DESTINY IMAGE BOOKS BY DEREK PRINCE

Longing for His Appearing

Why Bad Things Happen to God’s People
© Copyright 2019 – Derek Prince

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 CONTENTS

Foreword

CHAPTER 1 Three Powerful Realities

CHAPTER 2 Relationship Between Faith and Hope

CHAPTER 3 The Source of All Hope

CHAPTER 4 Hope Is Part of Salvation

CHAPTER 5 Hope Grows Strong Through Testing

CHAPTER 6 Hope in This Life

CHAPTER 7 Hope in Death

CHAPTER 8 Hope for Creation

CHAPTER 9 Hope as a Weapon

CHAPTER 10 The Helmet of Hope

CHAPTER 11 Wearing the Helmet

CHAPTER 12 Hope as an Anchor

 FOREWORD

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR REAL HOPE? IN THE BOOK YOU are about to
read, Derek Prince makes this statement:

If it is real hope, based on the substance of real faith, it

will affect the way we live.

Can you think of one person who is not searching for that kind of
hope? A hope so genuine it makes life different and better? Would
you place yourself in that category?
You may find it interesting that Derek Prince put himself in that
category. Even after he became a believer in Jesus Christ—even
through his early days as a Christian pastor—Derek faced regular
battles with hopelessness. It was his own desperate quest for hope,
and the help he subsequently found in God’s Word, that motivated
him to share so frequently on this topic. His solid teaching is based on
his own deep, personal experience. This is the core of the book you
are about to read.
Here is some very good news for you, dear reader. If you are on a
search for genuine hope—the kind that will affect your entire outlook
on life—it is available to you. In fact, by picking up this book, you
have taken the first step on the path to finding real hope.
Romans 5:5 says, “ Now hope does not disappoint” (NKJV). It is
our sincere prayer that you will be able to say the same about the
book you are about to read— Unshakable Hope.
The International Publishing Team
of Derek Prince Ministries
 Chapter 1

THREE POWERFUL REALITIES

PERHAPS YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE SAYING: “W HERE there is

life, there is hope.” There is a good deal of truth in that maxim. But
the opposite is also true: “Where there is hope, there is life.” In my
opinion, hopelessness is one of the saddest conditions in human
experience. I can hardly think of anything sadder than to be hopeless.
Yet uncounted millions in our world today are hopeless people. But
thanks be to God, we do not need to be hopeless!
There is a hope which can liberate you and me from the
constraints of this world, with all its petty concerns and worries. It
can liberate you from your own inadequacies, your own inabilities,
your own weaknesses, and your own frustrations. You and I do not
have to be shut up in the prison of this world. What can liberate us?
Hope.
I believe that genuine hope, as presented in the Scriptures, can give
you and me a completely new outlook on life. That is why the theme I
have chosen for this study is “Hope.” I trust that what we discover
together in these pages will help you grasp what hope is, how
important it is, and most of all, how you may have it.
Let me define hope as it is used in the Bible: Hope is a serene,
confident expectation of good. Would you like to have that kind of
hope for your life and future? I trust by the end of this study you will
have come closer to the reality of this kind of hope.
 ETERNAL FOUNDATIONS
By way of introduction to the theme of hope, let’s look at First
Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 13, where Paul says:

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the
greatest of these is love (NKJV).

In that verse, Paul presents us with the three great abiding spiritual
realities of the Christian faith. Much of what we experience in life
may come and go. Some of it may be important or significant for a
certain period of time or for certain situations we might face. But
there are three realities that abide forever: faith, hope, and love.
Most Christians have heard much preaching about faith and a
good deal about love. However, most of us have heard comparatively
little about hope.
That was my condition many years ago when I was in desperate
need of help from God. I had heard a lot of messages on faith. I had
heard some preaching on love. But the message I needed in that
particular situation was hope . To meet that need in me, the Holy
Spirit had to take me directly to the Scripture, because there were no
sermons that I knew of on the subject of hope. It was through the
Word of God that the Holy Spirit met my need.
As a result of my own deep need for hope, and my experience of
searching for it, I have a particular concern that people understand the
importance of hope. As I said, I trust that what we share on this topic
in this study will help you to grasp what hope is, how important it is,
and how you may have it.

HOPE IS ESSENTIAL
 We spoke of the three abiding realities: faith, hope, and love. Here
is an important point. Hope is the reality that is necessary to maintain
both faith and love. In due course, I will show you in various ways
that unless we have hope, our faith will leak out, and our love will
fail. So, hope is not an option; it is a component that is essential to the
fullness of the Christian life.
What exactly did “the fullness of the Christian life” look like in
the early church? In First Thessalonians 1:2–4, Paul presents a picture
of God’s people, the Christians of Thessalonica, enjoying their full
inheritance. They have faith, they have hope, and they have love.
Please notice that he mentions all three of these virtues as he gives
thanks to God for them. Here is what Paul says:

We give thanks to God always for all of you, making

mention of you in our prayers [Why does he give thanks?];
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of
love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in
the presence of our God and Father, knowing, brethren
beloved by God, His choice of you (NAS 1977).

It is clear that the spiritual condition of those Christians in

Thessalonica convinced Paul they were really people chosen by God.
What he saw in them were those three abiding realities: faith, love,
and hope. In his praise for the Thessalonians, Paul uses a
characteristic word to describe what is special about each of those
realities. He speaks about the work of faith, the labor of love, and the
steadfastness of hope.

VITAL ATTRIBUTES
In the sections that follow, we will focus on each of those phrases
for a moment and meditate on them. First of all, faith must be
expressed by works or by actions. Faith that doesn’t act is dead faith.
Here is what Paul says in that regard in Galatians 5:6:

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor

uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through
love.

