Never let the devil see you sweat. If your best friend betrays you, don’t put your disappointment on display. If you can’t pay your mortgage, don’t verbally doom your financial fate. If the doctor gives you a bad report, don’t speak death over your life. If you just feel like giving up, don’t voice your resignation.
There’s no faith in circumstantial fretting. Our frustration and fear is what causes us to overheat and sometimes boil over. Why not decide by your will to agree with the Word of God and receive the grace you need to overcome the disappointment, the financial stress, the health issues and the despair? Why not walk in Philippians 1:28? Pick whatever translation inspires you. Here are a couple of choices:
“And do not [for a moment] be frightened or intimidated in anything by your opponents and adversaries, for such [constancy and fearlessness] will be a clear sign (proof and seal) to them of [their impending] destruction, but [a sure token and evidence] of your deliverance and salvation, and that from God” (Phil. 1:28, AMP).
If you prefer a more modern language, try the Contemporary English Version: “Be brave when you face your enemies. Your courage will show them that they are going to be destroyed, and it will show you that you will be saved. God will make all of this happen, and He has blessed you.”
Wielding Your Spiritual Sword
Beloved, we need to be doers of this Word! I’ve read this verse over and over and over (and over and over and over) again. But it wasn’t until right before I sat down to pen this article that I saw something I’d never seen before. It’s glaringly obvious at some level, but bear with me because maybe the Holy Ghost will help you connect the dots like He just did for me.
Here’s the point: Walking in Philippians 1:28 is spiritual warfare waged from our position in Christ.
Think about it for a minute. Was Christ ever for a moment frightened or intimidated in anything by His opponents and adversaries? No, He wasn’t. In fact, Christ’s constancy and fearlessness was a clear sign, proof and seal that God was with Him. He wasn’t anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, He presented His requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guarded His heart and mind. We have that same promise from our position in Christ (Phil. 4:6). And that’s where we war from.
That peace belongs to us. That stability belongs to us. That faith belongs to us. When we let the devil see us sweat, so to speak, we are demonstrating that we have more fear of the devil than fear of the Lord. When we start talking about all of our problems and walking in worry, we are demonstrating that we have more faith in what the devil is showing us than faith in what the Lord has told us. When we let the devil see us sweat, we aren’t in complete unity with God because we are not doing what His Word says. We may believe it’s true, but faith without action is dead.
Who’s Gonna Get the Glory?
When you run into a trial, who gets your attention? Jesus or the devil? God deserves all the glory all the time—and He gets glory when you do His Word because then you get what He promised.
God tells us over and again not to fear. And we know that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). God has given us Holy Ghost power over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). He’s given us His perfect love, which casts out all fear when we embrace it (1 John 4:18). And He has given us a sound mind and a discerning spirit so we won’t fall into the snare of the enemy.
So how do we manage not to let the devil see us sweat—not to visibly and verbally react to the circumstances around us—when the storms are raging? How do we trust God for the totality of His salvation, which includes deliverance, safety, healing and health? The answer is simple: Look at everything from God’s perspective.
Next question: How can you find God’s perspective? Well, His Word is His perspective. God doesn’t break a sweat when your daughter rebels. He doesn’t start biting his nails when you lose your job. He doesn’t have a nervous breakdown when you get a bad report from the doctor. No, God laughs at the enemy because He knows the end of your story (Psalm 2:4).
How do you keep God’s perspective? Think about what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely and of a good report (Phil. 4:8). There’s plenty of promises—more than 7,000, actually—to meditate on, that will build your faith and send fear running seven different ways. There’s no way to get knots in your stomach when you meditate on God’s virtue and praiseworthiness. There’s only peace and victory.
And remember, everything on this earth is temporal. No weapon that is formed against you can prosper (Isaiah 54:17). Not really. The devil is waiting for the satisfaction of a single bead of perspiration to drop from your brow—or a single word of doubt to cross your lips. But God is also watching—and He has equipped you to stand against the wiles of the devil as you await the assured promise of His deliverance. So keep your eyes on eternity and never let the devil see you sweat. Give God the glory for your deliverance. He is faithful.
Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Heart of the Prophetic. You can email Jennifer at
[email protected] or visit her website here.
Joyce Meyer 
Stephen Strang 
Charisma Media Staff 
