Ever feel that everything is against you? Perhaps Paul felt that way sometimes. Remember how he writes of his “countless beatings … many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food …” (2 Corinthians 11:23,27). In view of such experiences, let us take notice of his testimony in Romans, “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him, graciously give us all things?” (8:31,32).

Humanly speaking many things were against Paul, but his mind and heart were absolutely committed to his relationship with Christ: this is evident as he states that Christ “is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? … in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, not things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (8:34,35,37-39).

Believers in some countries today especially need this spirit that Paul writes about! And tomorrow? Let us, with Christ’s help, because we have become fully committed to him, become “more than conquerors” for “who can be against us?”.

No one can succeed in destroying our faith as long as we keep the words of Jesus. “Hold fast what you have”, Jesus told those in Philadelphia, “I know you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name … I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown” (Revelation 3:8,10,11). The hour of trial that came then, as with other ‘hours’ to subsequent generations all foreshadowed an ultimate “hour of trial” of which we read last week in Matthew 24. Let us “Hold fast” for nothing can succeed “against us” “if God be for us”.