Please notice, it is faith working through love. The book of James

says the same thing in another way. In James 2:26 we read, “For just
as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is
dead .”
We see that the characteristic expression of faith is works. This
means action—doing something that is the outcome of our faith and
expresses our faith. Faith without works is a dead faith.
In the passage we quoted at the beginning of this section, in Paul’s
word to the Thessalonians, he also speaks about their “labor of love.”
The word “labor” means really hard work. Isn’t that so characteristic
of true love? True love does not just sit around and sympathize. True
love gets in where the action is, rolls up its sleeves, and does
something tangible. Love involves a cost of labor. It demands an
expenditure—possibly one involving weariness and sleeplessness.
Love labors. It is not just a passive emotion. Love is an active, driving
force that moves people to sacrificial labor on behalf of others.
In the same passage cited earlier, we then come to Paul’s phrase
about hope. Paul commends these disciples in Thessalonica on “the
steadfastness of [your] hope.” He was implying that hope is
connected to steadfastness, endurance, perseverance. Without those
qualities of steadfastness, endurance, and perseverance that hope
produces, we may easily lose the benefits of the first two virtues—
that is, faith and love.
 THE SOURCE OF HOPE
How, then, does hope come? How may we have this kind of hope
which is so real and so necessary? The answer is that hope is the
direct outcome of the new birth. It is the direct outcome of being born
again by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. It is not through
just general faith in Jesus Christ, but rather a specific faith in His
death, burial, and resurrection. This truth is confirmed by what Peter
says in First Peter, chapter 1, verse 3:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead (NIV).

Please notice this very significant phrase: “new birth into a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” It tells
us that when we believe in the death of Jesus Christ on our behalf and
then in His resurrection from the dead by the power of God, we are
born again; we have a new birth. We are born into a living hope. Not
just some dead theology, but a living, vibrating hope.
Hope comes to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from
the dead. We must clearly understand this ultimate historical basis for
all hope. True hope is founded upon the resurrection of Jesus.
Without the resurrection of Jesus, life would be hopeless. It is the
resurrection of Jesus which brings us into a living hope.

HOPE CONTINUES
It is important for us to realize that this hope that we receive at the
new birth must continue until the consummation of our salvation. We
just looked at one quote from First Peter. But there is another vital
truth in that epistle, which occurs just a little further on in the same
first chapter:

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in

spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought
to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13).

What Peter is saying in this verse is that the process of salvation is

not yet complete. It is ultimately going to be consummated by the
revelation of Jesus Christ. In the meanwhile, you and I have to fix our
hope completely on that future event. In other words, the ultimate
focus of all Christian hope is the second coming of the Lord Jesus
Christ. As we make our way through this life, we need to obey that
injunction of Peter. We must fix our hope completely on the grace
and blessing that will be ours through the return of Jesus in glory.

UNTIL THE END

Similar to this important principle, the writer of Hebrews brings
out another very important facet of hope in Hebrews 3:6:

But Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose

house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast
of our hope firm until the end.

Once again, please notice that this hope must be maintained

throughout the entirety of our lives. You and I cannot give up hoping.
We must hold on firmly and intentionally until our hope is fulfilled by
the event for which we hope. The writer of Hebrews makes this clear
in the admonition above; in order to be a part of the people of God,
we must “hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm
until the end.”
 The kind of hope we must maintain is not just a passive, inner
expectation. Rather, it is a conviction in our hearts that is very strong,
and very confident. It is a hope that boasts—not in itself, of course—
but in the Lord.
This instruction for us to boast, to maintain a verbal expression of
our hope, is part of what God has provided for us. Boasting goes
along with hope, and hope, in turn, goes along with faith and love.
We have to maintain this confident boasting of our hope—this
continual assertion of our expectation of the coming of the Lord Jesus
—until the end of our lives or until Jesus comes in glory.

ASKING FOR HOPE

Let me close this first chapter by asking you a question. Do you
have the kind of hope we have been talking about here? Can you
honestly say you have the vibrant hope described in the verses we
have covered in this chapter? Perhaps you would have to admit that
you are in a similar condition to where I was before the Holy Spirit
opened my eyes.
If you know that you have a deep need for hope to arise in your
heart, that is a good recognition—and a good reason to keep reading.
Before you read another page, let’s ask the Lord together to help us
discover and receive the hope we so desperately need.

Lord, I’m not sure that I have a living hope to the degree I
need at this time. I know, from what I have seen so far, that
hope can be a powerful force in my life. I want that hope,
Lord. Please begin the process today of bringing true hope
to life in my heart. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
 Chapter 2

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
FAITH AND HOPE

IN OUR FIRST CHAPTER, I POINTED OUT THAT IN THE Christian life

there are three abiding realities, three truths that always remain: faith,
hope, and love. I also pointed out certain characteristics of each of
these virtues. Faith should produce work, or action, because without
action it is a dead faith. Love produces labor—hard, sacrificial, self-
giving work on behalf of others. Love does not just use polite
religious clichés; love rolls up its sleeves and gets to work where the
work is hardest. And when we think of hope’s main characteristics,
these three words come to light: steadfastness, endurance, and
perseverance.
So those are the characteristics of the three, abiding realities. Faith
produces action; love produces labor; and hope produces
steadfastness, endurance, and perseverance. We saw clearly that if we
don’t have the perseverance hope supplies, we are very liable to lose
the benefits of the other two—faith and love.

THE NATURE OF HOPE

In the previous chapter, we also considered two additional truths
concerning hope. First, we addressed this question: How does hope
come to us? Peter gives us the answer in First Peter 1:3:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead (NIV).

Hope is the direct outcome of being born again through faith in

Jesus Christ. The new birth brings us into a living hope. We are not
born again into some dead theology or theory, but into a living,
vibrating anticipation based on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. When
Jesus rose from the dead, it was the ultimate victory of hope over
hopelessness!
Second, we learned that hope must have a target—it must be
focused on something. We read this in First Peter 1:13.

Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit,

fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you
at the revelation of Jesus Christ (NAS 1977).

We are all in a process—the process of salvation. But it is not yet

complete. It will be consummated by the revelation of Jesus Christ. In
the meanwhile, our mandate is to fix our hope steadfastly on His
second coming.
These two truths are essential to us. Hope is living and vibrant—
and the focus of our hope must be the revelation or appearing of our
Lord Jesus Christ.

