The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion (Proverbs 28:1). Many of the Early Church disciples put their lives on the line for Jesus. They believed so strongly in Him that they were willing to sacrifice themselves to further the Gospel; and many of them faced awful deaths, from being fed to lions to being crucified.

When Jesus started His ministry here on Earth, it wasn’t an easy one. He faced opposition, threats, plots against His life and betrayal. Finally, He was totally rejected and put to death; but Jesus had divine courage to stand and to give the ultimate sacrifice—His life.

Jesus knew that the fate of all mankind was at stake. He knew it was up to Him to complete the plan of God so that we could have the hope of redemption. What if Jesus would have given in to fear and self-preservation and failed? It is a natural instinct for a living creature to fight for survival, but Jesus didn’t fight for His own survival; He fought for ours. Now, it is our turn to have the courage to stand for Jesus no matter what the circumstances may be and to fight for the survival of lost souls.

Paul Confronts the Devil

Paul and Silas had the courage to stand for Christ. They were busy establishing churches and doing a great work for the Lord; and the Bible says, And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily (Acts 16:5). Paul and Silas knew the importance of getting the Word of God to people, and they were willing to sacrifice their lives to do that.

When Paul and Silas went to pray one day, they met a damsel who had the spirit of divination, meaning she was a psychic. The devil was using her to tell people their future or to uncover hidden things, and she was making a lot of money for her masters.

The girl kept following Paul and Silas and crying out, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation (Acts 16:17). What she was saying was true, but she was not saying it to draw the people to the truth. Psychics want you to think they have a gift from God to help people when they are really being used 100 percent by the devil. Part of what they say may be true, but that is how the devil draws people into deceit.

Paul knew that girl was devil possessed because when you have the Holy Spirit living and dwelling inside of you like Paul and Silas did, you can discern between those who are of God and those who are of the devil. Paul finally got fed up with her. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit [in the girl], I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour (Acts 16:18).

Notice that Paul didn’t address the damsel but the spirit in her because he knew a demonic spirit was controlling her. Paul followed the leadership of the Holy Ghost and cast the spirit out of that poor girl. I’m sure Paul knew that the girl’s masters would not be happy with him for delivering her because she made them much money from her soothsaying. It would have been easier for Paul and Silas to have ignored her and gone about their business, but they stood for righteousness; and she needed deliverance. Having the courage to stand for Christ means doing the right thing even if it makes things harder on you.

Persecuted for Christ’s Sake

After Paul had cast the spirit out in the name of Jesus, the girl’s masters went after Paul and Silas and took them to the rulers. There they accused them of teaching customs that were not lawful for the Roman people. It is sad when people put money ahead of the welfare of others. For the love of money is the root of all evil (I Timothy 6:10).

The people considered Paul and Silas to be troublemakers, and they rose up against them. And the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks (Acts 16:22-24).

There will be times when you will suffer for doing what is right too; but hold on to the promises of God and know that in the end, God will work it all out for good. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing (I Peter 3:17).

Child of God, would you remain faithful to Christ if you were threatened with being beaten and imprisoned? Do you have the courage to stand for Christ like Paul and Silas did?

Rejoice Amidst Trials

Paul and Silas were treated like dangerous criminals and placed in the innermost part of the prison, but it didn’t get them down. Instead, they used it as an opportunity to pray and sing praises all night. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them (Acts 16:25).

Those prisoners probably wondered how Paul and Silas could be singing and rejoicing in prison; but I’m sure the peace, love and anointing of God that flowed through their voices affected the men in a special way. Always remember that complaining never carries the anointing of God; it just spreads that bad spirit to others and hinders them.

Most people would have looked at Paul and Silas and thought they had had a really bad day; but when you have the courage to stand for Jesus, you will always have a good day. Jesus said, Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you (Matthew 5:11,12).

Paul and Silas didn’t consider how they were being treated by people or the fact that they had been beaten and were in pain. It looked like there was no hope for them, but they were looking at the positive—they had freed that girl’s soul from the bondage of Satan. They were trusting that God would move for them.

God Had a Plan

While Paul and Silas were rejoicing, Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s bands were loosed (Acts 16:26).

The earthquake provided a great opportunity for all the prisoners to escape, but no one left. Why?—because God was in control. When the jailor saw what had happened, he thought that surely all the prisoners had escaped; so he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here (Acts 16:28).

