As the crackdown against Christianity in America grows, it is a cycle believers have seen before.
While no one celebrates their religious freedom coming under attack, God has used this persecution to great effect throughout history. Over the centuries, there have been many cases of Satan trying to shut the mouths of Christians. Until recently, the United States has not endured a high level of persecution for professing Christians. However, that is beginning to change.
Many are condemning the raid on President Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate as a political hit job. There is much more substance beneath the surface of this action. This raid was about Satan trying to take out anyone who God uses for His purpose.
This brings into focus the greatest threat to Satan’s power: Jesus Christ. He came to fulfill the Law, and break the cycle of death Satan had created. Jesus called the leaders of His day to account, and challenged their intentions. That is because Satan attacks those who God uses. He knew Jesus was the Son of God, and tried everything in his meager power to thwart His victory over death at Calvary.
The Pharisees would bring false witness against Jesus, and take Him before a court of law that they had rigged against Him. They also riled the people up against Jesus, by making His claims sound outlandish and heretical, when in fact Jesus had been preaching the truth. After the struggle the disciples endured following the crucifixion, amazing things happened! From the Resurrection to the filling of the Holy Spirit, God used that time of suffering and persecution to prepare the disciples for what was to come.
Fast forward 2,000 years and Satan is still using the same tactics to attack those who stand against him. Few people would have thought God would use a man like Donald Trump prior to 2016. He had lived a life that was not pleasing to the Lord, but God specializes in redeeming and using those others would not expect. No one but God could have elevated Donald Trump to the position he reached. In doing so, Donald Trump’s presidency became one of the most conservative and Christian-friendly presidencies of all-time, rivaling even Ronald Reagan’s administration.
During these years, Christian’s saw how Satan riled up the crowds against Trump. Never had a public figure been attacked with such vitriol, hatred and unbridled rage. This is not to say that he was a perfect man, far from it, but his actions spoke just as loud as his words. The Trump administration’s commitment to Israel and religious freedom brought unhinged attacks from the devil and those under his influence.
From before the election, to the Mar-A-Lago raid on Aug. 8, President Trump has been under constant legal and spiritual attack from the enemy. Being investigated for six years has led to a total of zero convictions, and that should say something to anyone paying attention. These false accusations that have raised up sections of the populace against Trump, much like the Pharisees did to Jesus, are based on lies, emotions and spiritual influence, not the truth.
As the fallout from this unprecedented raid continues, one thing is for certain and that is Christians know the devil has them in his sights. If Satan is able to influence government agencies to brazenly raid the home of a former president, how easy will it be to raid individuals houses or churches to silence the gospel?
Donald Trump, while a figurehead, is not the main target in all of this. Jesus and His followers are, and always have been. The difference for Americans is that now they are seeing how a government gets to the place where they openly persecute the gospel.
The battle is here, and as the spiritual battle over America increases, the hearts of the saints must turn toward the Lord. During times of strife, He is preparing our hearts for what is to come, much like the disciples before the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. What comes after, however, is an amazing outpouring of the Holy Spirit that sends the darkness fleeing. {eoa}
James Lasher is a copy editor for Charisma Media.
Abby Trivett 
Phil Hotsenpiller 
Stephen Strang 