FAITH AND HOPE

In this chapter we are going to explore the relationship between
faith and hope. Through the year, as I have ministered to many
thousands of Christians, I have seen a consistent tendency emerge. I
have discovered from my own experience that many believers
confuse faith with hope and hope with faith.
To introduce this segment on the relationship between faith and
hope, let me begin by pointing out an important distinction: faith is in
the present , hope is in the future . If you have a faith which is only in
the future, you really don’t have faith. What you have is hope.
For example, when people would ask me to pray for them, my first
question would be, “Do you believe God can do this?”
Many times, they would answer, “I hope He will.”
As good as that reply may be, hoping is not the same as having
faith. They were simply hoping God would do what they were asking
of Him. However, we must understand that the results promised to
faith do not flow from hope. Each is important, but neither is a
substitute for the other.
Faith is in the heart, while hope is in the mind. Faith is in the now,
while hope is in the future. Both are legitimate, but we must have
them in the right place and in the right relationship.

THE SUBSTANCE OF FAITH

Let’s look at the biblical definition of faith (which, by the way,
also includes the word hope ) in Hebrews 11, verses 1–3:

Now faith is the assurance [Greek, “substance”] of things

hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the
men of old [that is, the Old Testament saints] gained
approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were
prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not
made out of things which are visible.
 These verses contain several very important statements. First, we
notice that faith is a substance . It is not just a theory; it is not just a
theology; it is not just a doctrine. You can have all those without
having faith. Truly, faith has to be a “substance” for us.
The Greek word for “substance” means “the underlying basis” or
“foundation” of something. Faith is the underlying bedrock of
assurance on which hope is supported. To have hope without faith
may be self-deception, but when you have faith, then you are entitled
to hope. Faith is the substance of things hoped for.
Therefore, in order for hope to be real, it must be built on faith.
But then the verse says that faith is based on “things not seen”—on
that which is not visible. Faith is ultimately based on the Word of
God, and lays hold of the fact that the whole universe was brought
into being by the invisible Word of God. In other words, what we see
around us was created out of that which cannot be seen. Our faith is
based upon the unseen, eternal reality of God’s Word. Hope, in turn,
is based on faith.
As I said already (but it warrants saying it again because it is so
important)—faith is here and now. Faith is a substance, something
which we really have right now. But hope, based on that faith, looks
to the future.
It is important not to confuse the two, because God has promised
results to faith which are not promised to hope. It is also very
important to realize that hope is only valid when it is based on faith.
Faith, in turn, is based on God’s Word. So the ultimate basis of both
faith and hope is the Word of God.

HOPE DEFINED
A lot of people think they have hope. They may justifiably use
that word, but their use of the term “hope” is not actually in line with
the scriptural meaning of the word. You and I are only entitled to say
we have hope when our hope is based on the real and present
substance of faith. Then we are talking about having hope along
scriptural lines.
Any other kind of hope is mere wishful thinking. It is possible that
such a hope may be fulfilled, but there is no guarantee. The only hope
which is guaranteed its fulfillment is a hope based on genuine faith.
So again, bear in mind that faith is in the present. Faith is a
substance. Faith is here and now. Faith is based on the unseen reality
of the Word of God. Hope, in turn, is based on that faith. The kind of
hope which is based on genuine faith is guaranteed fulfillment.
However, any other kind of hope is no better than wishful thinking.
Let me mention again my personal definition of hope. This is how
I understand hope as it is presented in the Bible: Hope is a serene,
confident expectation of good. Hope is both serene (peaceful) and
confident (firm).

LOOKING FOR HOPE

There is an aspect of hope which I have already mentioned.
However, because it is so important, I would like to examine it more
closely. Let me summarize that aspect of hope: The ultimate focus of
all true hope is the return of Jesus Christ in glory .
Paul affirms this truth in Titus 2:11–13:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to

all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly
desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the
present age, looking for the blessed hope and the
appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ
 Jesus.

The last verse, verse 13, is what you might call “the punch line”
for the rest of the passage—the explanation of all that goes before.
What does it say? “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of
the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” We are to look
for that ultimate hope of all Christians which stretches beyond time
and out into eternity. What is that blessed hope? It is the appearing of
the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. (Significantly,
Paul calls Jesus “our great God.”)
How does “looking for the blessed hope of Jesus’ appearing”
affect our lives? To answer that question, let’s return to Paul’s
beginning words in verse 11: “ For the grace of God has appeared,
bringing salvation to all men, instructing us. ”
Please notice that grace instructs us. Grace has the capacity in our
lives to teach us. What does it instruct us to do? “ To deny
ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and
godly in the present age. ” Why do we live that way? Because we are
looking forward to a new age which will be brought about by the
return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We want to be ready when He comes,
and we don’t want to be ashamed to be in His presence.
So, the hope of Jesus’ appearing motivates us to godly living. It is
the greatest single motivator in the New Testament. In his first
epistle, the apostle John wrote, “ everyone who has this hope in Him
purifies himself, just as He [Jesus Christ] is pure ” (1 John 3:3 NKJV).
This kind of hope leads to self-purifying. If it is real hope, based on
the substance of real faith, it will affect the way we live. Godly living
is the first effect of our hope for the appearing of Jesus Christ in
glory.

TIME AND ETERNITY

 The second effect is related to the first one: having this hope
releases us from the bondage of time. We are no longer slaves of just
a few years of life. We are looking forward to eternity.
Because of the hope of Jesus’ return, we are not overwhelmed by
the disasters and the troubles of living in our times as other people
seem to be. Why are they so anxious? Because they have nowhere
else to look except at the world around them. They are constrained;
they are shut up in just the few years that God gives them in this life.
In contrast, for us who have this glorious hope, our few years in
this life are just a period of preparation for eternity. Because we have
hope in the revelation of Jesus Christ, it inevitably affects the way we
live. In fact, when we look at people who say they have this hope, we
should see this same evidence and confidence in the way they live.

HOPE FOR YOU

Is this issue of godly living based on hope a new thought for you?
If someone were to ask you if you have this kind of hope, what would
you say? Even more, does your life say yes or no? Do you feel
constrained by time, or are you looking beyond time to eternity?
Your heart may be telling you right now that you want to move
forward into this kind of blessed hope. You long for the joy and
freedom it can bring. If that is truly your desire, let’s conclude this
chapter with the following prayer for help from the Lord.

