Enduring The Contradiction!
By: Christopher J. Hardwick
When God begins to show you who you really are, There will always be opposition, or contradiction
of that truth for a season.  We must endure the contradiction to that revelation until we
breakthrough!  We must overcome and see ourselves become who he said we are!  When Jesus
was baptized by John, there was a voice from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I’m well
pleased.”  Then the Spirit of the Lord led him into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  It says
that Jesus prayed and fasted for 40 days.  The prayer and fasting was not the temptation!  That was
spending time with the Father soaking in his presence!  Then it goes on to say: Afterward the
tempter came.  Now take a closer look at what Jesus was tempted with: Matt 4:3,4-6,7-9
3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If You are the Son of God, command that these
stones become bread." 5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of
the temple, 6 and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. 8 Again, the devil
took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and
their glory. 9 And he said to Him, "All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship
me."  Jesus temptation was against the revelation given to him by his father.  “This is my beloved
Son in whom I’m well pleased.  The Father reveals to us who we really are and the devil comes to
contradict it.  How did Jesus deal with it?  Through the spoken word that was already written and the
revelation that he received (The Present word) when John baptized him.  We don’t have to prove to
the devil who we are and we don’t have to prove it to anybody. The enemy will use both of these
strategies against us!  Rest in God! Stand up with the full armor of God and endure the contradiction
with: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, walking in peace, the shied of faith, the
helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God!  We must endure the
contradiction until we see the promise come to pass!