the world for that validation. Listen, I'm not just talking to preachers. I'm not just talking to teachers and social media influencers who are gospel-centered. I'm talking to every Christian because every Christian should be doing something for God. And therefore, all of us can face the temptation of doing something for God, but also for the validation of people. And that's a dangerous place to be. Or manipulating spiritual outcomes. I've seen this time and again. Perhaps somebody is considered very prophetic. And God speaks to them, and they share a word, and the people are amazed, and the people are helped, and the people are challenged. But then maybe God doesn't give you a word the next time you gather, or even the next dozen times that you gather. And so instead of waiting on God to actually speak to you, you conjure something in your own imagination. Or worse, you look into people's information Manipulating, gathering intel so that you can look impressive, and then wanting to make something happen for the validation of man. You share what are actually your own thoughts, what actually came from your own online research, and then you pass it off as prophecy so that people can say, well, look how anointed and gifted. Same is true of any ministry, of any expression. That's just one example. But that kind of manipulation comes about as a result Sometimes from the pressure to perform. Throw yourself down. Demonstrate who you are. Let's see your power. Let's see if you are who you say you are. Well, if you're not confident in your identity, you'll fall for this one easily. This is forcing closed doors open, using flattery to climb a ladder. The fear of being unseen, unvalidated, or unfruitful can drive us to manufacture moments instead of waiting for God's timing. We begin to think, maybe if I can make something dramatic happen, people or God will notice me. The devil will pressure you to perform for approval, trying to make you prove what God has already promised. Now, when you can finally let this go, that's when spiritual momentum begins to come, because often the Lord will wait until he raises someone. He'll be patient with them. He'll wait until he begins to use someone until they can see this area in their life weakened. Now, the pressure to perform— I'll just be honest with you— to some degree will always be a temptation. That temptation is always going to be there. It's in human nature to seek out the validation that we think we need from other humans. So that temptation will never go away. But you can strengthen your resistance against that temptation. By defeating it, by resisting it, by responding with the Word, by recognizing that your identity is found in Christ, by recognizing that all you have to do is trust and obey. We complicate this so much. We complicate this so much. Well, how do I feel the anointing? And how do I get people to get healed? And how do I get people— those are all great questions, but can we just simplify this? Just trust and obey. Trust and obey. Let it be simple. Follow after what God says. Do the next thing. Let promotion come from God. Stop trying to force doors open. And when you do finally yield in this area and you say, okay, Lord, I recognize this is in me, I want this to be weakened, I want this to go, then as that pressure to perform is weakened, promotion begins to come. See, that's one of the keys this generation is missing. And I don't say that critically. I say that because I love you and I want to challenge you. That's a key that's missing. We feel so entitled to success. We, we feel so entitled to validation. We want people to believe us to be special simply because we intend on doing something great one day. But that's not how this works. You have to come to the place where you can allow that pressure to perform, that need for validation to be weakened. And once you begin to allow that to be weakened, then God starts opening doors. Why? Because now you can step into a calling And the pressure thereof won't destroy you. But if all you're ever doing it for is the praise of people, to be seen as spiritual, to be looked to as wise, to be looked to as strong, to be perceived as anointed or gifted or charismatic or important, then when we begin to take criticism, and it always comes, when we begin to take criticism for pursuing the will of God, then that pressure will kill us. There's an old saying that goes, if you live for their praises, you'll die by their criticisms. Number 4, attack with the promise of power. I will give it all to you, is what the devil said. Now, this is compromise for gain. This is— this, by the way, is what Judas did. There was an observation I made about Judas a couple years back as I was reading the scripture. Judas was able to hand Jesus over because Judas knew where Jesus would be. He knew where Jesus was praying. Judas knew the secret place. This is a prophetic word for someone, I know it. Judas knew the secret place, and he traded the secret place for gain. Hear this warning now, please. There are people who will develop a prayer life, They will come to know Jesus, draw close to him. And then when that power begins to intensify upon their life, they leave the secret place, but the power remains. And they trade what was sacred for what is material. They trade what was pure for gain. They trade that intimacy they had with the Holy Spirit And they turn it into a product. Now, of course, if you're going to be