Lord, I want the kind of hope I have just read about. I am

asking for Your help to receive this genuine hope. I want to
be motivated to focus on You, pursue a godly life, have
freedom from the bondage of time, and look forward to
Your return.
With faith in Your word, Lord, I ask You to let hope come
to me—and I thank You in advance for answering my
prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
 Chapter 3

THE SOURCE OF ALL HOPE

WE KNOW THAT IN OUR WORLD TODAY, MILLIONS OF people are

suffering from hopelessness—including many sincere Christians.
What can people do when they have lost all hope, or have no idea
where to find hope? Fortunately, God has an answer to that important
question. His answer will be the focus of this chapter.
Earlier, I shared from my own experience that there was a time in
my life when I, too, had lost all hope. I found myself in desperate
need of help from God. Thankfully, the Holy Spirit, our Helper and
Comforter, directed my search to God’s Word, and there He met my
need. My own experience is the basis of my deep concern for
Christians to understand and live in real, biblical hope—the kind that
is revealed in the Scriptures. That is the purpose of this book.
If, at this moment, you are in the process of searching for renewed
hope, please be encouraged. What God did for me, He can do for you!
I fully believe that genuine hope can be rekindled in your heart. The
theme we discuss in this chapter, The Source of All Hope, will help you
in the process.

AN IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP
Let’s begin this chapter with a brief overview of some of the truths
we have covered so far. It is important for us to keep in mind the
close relationship between faith and hope. Faith is based on God’s
Word, which is invisible; hope is based on that faith. Faith is in the
present—it is a substance which we have here and now. Hope, on the
other hand, looks to the future. But the only valid kind of hope is that
which is based on present faith. Any other kind of hope is mere
wishful thinking. It may come true, but there is no guarantee.
We also learned that hope, although based on present faith, must
be focused on something in the future. What should be the focus of
our hope? The ultimate focus of all Christian hope is the return of
Jesus Christ. This is the blessed hope, set before all true believers. We
may have other hopes and dreams, but this is the hope.
Making Jesus’ return our ultimate focus will have two main
effects on the way we live. First of all, it will motivate us to live in a
holy way. The expectation of Jesus’ return was the single greatest
motivator in the New Testament.
The second effect of this hope is that it will release us from the
bondage of time. The people of this world don’t have eternity in view
—they are shut in a little prison of the few brief years God has
allotted to them. And it is an uncertain prison, for no one knows how
long they have to live. People with a mindset that focuses on this life
have nothing to transcend it—and very little hope. But it is different
for a believer in Jesus Christ. We also live in time, but our hope takes
us beyond time into eternity. Hope liberates us from the prison of time
.

THE SOURCE OF ALL HOPE

Earlier I offered my own personal definition of hope as I believe it
is presented in the Bible: Hope is a serene, confident expectation of
good. Hope is not just serene or passive; it is confident. Isn’t that the
kind of hope we all want and need? Here is the first truth we need to
answer the question: How do we get this kind of confident hope? The
source of all hope is the love of God. Paul affirms this truth in Second
Thessalonians, chapter 2, verses 16 and 17.

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our
Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and
good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in
every good work and word (NAS 1977).

Aren’t those beautiful, powerful words? As we meditate on the

profundity of this verse, five important aspects emerge.

God’s Love
The first truth we see is what we cited earlier: the source of hope
is God’s love. God loved us, and therefore He gave us “eternal
comfort and good hope by grace.” Always bear this in mind: The
ultimate power behind the universe is the love of God. God is a
Father, and when we know God as Father, we have this kind of hope
—it is a gift of His love. It proceeds from a confidence in His
unwavering love and faithfulness.

Through Christ
Second, although the source of hope is God’s love, it comes to us
through Jesus Christ . We know this because Paul mentions not only
God our Father, but “our Lord Jesus Christ Himself.” Jesus is the only
channel through whom love from God and hope from God can come
into our lives.

By Grace
The third feature of this hope is that it is a gift. But how do we
receive it? By grace . Paul says God gave us “eternal comfort and
good hope by grace.” Please remember that grace cannot be earned.
Anything that can be earned is not grace. The gifts and blessings that
come by grace can only be received by faith. Therefore, you have to
receive this hope—you simply cannot try to earn it. It does not come
by trying to work out whether you are good enough. Nor does it come
by trying to reason within yourself to find some rational basis why
you ought to be hopeful. Hope can only be received as a gift of God’s
love—given by His grace.

Beyond Time
Fourth, together with that phrase, “good hope,” Paul says God has
given us “eternal comfort.” We have already stated this principle, but
it bears repetition because it is so important: With hope there comes a
comfort that goes beyond time . Our expectations, our anticipations,
our satisfactions are not limited to this brief span of time. They
possess an eternal quality. That word, “eternal,” is such a rich word,
such a vast word. It means “that which is not subject to time; that
which is not in time; that which was before time and will be after
time.”
Eternal hope lifts us out of the confinement of this prison of time
and puts us onto a different level—an eternal plane of living. We can
walk this earth like kings, queens, and princes because we have this
hope. We are no longer slaves of time; we have been liberated by the
gift of hope—given to us through God’s grace.

For Holiness
Finally, a point we have noted previously, but deserves repetition
for emphasis—hope makes us strong for holy living. After Paul has
spoken about the eternal comfort and the good hope, he says that God
will “ comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good word and
work .”
 Let’s be honest: hopeless people are weak people. They don’t have
any real motivation. When the going gets tough, they have nothing to
make them hang in there. Their hands fall slack, they shrug their
shoulders, and say, “Well, I suppose it’s no use.” But people who
have this kind of eternal hope we are talking about have strength and
resolve. In times of hardship and trouble, those people endure. They
hold fast. God strengthens their hearts through eternal hope.
Let me just briefly recapitulate the five points we have noted from
this passage in Thessalonians:
■ The source for hope is God’s love;
■ It comes through Christ;

■ It is a gift by grace;

■ It is eternal;
■ It makes us strong for holy living.