When you are courageous in the Lord, He will fight your battles and make the impossible possible. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee (Deuteronomy 31:6). Do you believe that God is with you and that He will never fail you? Do you believe that He is in control of your situation?

A Beautiful Miracle of Salvation

So many miracles had happened that day, but the greatest miracle of all was yet to come. Then he [the jailor] called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they [Paul and Silas] said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house (Acts 16:29-32).

God was in control that day, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit got the jailor ready for Paul and Silas to lead him to Jesus. That man accepted Jesus and became a new creature. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17). All those things were able to take place that day because Paul and Silas had the courage to stand for Jesus.

And he [the jailor] took them [Paul and Silas] the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house (Acts 16:33,34). Paul and Silas were bound in chains in a maximum security prison, and then they became guests at the home of the jailor. He was to have kept them locked up tight so they couldn’t escape; but through the divine blood, he took on the courage of Jesus Christ. He wanted salvation not only for himself but for his whole family, and God made it happen in an unbelievable way.

Child of God, if you were put in the same situation as Paul and Silas, would the story have played out the same way? Would you have used divine courage to stand for the sake of Christ, or would you have bowed to what the devil wanted so you could avoid the whole situation?

Spiritual Weakness Brings Bad Results

Peter thought he was strong in the Lord, and he thought he was willing to die for Christ; but Jesus knew Peter was weak. He told him, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat…And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me (Luke 22:31,33,34). Peter was deceived in what he thought about himself.

Not long after Jesus had told Peter he would deny Him, soldiers came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The first thing Peter did was cut off one of the soldier’s ears. Then when they took Jesus away, Peter followed from afar off. And they laid their hands on him [Jesus], and took him. And they led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes. And Peter followed him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest: and he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire (Mark 14:46,53,54). When you lack divine courage, you will only follow Jesus from afar.

As Peter sat warming himself, he was asked three different times if he was one of those who had been with Jesus; and each time, he said no. After he denied Jesus the third time, he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept (Mark 14:71,72).

Peter lacked the power, love and sound mind that the Lord had made available to him. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (II Timothy 1:7). Peter did not have the courage to stand for Christ, and he knew he had failed. When the cock crowed the second time, it was a wake-up call of conviction.

No Time to Fail

How many times have you received a sign from the Holy Ghost that you failed to use divine courage and holy boldness? Peter knew he had failed, and he wept bitterly; but the Lord doesn’t want that to happen to you. He wants you to stand, and you can do that through the blood of Jesus. Then the Lord will always provide a way of escape from your trial if you will wait on Him with patience and courage. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it (I Corinthians 10:13). Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD (Psalm 27:14).

When trials and tribulations come your way, are you waiting on the Lord; or are you ready to cut off a man’s ear like Peter did? You will never be a good testimony for the Lord when you are hurting others. It takes great courage to withstand persecution for righteousness’ sake.

Peter had to learn the hard way that he was not strong in the Lord; but praise God, he repented and then went on to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Once he had that power from On High inside, he was able to boldly stand before a crowd of 3000 souls and preach to them about how they were guilty of crucifying the Son of God.

You Must Receive the Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost made all the difference in Peter’s life because earlier, he had not been courageous enough to tell the truth to even the three people who had accused him of being one of Jesus’ disciples. The Holy Ghost will give you the holy boldness you need to stand for Christ.

If you think you can stand in this final hour without the baptism of the Holy Ghost, then the devil is deceiving you just like he deceived Peter. The devil knows you cannot make the Rapture without the Holy Ghost, so he will do everything in his power to keep you from receiving Him. If you wait too long, the trumpet will sound; and you will be left behind. It will be too late for you just like it was too late for Peter when he heard the cock crow. You may weep bitterly, but it won’t change the fact that you are left behind; and what will you do then? Do you actually think you will have the courage to stand once the Holy Spirit has taken His flight and the devil and his demons have taken over this world? Will you be strong enough to give your life for Christ, or will you take the Mark of the Beast?

Friend, you can escape the coming Tribulation Period by simply asking Jesus Christ into your heart. The sinner’s prayer is located on page 5 of this magazine. Once you are saved, you must go on to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost so you will be ready to leave this Earth when Jesus comes.