Summary:

When we go through tough times, we may feel God has abandoned us. However, we must stop and think. Are we headed in the wrong direction, in a way
opposite of God’s Word? We have to be sure we haven’t turned away from
the Word. God helps us recognize when we are missing the mark. He
encourages us to turn from our disobedience and stay connected to Him.
This is our formula for winning in battle!

1. Thanks be to God, who always leads us to victory through Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14, AMP).
   1. Christ is not Jesus’ last name; it means the anointed One and His anointing.
      1. The anointing is a divine empowerment.
      2. Our victory comes through the power of God.
      3. The anointing to obtain victory and to prosper is turned on when we walk in the love of God.
2. Why would God allow us to go through adversity?
   1. At times, it seems the more we pray, come to church, and read the Word, the more battles we face.
      1. During testing and trials, we tend to ask, “What am I doing wrong?”
      2. It is imperative during those times that we examine our hearts.
      3. We may be disobeying God’s Word in some way and allowing deception to govern our lives.
      4. We must pay attention to the Holy Spirit’s conviction in our hearts and judge our lives of any sin.
      5. When we feel conviction, it is God trying to steer us in the right direction.
   2. What happens when we justify our sins instead of truly repenting (turning away from them)?
      1. We open ourselves to deception and weaken any sense of conviction we have.
      2. We position ourselves to repeat the same act of disobedience.
   3. A Believer who is desensitized to sin begins to get his or her knowledge of right and wrong from a source other than God’s Word.
   4. He or she loses touch with God.
3. There are three things God does to persuade a disobedient Believer to come back to Him.
   1. God brings conviction. He first tries to convince the person by nudging his or her heart, letting him or her know what he or she is doing is wrong.
      
   2. God will bring the person a prophetic message. He will use people in his or her life to try to steer him or her onto the right path.
   3. God allows hardship to take over. He steps back and allows things to happen to convince the person to repent.
4. Although we are afflicted at times because of His love, it is not His preferred method of dealing with us (Psalm 119:67, 75).
   1. God prefers that we judge ourselves daily and continue to obey Him.
5. Why do we go through trials?
   1. “And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to
      know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his
      commandments, or no” (Deuteronomy 8:2).
      1. God wanted the Israelites to submit themselves completely to Him. True humility is the act of submitting to His Word.
      2. In the midst of pressure, do you crumble and forget His Word?
   2. Trouble makes people cry out to Him (Psalm 107:25).
   3. Be taught and learn from God’s Word (Psalm 119:69-75).
      1. We allow trials to come in our lives because we refuse God’s first option.
      2. Acknowledge God first in all of your ways.
   4. Many times, God allows us to go through trials so we will know He never fails us (Acts 14:22).
   5. Other times, He wants us to turn back to Him (Revelations 3:19).

Scripture References:

• 2 Corinthians 2:14, AMP
• Psalm 119:67, 75
• Deuteronomy 8:2
• Psalm 107:25
• Psalm 119:69-75
• Acts 14:22
• Revelations 3:1