LIBERATED TO LIVE
As we conclude this chapter, I want to emphasize again the eternal
nature of hope by looking at the word of Paul in Romans, chapter 14,
verses 7-8.

For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us

dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord;
and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or
die, we belong to the Lord (NIV).

We do not live or die to ourselves alone. To be so self-focused is

to be very lonely—and this world of ours is full of lonely people.
They are shut up in prisons of their own selves. They live for
themselves; they die by themselves. They have no other interests, and
their concerns do not reach beyond themselves. They are in a prison
of self.
But through Christ, we are liberated from this prison! Paul says we
don’t live to ourselves, nor do we die to ourselves. We live for Christ,
and we die in Christ: “ Whether we live or whether we die, we belong
to the Lord .” So, death has no real dominion over us. It has no terror
for us. It is simply a release into a higher plane of living.

THE ULTIMATE ISSUES

It is so vital for us to understand that Christ has dealt with the
ultimate issues we face—which are life and death. For people who
subscribe to any kind of religion, faith, or philosophy which cannot
deal with life and death issues, that belief system is totally inadequate
to human needs, because every one of us faces life and every one of
us faces death. This truth—that Jesus died and rose from the dead and
became Lord both of the living and of the dead—liberates us from
that bondage of self, of time, and of self-preoccupation.
We are not living to ourselves. We are living to Christ, and if we
die, we die to Christ. He is there to receive us. We belong to Him. We
have become God’s responsibility. We don’t have to carry the burden
of arranging everything, providing everything, managing everything
for ourselves. Our lives are the responsibility of the Lord.
In closing, let’s look at the words of the psalmist David in Psalm
17, verse 15, who beautifully sums up this expectation.

As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall

be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness (KJV).
 You see, there is hope that extends beyond the grave. David is
saying, “I’ll fall asleep in death. But there is a day coming, a moment
coming, when I will awake. I will see His face. I will be clothed with
His righteousness. And I will be satisfied.”
Satisfied! What a powerful word that is. When I meditate on the
Scripture we have just cited, I like to repeat it over and over to
myself: “Satisfied… satisfied… fully satisfied. I will be satisfied.”
That is my hope. It is my hope in life; and it is my hope in death.
It is the hope that has liberated me from time and all its petty
concerns and worries, liberated me from my own littleness, from my
own inabilities—from my own weaknesses and frustrations. I am not
shut up in that prison. What has liberated me? Hope! Oh, how I thank
God for that hope!

WORDS OF HOPE
I hope you will want to join me in thanking the Lord for the hope
that is so satisfying. But possibly, you may feel like the hopeless
person I described earlier. Do you hear yourself saying, “It’s no use?”
Let me reassure you; you are not alone. When that was my condition,
I cried out to God in my hopelessness and He met my need.
Would you like to pray together with me now? Let’s go to God’s
Word together, and lift our prayer based upon the verse we studied
earlier:

Father, I thank You for the promise of a hope that can

liberate me. I want to receive it from You. I look to Your
Word now, and in faith, I declare this truth: Your love is
my source of hope. Hope comes to me through Jesus
Christ. It is a gift to me by grace. Hope is eternal; and it
will make me strong for holy living.
Thank You, Lord, that as I say these words, You are
breathing new hope into my heart. Thank You Lord, for
this liberating hope. Amen.
 Chapter 4

HOPE IS PART OF SALVATION

IN THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS, I HAVE BRIEFLY SHARED about my own

personal battle with hopelessness. Even though I was a mature
Christian and Bible teacher, I was not immune to this kind of
suffering. So it comes as no surprise that many sincere Christians find
themselves in the same desperate struggle today.
Hopelessness is one of the saddest conditions in human
experience, but I believe it is possible to once again have genuine,
biblical hope. Why? Because hope is part of our salvation in Jesus
Christ! This will be our topic of this chapter’s discussion, in which I
will share with you from both the Scriptures and my experience.

SEVEN ESSENTIAL FACTS

By way of review, let’s begin by briefly summarizing the seven
scriptural facts we have already established. These truths are
extremely important.
■ First, there are three abiding realities in the Christian life: faith,
hope, and love.

■ Second, hope is produced by the new birth.

■ Third, hope is based upon Christ’s resurrection.

 ■ Fourth, hope looks forward to Christ’s return.

■ Fifth, the source of hope is God’s love.

■ Sixth, hope motivates us to holy living.

■ And seventh, hope transforms us into confident, radiant

Christians.

A SURPRISING TRUTH
In this chapter, I will explain why hope is an essential part of our
salvation. Most Christians of any denominational background have
some kind of awareness that you cannot have salvation without faith.
We are all familiar with the famous scriptural statement, “The just
shall live by faith.” That is perfectly true. However, it may come as a
surprise to you that it is not the whole truth. What I want to emphasize
in this chapter is that you cannot have salvation without hope as well.
Hope is an essential part of salvation.
Here is what Paul says in Romans 8:24-25:

For in hope we have been saved [or, by hope we have been

saved], but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for
what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not
see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

This verse reminds us of an important earlier point concerning the

relationship between faith and hope. Faith is in the present, but hope
turns toward the future. Here Paul is saying, “In hope [or by hope] we
have been saved.” In other words, hope does not take the place of
faith—but it is an essential part of being saved. Without hope we do
not have valid salvation.
 Paul goes on to point out that hope produces perseverance. He
says, “ If we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait
eagerly for it .” Perseverance, which we connected earlier with hope,
is also an essential part of our salvation. Many passages of Scripture
emphasize that we must persevere in our faith to the consummation of
that faith. So hope, and with it, perseverance, is essential to salvation.

A MYSTERY DISCLOSED
This truth—that hope is essential to salvation—is clearly stated by
Paul in another passage of his writings. I consider Colossians 1:25–27
to be one of the most beautiful and exciting passages of the New
Testament! This is what Paul says:

I have become its servant [the servant of the church] by the

commission God gave me to present to you the word of
God in its fullness—the mystery that has been kept hidden
for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the
Lord’s people [the saints]. To them God has chosen to
make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this
mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (NIV).