used by God in any capacity, you'll understand that there are resources that are needed for what you do. That's biblical. Nothing wrong with that. It's one thing to have resources. It's another thing for those resources to have you. And it doesn't just apply to money, by the way. It applies to fame. It applies to popularity. It applies to status, where we now trade and leverage using what we had with God for the sake of gaining what we can have in this world. And what was once pure and holy and simple becomes self-centered and complicated, and that becomes a weight on your shoulder. This is the trap of success Without sacrifice, influence without intimacy, promotion without prayer. The enemy always offers us a calling without a cross. Now, Jesus today, of course, we know he reigns in heaven, on earth, and below the earth. He is Lord over all. Everything is under his jurisdiction now. The enemy offered that to him. In terms of the world itself. He offered him that glory, so-called, but he offered it in a way that didn't require the cross. Sometimes we try to skip the process because we think we so badly want what's on the other end that it's worth skipping the process. Nothing will slow you down quite like what you think is a shortcut because it just prolongs the inevitable. You will always need to develop. You will always need to strengthen the areas of purity in your life. Yet often people trade what they have with the Lord for power, for status, for wealth. You won't win spiritual battles by yelling at the devil. You win by refusing to be what he says, refusing to want what he offers, and refusing to do what he suggests. Victory in your calling starts when you know who you are, what you need, who you serve, and what really matters. Lord, strengthen them in this hour against the attacks of the enemy. I pray, give them discernment to define deception. Give them discernment to fend off demonic voices in the name of Jesus. Even demonic voices speaking through people around them, cause their eyes to be open, I pray. And Lord, strengthen us. Give us the grace that we need to overcome these attacks, that we might remain faithful to you, that we might step into our calling. Thank you, Lord, that promotion is coming. Thank you, Lord, that you are causing us to step into a new season. For your glory. Help us to do well in this season. In the mighty name of Jesus, we pray. Type it in the comments because you believe it. Type a big amen. Well, Jesus said, where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. That means your money and how you use it indicates greatly what your heart is in. And so I want to ask you this: when's the last time you supported a gospel-centered ministry? Maybe you used to be involved in giving because you understood it was biblical, and maybe for one reason or another you allowed your heart to get hard. Maybe for one reason or another you've become afraid of the future because of all the propaganda concerning the economy. Maybe for one reason or another, you've become cynical because you've heard of all the fakes and the frauds and the fallen, and it's just caused you to say, I don't know if I want any part of that anymore. Well, can I just challenge you to step out in faith and join hands with this ministry? Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. I know your heart is in Soul. Amen. I know your heart is in ministry. I know your heart is in the expanding of God's kingdom. Our ministry is growing rapidly, and we need the resources to keep up with all the growth. I mean, I'm overwhelmed at what God is doing through this work. We're just seeing our movement grow and grow and grow. Nothing is stopping or even slowing it. It's incredible to see the Holy Spirit at work. And so I need your help. My brothers, my sisters, if you believe in what we're doing, if you've been helped by this ministry, then put your heart into this ministry today. Get behind the vision. Get involved in the mission. We're out to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit all around the world through events, media, and church planting. And as you give, trust that God will Bless. As you give, trust that God will provide. Don't let doubt cause you to hold back. Don't let fear cause you to hold back. Don't let greed cause you to hold back. Don't let cynicism cause you to hold back. Stay in this fight with us. We got a world to win. We're battling for the soul of a generation. To become a monthly ministry supporter, You go to davidhernandezministries.com/partner. I'm asking many of you to please today, right now, sign up to become a monthly supporter. Those monthly gifts help us to predict the income and therefore plan more effectively. You can also give a single gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/donate. Whoever you are, whatever your situation, whether you're someone who God has blessed financially in this season Or whether you're someone who's saying, Lord, I need a miracle. All of us have a responsibility to support in proportion to where we are. If you have much, give in proportion to that much. If you have little, give in proportion to that little by faith, and you watch what God will do in your life. One more time, davidhernandezministries.com/partner to become a monthly supporter, slash donate to give a single gift. Now, I taught a lesson I think you'll like. It's on welcoming the Holy Spirit. Make sure you check that teaching out right now.