Definition of hope: “to cherish a desire with expectation of fulfillment; trust; to long for with expectation of obtainment; syn = expect” (Webster’s)
Hope is closely linked with faith, as hope expects fulfillment of what we are believing in. When we begin to believe God’s promises to us, we can then expect that they will be fulfilled. Specifically, through Christ we can expect that:
- We will have eternal life with God, promised before time began (Titus 1:2, Titus 3:7)
- Jesus Christ will return to earth (“The Second Coming”) (Titus 2:13)
- The glory of Jesus will be manifested in us (Colossians 1:27 NKJV)
- God will continue to deliver us (2 Corinthians 1:10, Psalm 91:14-15)
- God will protect our minds from deception: the “helmet of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:8)
- We are heirs to God’s kingdom and glory; we God’s sons (Romans 8:15-17)
- We are completely forgiven of our sin (Hebrews 10:19-23)
What hope in God does: The most important warfare benefit of hope is endurance. Endurance increases our stamina for extended battle with the enemy. Hope also:
- Anchors our soul (Hebrews 6:19)
- Counters enemy weapons of discouragement and despair (Psalm 42:5,11)
- Strengthens the heart (Psalm 31:24)
- Brings happiness (Psalm 146:5)
- Renews strength (Isaiah 40:31 NIV)
The devil hates hope because it is armed with faith, which activates God’s plans and cancels Satan’s plans. If Satan is able to weaken our faith, he can destroy our hope and render us useless on the spiritual battlefield. Satan attacks our hope with doubt. He projects lies into our minds to cause us to doubt God’s faithfulness and provision. Once doubt is rooted, our hope withers and we lose our resolve to resist temptation.
People trapped in addictions often feel hopelessly enslaved to their flesh’s passions. The devil wants them to believe that they will always be in bondage, they will never be used by God for the rest of their life. They know what they are doing is wrong, but have given in to the lie that they are powerless to fight temptations, even with God’s help. Left unchecked by truth, hopelessness can lead to despair, condemnation and even suicide.
Putting hope back into action: We can start by reminding ourselves of the truth (see above). Next, we can ask God to strengthen our faith. Finally, we can ask God to restore our hope. Like faith, hope is enriched in us through the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). A prayer we can pray for restoring and establishing our hope is:
“Heavenly Father, please fill me with all joy and peace in believing every aspect of Your Gospel. Father , I desire to abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. May I not waiver in my belief of Your provision and plan for my life. Please help me recognize the devil’s lies whenever he attacks me. Give me strength to stand in faith and rebuke the devil in Your name. Thank You, Father. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.” (Based on Romans 15:13)
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