Let’s repeat that last verse for emphasis:

To them God has chosen to make known among the

Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ
in you, the hope of glory (NIV).

In this passage, Paul is telling us that he was commissioned by

God to present to His people (the church) the Word of God in its
fullness. Then he goes on to explain what the fullness of the Word of
God means. Paul says that the full presentation of the truth of God’s
Word involves a “ mystery ,” which “ has been kept hidden for ages
and generations .”
At the time of the New Testament, the Greek word “mystery” had
a special meaning. There were certain “mystery religions” into which
people were initiated through secret rites. Only people who had been
through the secret rites and initiation would be allowed to enter into
these religions. So Paul’s use of the word “mystery” does not mean
something which can never be understood. More exactly, it means
something which can be understood only by the initiated—those who
have met the condition for entering into this understanding.
By using this term, Paul is revealing that the Christian faith
contains a mystery—something that has been kept hidden for ages
and generations. All the great men of old, all the great philosophers,
all the wise men, all the kings and conquerors, never knew this
mystery. It was reserved for us in this present age. Paul says what has
been hidden is now disclosed to the saints.
Doesn’t that make you feel excited? Are we not privileged to be
among those to whom this mystery—which was never before
revealed, even to the wisest of men—is now disclosed?

THREE SHORT WORDS

God wants “ to make known among the Gentiles the glorious
riches of this mystery .” More literally in Greek, “The riches of the
glory of this mystery.” Paul almost runs out of words trying to
explain how exciting this mystery is. What is the mystery?
The answer to this question is not presented in some extensive
philosophical treatise with long, complicated words that most people
can’t understand. I was a professional philosopher, so I especially
appreciate the simplicity of the Scriptures. I remember reading the
works of the philosopher Emmanuel Kant, where one sentence would
sometimes extend for two pages without a period. Thankfully, that is
not the way the Bible reveals mysteries.
This glorious mystery is revealed in three short words: Christ in
you .
That is the most exciting truth that can ever be revealed to
humanity! That Christ, the eternal Son of God, by the Holy Spirit, can
be in us. In us as individuals; among us as the people of God. This is
the hope of glory.
What is the hope of glory? Christ in you . Christ in me . This is the
secret—the mystery which God has reserved for us. Don’t you feel
privileged? Don’t you get excited when you think about that? Are you
able to realize what it means to have Christ in you? It means you have
the hope of glory.
There is a future. The one who has Christ in him has hope for that
future—a glorious, radiant, confident expectation of eternal glory
with almighty God, the holy angels, and the redeemed of all ages—
from age to age. That is what you have when you have Christ in you,
the hope of glory.

ONLY TWO POSSIBILITIES

What about those who do not have Christ in them? It is quite a
contrast to what this glorious mystery means to us as believers. Let’s
look at Paul’s vivid description of the condition of those who are
outside of Christ. In Ephesians 2:11-12, writing to those who are
Gentiles, Paul reminds them not to forget what life was like without
Christ.

Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles

by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call
themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body
 by human hands)— remember that at that time you were
separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel
and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without
hope and without God in the world (NIV).

Please pay close attention to that awful list of negatives. What

cruel words they are! “ Separate from Christ; excluded from
citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise .”
(Have you ever lived as a foreigner in a land that was not yours? I
have, and I know what it is like to be a foreigner. You never feel that
you really belong.) That is what Paul is saying about those who are
without Christ—they are foreigners; they don’t belong. But the last
two phrases are the most tragic: “ without hope and without God .”
Allow me to repeat those phrases. I want to burn them into your
thinking. Maybe you are in this category—the condition they
describe. If so, you need to pay attention to them all the more
carefully.
■ Separate from Christ
■ Excluded from citizenship in Israel

■ Foreigners to the covenants of the promise

■ Without hope
■ Without God in the world
For every person, there are just two possible conditions for your
life. If you have Christ in you, you have the hope of glory. But if you
are without Christ, then you are without hope and without God.

THE NECESSITY OF HOPE

 Now we can see why it is so critical to know that hope is a part of
our salvation! Without hope, we don’t have Christ. Without Christ,
we don’t have salvation.
Hope is not just an appendage to salvation. It is an essential part of
salvation. We are saved in hope, and we are saved by hope. Hope is
built on the faith that brings salvation—but it is also an essential part
of the total package. If we do not have this hope, then we are without
Christ. And if we are without Christ, we are without God. We are
foreigners. We are excluded. We are separate. We are hopeless. What
a terrible condition to be in!
Thanks be to God—it is not necessary for anyone who hears this
message to remain in that condition. If you will turn your life over to
God and receive Jesus, then you will not be without Christ. Then you
will very quickly know what it means to have in you the hope of
glory. May the Lord help each one of us to be sure about our
salvation.

AN OPEN HEART
What about you? As you have been reading these words, does it
produce a desire in you to confirm that you have Christ in you? Do
you want to make sure you have this “hope of glory” we have been
talking about?
It may be that you have not yet made the decision to receive Jesus
Christ and the hope He brings. Or, you may have made that decision,
but would like to confirm it and receive the hope Jesus promises.
Whatever your situation, you can come with certainty into this
glorious hope by praying the following words:

Dear Lord Jesus, I want to receive You fully into my life

right now. Come into me, and flood my entire being with
Your hope—the hope of glory. I open my heart to You now,
more fully than I ever have before. Thank You that You
have come into me—making it so that I will never again be
without hope and without God in the world. In Jesus’
name. Amen.
 Chapter 5

HOPE GROWS STRONG

THROUGH TESTING

THROUGHOUT MY LIFETIME, I HAVE BEEN PRIVILEGED to pray for

thousands of Christians facing all kinds of challenges in their lives.
Although the issues have varied from person to person, there is one
problem that seems to be universal. At some point in our lives, most
of us—if not all of us—experience hopelessness.
As Christians, we may have to contend with hopelessness. But we
don’t ever have to succumb to it! Even so, sometimes we feel as if we
are losing this age-old battle. How do we handle that challenge? This
will be the topic of discussion in this chapter.

