Scripture reveals the love and grace of God that triumphs over human weaknesses. First and foremost, His grace saves us from perishing. Yet, despite knowing this truth, we often rely on our own efforts, neglecting the grace of God. Why do we ignore His grace? It is because His grace unveils His purpose for our lives, but we are often more focused on pursuing our own ambitions instead of His. When we strive to achieve our personal goals, we open the door for the devil to interfere.
For instance, when Eve desired the forbidden fruit, the serpent entered her life. When Cain refused to do good despite God’s warning, sin took hold of him. When Judas Iscariot craved money, the devil used him to betray Jesus. Even today, the devil seeks to recruit people to lead God’s children astray and distract them from inheriting their Father’s Kingdom. As His children, we must discern how we allow the devil to misguide us and take intentional steps to eliminate such influence from our lives.
A Thorn In Our Flesh
and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. – Matthew 27:29 (NIV)
When Jesus bore our sins, the soldiers placing a crown of thorns on His head symbolized a profound truth: every thorn in our lives was taken away to set us free. To understand this, we can look at Paul, who prayed three times for the removal of a “thorn” that deeply afflicted him. Paul described this as a thorn in his flesh, leading many to assume it referred to a physical illness. However, Scripture does not explicitly state that Paul suffered from a prolonged illness that God refused to heal. This interpretation arises from the phrase “thorn in the flesh.”
Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. – 2 Corinthians 12:6-8 (NIV)
It’s important to note that serving God can be done in two ways: through the flesh and through Spirit and truth. Others speculate that Paul’s “thorn” referred to the hardships he faced during his ministry. To clarify these misunderstandings, we should carefully examine 2 Corinthians 12, starting from verse 1. In this passage, Paul was compelled by the influence of “super-apostles” to disclose personal spiritual revelations that were meant to remain private.
Paul’s thorn appears to have been a struggle within himself—an intense desire to share the secrets of his deep relationship with God, which pricked him and prevented him from boasting. Many believe that serving God invites attacks from the devil, including hardships for themselves or their families. But does the devil truly have more power than God to disrupt His servants? This misconception underestimates God’s power. When facing challenges or rejection in ministry, people often assume it is solely the devil’s doing, overlooking the possibility that God may allow struggles to refine and guide His servants.
Paul’s thorn served as a reminder not to boast in himself but to rely on God’s grace. In 2 Corinthians 12:1-7, Paul acknowledges that the thorn was a way for God to guard him from pride. However, after 14 years of restraint, Paul grew weak and succumbed to his desire to boast, revealing the secrets he had kept hidden. This revelation stemmed from his anger and frustration with the super-apostles, ultimately leading him to disregard God’s warnings.
Today, many servants of God make the mistake of boasting about their spiritual experiences to elevate themselves or their ministries above others. Paul’s experience serves as a cautionary tale. Once he revealed what had been kept secret for years, he felt weakened, and guilt overtook him. It was at this moment that God reminded him of a crucial truth:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. ” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)
This reminder calls us to trust in God’s grace, resist pride, and avoid glorifying ourselves in ministry. It is His strength, not ours, that sustains us.
Embracing Strength in Weakness
Servants of God hesitate to expose their weaknesses to others thinking that people may disregard them and for this reason they boast on the miracles that are actually performed by God not by them. But after receiving the grace, Paul decided to speak about his weaknesses so that he may receive the grace of God more and more. Only when we expose our wretched conditions, people would be able to understand the power of the grace of God. But we seldom give chance to the Holy Spirit to reveal the power of God by exhibiting our own weaknesses. But Paul decided to boast about his weaknesses rather than the miracles and secrets.
People often ask, “If you are a servant of God, why do you experience such weaknesses?” The devil constantly tempts us to boast in order to prove to the world—and to him—that we are God’s servants. This is one of the oldest tricks in his playbook. He even tried to lure Jesus into boasting about His relationship with the Father. However, Jesus did not give the devil even a foothold to achieve his purpose. Instead, He fulfilled the purpose of His Father by resisting the devil.
Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” – Matthew 27:39-40 (NIV)
The question is: Are we resisting the devil, or are we giving him a foothold?
Give God the Glory He Deserves
Our biggest weakness is pride—seeking recognition and fame by taking credit for what God has done in our lives instead of giving Him the glory He deserves. To keep us humble, God may allow our enemies to trouble us. Paul illustrates this by sharing that he was given a thorn in his flesh, a messenger of Satan, to keep him from becoming conceited..
We should not attribute opposition in our ministry to the devil alone. Instead, we must examine ourselves and identify areas where we may be exalting ourselves above God. Paul spent fourteen years restraining himself from boasting, but on the fourteenth year, he faltered. While the devil uses the same old tricks, he does so persistently. If we fail to examine ourselves regularly in the light of God’s Word, we may also give the devil a foothold.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you —unless, of course, you fail the test? – 2 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)
Boasting about our spiritual growth and achievements does not inspire others to draw closer to God. Instead, it can spark envy in their hearts and drive them further away from His ways. On the other hand, sharing the love and grace of God will guide people toward Him and encourage them to embrace His fold.
The Jordan Valley 
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