1 Peter 4:12-19

[Hidden In Him]

Enduring Spiritual Attacks, Knowing The Glory Of God Rests Upon You



Do you suffer from spiritual attacks? As Peter will state, if so you should never consider it a strange thing when fiery trials come upon you. When they happen to the children of God they are almost never an accident. Satan assigns demonic spirits and even princes sometimes to attack us and make our lives difficult. And not only can they manipulate men and women into attacking our hearts and lives, they can also simply attack us directly through depression, anxiety and fear. The spiritual war is very real, and those who are effectively declaring the name of Christ Jesus before the world in some way must be prepared to endure trails and opposition. The encouragement Peter will give, however, is that they can take it as a sign the glory of God rests upon them, for none of it will be happening by accident.

12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. 14 If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 Now “If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” 19 Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.

Like the passage before, this one again displays how much Peter's theology actually had in common with Paul's in some ways, specifically regarding his teaching on the "thorn in the flesh." Paul came to the conclusion that his trials and sufferings were by no means a coincidence either, specifically because he became aware that "an angel of Satan" had been assigned to him to spiritually arrange for persecution to come against him no matter where he went.

1 I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— 4 how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which are not permitted for a man to utter. 5 Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my weaknesses. 6 For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. 7 And lest I should be lifted up because of the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, an angel of Satan that he might batter me, that I not be lifted up. (2 Corinthians 12:1-7)

Though commonly misinterpreted and misunderstood, Paul was talking here about an angel who had been assigned to raise up persecution against him no matter where he went. And the objective was clear: Satan knew Paul had received "exceedingly great revelations from God," some of which he was not even permitted to speak yet, so he assigned a high ranking prince to persecute and vilify Paul no matter where he went, so that people would be discouraged from listening to him. The angel was the one instigating and arranging things so that Paul be repeatedly "battered" through physical attacks and many turn away from him because of it, so that Paul not be "lifted up" in the eyes of men concerning all the revelations he had been given.

The Greek word for "lifted up" here was ὑπεραίρω and a synonym for the word Peter used in our next passage, where he will teach the same principle. Younger believers who stay faithful to God will eventually be lifted up in the sight of others, and placed in leadership positions in due time if they stay humble and submit themselves to their leaders:

5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submitted to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may lift you up in due time, 7 casting all your anxieties upon Him, for He cares for you. (1 Peter 5:5-7)

Some people teach that the word ὑπεραίρω in 2 Corinthians 12 means this angel did not want Paul "to become conceited," but this is highly illogical. It assumes Satan would want to keep the servants of God from becoming prideful and arrogant, but why would he do this? Satan knows very well that conceit will destroy a man of God, and cause him to take glory upon himself, bringing shame to the Lord Jesus Christ in the process. By extension, he is certainly smart enough to know he would be thwarting his own purposes by keeping the servants of God humble, for then God would be pleased with them and use them all the more for even greater purposes. In reality, the common interpretation makes no sense in terms of the spiritual war, and is little more than an illogical tradition.


An Angel Of Satan

The common interpretation here is that Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was some sort of mysterious illness, but the actual wording Paul used was ἄγγελος Σατανᾶ, or literally an "angel of Satan." The word means messenger, but the number of times it is translated "angel" in the New Testament is literally hundreds to one, and Paul didn't just refer to it as an angel, but qualified it as an angel "of Satan." Moreover, ἄγγελος was masculine, so the rest of the sentence reads, ἵνα με κολαφίζῃ, or "that he might batter me." κολαφίζῃ means “to beat with the fist,” so the imagery Paul was creating was of someone physically battering him, or subjecting him to violence. In terms of reality, he meant that this angel was arranging so that Paul was continually being subjected to beatings and scourgings in an effort to keep him from preaching the gospel. As he attested in his own letters, Paul was not just beaten once or twice, but repeatedly throughout his ministry.

It was therefore no accident, and this is why Peter likewise told his readers, "Do not think it is strange when you endure spiritual attacks," or in other words "Don't think it's a coincidence." The glory of God rested upon the apostle Paul over the revelations he had received, and for naming the name of Christ, and as a result the Devil was physically attacking him over it. As Paul told the Thessalonians in one place:

17 Brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, we endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. 18 Therefore we wanted to come to you — even I, Paul, time and again — but Satan hindered us. (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18)

Paul endured constant opposition from the enemy no matter where he went or who he was around. As he told the Corinthians, it didn't matter whether he was around Jews or Gentiles, or on sea or dry land, he was constantly being attacked. No matter where he went, people were being manipulated into subjecting him to violence, and his life was in constant danger.

