The Why of Persecution

From the Pastor: Dr. M. J. Seymour, Sr.

“Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But then as he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now.” (Gal. 4:28-29) “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (II Tim. 3:12) Also, “The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.” (Ps. 37:32)

Often we as children of the loving God are quite bewildered over the suffering the righteous must endure, especially when there seems to be no levelheaded cause for it. This is precisely the evil of it all. Spiritual warfare has never been guilty of logical reasoning, for it is the offspring of that Wicked one, the very master of confusion. If there is any hint of logic, though perverted, it would be in the hopeless desperate struggle of Satan to pull off a victory over the Sovereign Eternal Creator, a hope beyond hope, yea, even futility in the extreme. “Illogical” is the epitome of the Evil one’s strategic warfare against God and His kingdom. It is as if to say, “Let’s kill the elect of God and send them to heaven that will show them who is the victor, the supreme ruler!” Satan thinks not with reason!

Apostle Paul makes us to understand that it has nothing at all to do with human individuality; rather, it is the very character of the flesh and of the spirit at work. It is the flesh’s personality to wage war against the spirit, and it is the very nature evil to wreak havoc upon righteousness. When attacks come upon the godly, and they will come, we must not take it personally, for in the eternal scheme of things evil abhors any and every seed or growth of the righteousness of God. Every believer is (by nature) Christ-like in persona, hence, the grace-work of God has brought the embodiment of evil to crouch at the door of God’s new creation in full battle array to hound and persecute the righteousness of God in Christ.

The more the saints strive unto godly living, the more they shall suffer persecution. The wicked will always lay in wait anticipating the opportune moment to seize their prey. To expect otherwise is to play the part of a fool. We must be equally vigilant in our watch, for the days are evil and the enemy never sleeps. Our Father’s victory is sure and is set according to HIS eternal purpose. It is ours to know that it is so, but until that day, it is said unto us all, “WATCH!”