EXULTING IN TRIBULATIONS
We have seen that hope, like faith, is an essential aspect of our
salvation. Just as faith grows through testing, in a similar way our
hope is increased and matured as we go through various trials and
tests.
What happens when our hope is tested? To answer that question,
let’s first look at Romans 5:1–5:

Therefore, having been justified by faith [justified means

 acquitted, made righteous], we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we
have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in
which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God
(Romans 5:1–2).

Paul says that we “ exult in hope of the glory of God.” The word
“exult” means to rejoice, to be very confident. Notice that it is hope
that produces that joy and confidence, even to the point of boasting.
But that is not all Paul has to say. He continues in the next verse:

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations

(Romans 5:3).

In this verse, Paul says something quite different from the

previous verse. We can understand exulting in hope. But how do we
exult in tribulations, trials, and testings? Maybe you have never
thought about this possibility. How do you react to tribulation? Do
you exult in it?
Why should we exult in our tribulations? Paul goes on to explain:

Knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and

perseverance, proven character; and proven character,
hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of
God has been poured out within our hearts through the
Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:3–5).

In these verses, Paul is pointing to a progression that leads to

hope. When we come into tribulation, if we hold on to our faith, then
we can hold on to our hope. What tribulation does in us is to initiate a
process which is essential for the building of Christian character. The
end result is that through tribulation, God gives us a strong, stable,
confident hope.
 You see, hope has to be tested by tribulation in order to be proved
genuine and become strong. Notice the progression: tribulation
produces perseverance; perseverance produces proven character; and
proven character produces a hope that is not disappointed.

WHAT TRIBULATION PRODUCES

Let me tell you something about perseverance. Do you know the
key to perseverance? It is to persevere! There is just no other way to
learn perseverance but to persevere. It is like swimming. You can
have all of the theories on how to swim. You can picture all the
strokes and motions in your mind. You can know all the facts about
breathing properly. But ultimately, the only way to learn to swim is to
swim . Likewise, the only way to learn to persevere is to persevere.
When we come into tribulation—and we surely will— we need to
hold on to one important truth: the trial we are facing is for our good.
It is helping us. God is permitting us to go through this particular trial
because it is the only way to produce what is needed in us for that
final strong, confident, radiant, unshakable hope. Tribulation
produces perseverance.
What does perseverance produce? It produces proven character. A
person who has been through tribulation and comes out victorious has
proven character. Paul says that “ we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us ” (Romans 8:37 NIV). What does it mean
to be “more than conquerors?” I understand it this way: you come out
of tribulation with more than you had when you went into it. As a
conqueror, you do not just hold your own—you gain a victory. That
is how it is when we persevere in tribulation—we come out with
proven character.
Proven character is essential because it establishes our hope. We
had the hope of the glory of God before our trial started. But when we
come out of it, we have an altogether different degree of hope. This
tried and tested hope does not disappoint us, but opens us up to the
fullness of God’s love.
You see, to receive the fullness of God’s love, you have to have
proven character. You have to have stability. Your life and
personality have to be a vessel strong enough and large enough to
contain all the love that God wants to pour into you.

DOOR OF HOPE
I would like to illustrate this process from a passage in the
prophets of the Old Testament. In Hosea, chapter 2, God is telling
Israel how He is going to deal with them. Surprisingly, He speaks
about bringing them into a time of tribulation. But then He says:

There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the
Valley of Achor a door of hope (Hosea 2:15 NIV).

It is important to know that the word achor means “trouble.” Here

is what the Lord is saying: “I’ll let Israel come into trouble, but I will
work through that trouble so that it actually will become the door of
hope.” This is a wonderful biblical principle. Remember, whenever
God brings us into trouble, He will provide a way out when we pass
through it. There will be an exit point, and it is the door of hope.

THE WORD OF GOD

I want to explain briefly two further requirements for cultivating
the kind of strong, confident hope that we are discussing. The first
requirement is that we need to give heed to the Scriptures—to accept
everything the Bible says. Paul states this in Romans 15:4:
 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for
our instruction [Paul is talking about the Scriptures; all
Scripture is written for our instruction. What was the
purpose?] so that through perseverance and the
encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

We have already pointed out that perseverance is essential for us

to cultivate this kind of hope. But Paul is saying we also need the
encouragement of the Scriptures. When you are in tribulation and
when you are having a hard time, turn to the Scriptures. Read them!
Believe them! They will encourage you; they will strengthen your
hope. Do not deny yourself this wonderful, God-given source of
hope, which is in the Scriptures.
Sometimes you might not feel like reading the Bible. But just
make up your mind. Tell yourself, “I’m going to read the Bible until I
hear from God. I’m going to read until I get something out of it that
strengthens my hope and gives me the grace to go on persevering.”
Remember, that is one of the purposes of the Bible—to instruct us,
that through the Word we might have hope.

BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY

SPIRIT
The second requirement is a reliance upon the Holy Spirit. Hope
can only come to us in its fullness through the supernatural power of
the Holy Spirit. We see this a little further on in the fifteenth chapter
of Romans. In verse 13, Paul gives us these beautiful words:

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of
the Holy Spirit.
 Think of what that means to be filled with all joy and peace in
believing. What is the result? An abundance of hope. God wants to
fill us with all joy and peace, so that we may “abound in hope.” That
means having more than just enough hope for ourselves. It means
having enough hope to minister to others as well. When others are
downcast, we have a word of hope, a word of encouragement for
them. But please notice, it is by the power of the Holy Spirit. We
cannot do this on our own. We must open ourselves fully to the Holy
Spirit. The Spirit of God is the only agent who can minister this kind
of victorious hope in our lives.

THE GOD OF HOPE

I would like to close this chapter with the beautiful phrase with
which Paul begins Romans 15:13: “ Now may the God of hope fill
you. ”
Do you realize that the Lord is the God of hope? He is not merely
the God of peace, the God of joy, the God of righteousness, and the
God of power, but He is also the God of hope. You cannot know God
without having hope.
As we close this chapter, let’s read again what the entire verse
says:

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of
the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).