24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 and besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my anxieties over all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:24-28)

How then would an angel of Satan accomplish all this? This appears to have been a higher ranking prince, one with authority and jurisdiction who could command other demons, so that in no matter what region Paul entered, the angel could command lesser demons with influence over men to attack him. On other occasions men were goaded into making decisions designed to destroy Paul, such as when the sailors who were transporting him to Rome elected to sail directly into a storm instead of listening to him and waiting. Nevertheless, God protected the apostle supernaturally, and always prevented him from being killed:

20 Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up. 21 But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss. 22 But take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, 24 saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ 25 Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me. 26 However, we must run aground on a certain island.” (Acts 27:20-26)

 

[Hidden In Him]

Embracing Sufferings

There's one more reason not to think it strange when we happen upon various "fiery trials," and that 's simply that they purify us, so that we are made perfect for the Lord Jesus Christ in the beauty of His holiness. Scripture states that He will be returning for a spotless bride, and this means that before the end she will have been purified from all sin. Revelations states that He will be returning when Seth church has "made herself ready," and the conditions described by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 5 have finally been met:

7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. (Revelations 19:7)

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

How then will the church arrive at this place? Through the sufferings she endures during the end-times. The persecution against the church as the reign of the Antichrist approaches will increasingly intensify, but it will be allowed for a purpose. Like what happened with Job, the willing purification of the church at the hands of Satan's attacks will prove to Heaven and earth that her dedication to the Lord Jesus is complete, and her Lord will be returning to deliver her when her beauty before Him is all He desires.

Until that time, each of us are on our own journey to holiness, and must experience our own sufferings that burn away the chaff. But we must do so willingly, as the following vision by Anna Rountree pointed out. Only those willing to accept the burning away of everything that is impure will accept the trials that must come gracefully and willingly.

The Lord materialized before my eyes. He stood before me beaten, bruised, His garments stuck to His wounds that were still open, gouges in His skull, swollen fingers, and swollen face. I cried out in alarm. I did not know what to do or how to help. I was in shock. I sank to my knees for all the strength left me. My hands covered my face... He continued, “I realize that you are in shock. Therefore I will not ask you now if you are willing to share My sufferings, My sorrows.” Trying to face the reality of what I had seen, I said, “Lord, make me willing. I want to be one with You. I would deny You nothing, nor would I turn away from You because there are sorrows to bear—as long as we are together”...

A huge, gold ring began to spin before us. It was as tall as the Ferris wheels that are part of the world’s fair exhibitions on Earth. It spun rapidly, bursting into flames. I realized that the flames were fiery seraphim, hundreds, no thousands, of them. Their flames were as intense as blowtorches. But a figure similar to a man’s was at the core of each torch. A unique and pure music came from their midst. “Who will ride the wheel of fire?” the seraphim called. Their voices had a strange sound, as if their words were passing through some medium to which we are not accustomed on Earth.’ I realized I would need a greater spiritual maturity than I now possessed if I would desire to share the burdens of God. I did not know what this would mean. But evidently this fire was a first step if I wished for such maturity. I turned to Jesus, “I want to ride the wheel, my Lord.” He smiled. “We will ride it together.” I called to the seraphim, “We will ride.” Jesus took my right hand, and we started forward. The closer we came to the wheel, the hotter grew the flames with which it burned. The sound of thousands of blowtorches was formidable. But through the flames I could hear an adoration of God that was of such purity that it startled my senses.

As we arrived at the fiery wheel, a seraph beckoned for us to enter the flames. The seraph spoke to me. “Few wish to ride the ring of fire. They want the ring of gold but not the ring of fire.” I looked at Jesus. Then holding tightly to His hand, we both entered the fire. It was extremely hot among these flaming seraphim. A seraph gestured for us to sit down. We did. The wheel began to turn. We went up as if the fiery ring was actually a huge Ferris wheel. Jesus said, “The seraphim will train you in a holiness that will bring forth pure worship, holiness burning like a torch, intense in its focus. If you will yield to the ministry of these servants, you too will be like a flame and burn like a torch of love and purity for your God.” He continued, “The fire is for all. Learn to live in the fire by allowing it to burn away all that will not pass through as purely of Me. Learn to love the fire of God.” (The Priestly Bride, Anna Rountree, P.51-53)

This is why judgment must start with the household of God. We must be willing to be purified in the fairy trials of sufferings. It is why Peter asked, "If judgment starts at the household of God, where will the sinner and the unbeliever appear?" It is also why the Lord would not remove the angel of Satan from the apostle Paul's life, but told him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made manifest through weakness." The weaker Paul became in the flesh and the more sufferings he endured, the more obvious it was that the Lord Jesus Christ was manifesting Himself through him, both to the church and the world.


Questions And Applications

1. Do you find the interpretation of Paul's thorn in the flesh being a literal angel of Satan plausible, yes or no?

2. Do you believe you have ever suffered from spiritual attacks? If yes, when and where?

3. Do you think you have been targeted by the enemy before? (Note: Keep in mind that we can be targeted for many things, from sexual temptations to repeated failures in our church fellowships, relationships or finances).