Baptist City Blog

Ruling Your Oppressor

Isaiah 14:2
"And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors."

 One of the things that everyone will have to endure in their life are things that will try to oppress them.  Whether or not you like them, trials will come your way and will try to oppress you as you try to serve the LORD.  The degree of success in your Christian life will be determined by whether you rule your trials or your trials rules you.  If you allow your trials to oppress you, then you will fail in your Christian life.  Moreover, if you decide to rule over your trials, then you can use those trials as a stepping stone towards a successful Christian life.  

In the verse above, you will notice that God said He would allow His people to one day rule over their oppressors.  The same people who ruled them in captivity would be the same people whom Israel would one day rule over.  The key to them ruling over their oppressors was taking the initiative to follow God's leading and bringing their oppressors to their land.  

In order for you to rule your oppressor you will have to take several steps that Israel took in the verse above.  First, you must choose to rule your oppressor.  Notice it says in the verse above, "And the people shall take them..." Israel had to choose to rule over their oppressor.  If they would have sat in their captivity and sulked, then they would never have had victory over their oppressors.  Likewise, you will never obtain victory over that which oppresses you until you choose not to let it rule over you.  

Second, you cannot run from that which is trying to oppress you.  Notice in the verse above that Israel brought these people "to their place..."The best way to choose to rule your oppressor is to decide to stay and not run.  People who run from their trials end up letting their trials oppress them.  Though you may not enjoy your trials, you must decide to stay put and not run from them.  

Third, you must realize that the source of your oppression will not leave.  In the verse above, Israel did not rid themselves of their captors, instead they ruled over them.  Many times people think that getting rid of their trials will cause them to overcome their oppression only to be disillusioned when they realize the trials will follow them the rest of your life.  I don't know what you are facing, but you must accept that you may end up having these trials the rest of your life.  Accepting this is part of the steps to ruling your oppressor.  

Fourth, you must control your oppression and not let it control you.  What I mean by this is you must not let it stop you from doing what you have done before. Instead, you must keep on doing what you are supposed to do in spite of your trials.  If you allow your trials to stop you, then they will oppress you.  So, take your trials and decide you will not let them take your joy and stop you from doing what God has called you to do.  Take them and use them as a tool to do greater things for God.  

Last, if you are going to rule your oppressor, you must get God's help.  Israel got God's help in ruling their captors.  Likewise, you must daily ask God to help you to rule that which would like to oppress you.  Without God's help you will wear down.  So, daily ask God to give you the strength to rule your oppressor.  

Christian, don't let your oppressor rule you, but decide right now that you will rule your oppressor.  Take whatever trials you are facing and use them as the tool to serve God in a better way.  By doing this you will find that you can rule your oppressor.