When you and I are filled, here is the result: we abound in hope .
Hope bubbles up and overflows within you and me. This is my
sincere prayer for you— that you may abound in hope by the power
of the Holy Spirit . Consider these words. Meditate on them. When
you find yourself in a troubling situation or facing affliction, turn
back to them. Declare them again, over and over, until they become
completely real in your life and your experience.
 Chapter 6

HOPE IN THIS LIFE

OFTEN, WE DON’T APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANT THINGS in life until

we lose them. Isn’t that true? It is especially true when it comes to
hope. In my own experience, it wasn’t until I lost all hope that I
realized how much I desperately needed it. If that has ever happened
to you, you know how serious the condition of hopelessness can be.
Our very lives depend upon having some semblance of hope.
When I cried out to God in my state of hopelessness, He met my
need through the power of the Holy Spirit. If you are struggling with
hopelessness right now, don’t give up! What God did for me, He will
do for you as well. He has promised to answer all who call upon Him
for help.

NINE ASPECTS OF HOPE

In this chapter, I want to deal with the topic of hope in this life.
Before we begin, however, I would like to once again list the nine
facts about hope we have learned up to this point. As you read
through this list, please notice that we are not talking about the kind of
hope that is often spoken of in this world. That kind of hope is merely
wishful thinking. It’s nice, but it won’t get you very far.
The hope we are talking about is so much more powerful than
wishful thinking. It is God-centered! It is Christ-centered! Our hope
looks back to Christ’s death and resurrection, and looks forward to
Christ’s coming. It sees every intervening situation in our lives in the
light of those two great events. As you read this list, think of some of
the circumstances you presently face—and place those situations
from your own life under the spotlight of this kind of hope.
So far in this book we have considered nine facts about hope:
■ First, there are three abiding realities in the Christian life—faith,
hope, and love.
■ Second, hope is produced by the new birth.

■ Third, hope is based on Christ’s resurrection.

■ Fourth, hope looks forward to Christ’s return.

■ Fifth, hope’s source is God’s love.

■ Sixth, hope motivates us to holy living.

■ Seventh, hope transforms us into radiant Christians.

■ Eighth, hope is an essential part of salvation.

■ Finally, hope grows through testing.

THE ULTIMATE BASIS

As we focus in this chapter on how hope relates to this life—that
is, within the time frame of life on this earth— it is important to
remember that all true hope is based on faith. And all true faith, in
turn, is based on Scripture. Therefore, if we are going to have real
hope in this life, we need a scriptural basis for that hope.
The question I’m going to ask you now may come as a surprise to
you. Did you know that there is one scriptural basis which is fully
sufficient for every situation and every need? If I searched the
scriptures I could find many others, but for our purposes here I would
like to focus on just this one scriptural basis for persistent hope and
optimism. It is Romans chapter 8, verse 28:

And we know that God causes all things to work together

for good to those who love God, to those who are called
according to His purpose.

Let me draw your attention to the first three words of that verse—
and we know. The most important question you and I need to ask
ourselves, right from the start, is this: Do we really know? Do I really
know that God causes all things to work together for good to those
who love God?
This means that there is nothing that has ever happened, or ever
will happen, that is not covered by what is stated in this scripture.
There is no event, no situation; there is no disaster in which we need
to despair. Why? Because God causes everything—even apparent
disasters—to work together for good to those who love Him.
God is in supreme control. He sits on the throne of the universe.
He has never abdicated, and He is never going to abdicate. All power
in heaven and in earth has been given to the Lord Jesus Christ. God
the Father and God the Son are on our side. “ If God be for us, who
can be against us? ” (Romans 8:31 KJV).

TWO CONDITIONS
However, before we dig deeper into this verse (Romans 8:28) as
the basis of our Christian optimism, there is something you and I need
to do. We need to make sure we are fulfilling the conditions stated in
that verse.
 What are the conditions? We find them as we look at the verse
again. Paul writes, “ God causes all things to work together for good
to those who love God, to those who are called according to his
purpose.” Those are the two requirements we must meet before we
can say, “This is my basis for optimism.” First, we have to be sure
that we truly love God. Second, we must know that we are walking in
the purpose to which He has called us.
These two conditions are very important. You see, God has a
purpose for each life. All that He does in our lives—His gifts, His
provision, His leading, His watchful care—everything He has done
for us is for the fulfillment of that purpose. However, if we are
rejecting God’s purpose, if we are walking contrary to God’s purpose,
if we are seeking to do something other than His calling—then that
Scripture doesn’t truly apply to us. In order to rectify the situation so
it will apply, we have to repent. We have to turn back and get in line
with God’s purpose for our lives before we can claim that Scripture.
Having done that, for all of us who truly love God and are
sincerely walking in the purpose to which God has called us, then that
Scripture gives you and me a base for total, never-failing optimism!
Nothing can ever happen that should cause us to despair, because God
is working everything together for your good and for mine.

CONFIDENT IN HIS GOODNESS

I think also of the beautiful words of David in Psalm 27:13, words
which I dearly love.

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would

see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

The New International Version of this verse says:

 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the
Lord in the land of the living.

Both translations are beautiful, but personally, I like to combine

them:

I decline to despair because I do believe that I will see the

goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, and I am
very confident that I will see the goodness of the Lord in
the land of the living.

I can meet every situation that arises with this strong buoyant
hope: God is working it together for my good. It may not always
appear that way at first. I can assure you, in the course of all my years
as a Christian, I have encountered many situations and passed through
many circumstances where it seemed that everything was against me.
But, thank God, by experience I learned not to despair, nor to give
way, nor to look solely at the outward appearance of a situation. I
learned to see it through the eyes of God and the light of Scripture. I
knew that somewhere behind those dark clouds, the hand of Almighty
God is working everything together for my good—shaping me,
molding me, leading me forward.
I learned that His working in my life was not primarily for my
enjoyment, but for my good. God is more concerned for you and me
to be “good” than “happy.” If my happiness is consistent with my
goodness, that is wonderful. But if at any time it is necessary for me
to be unhappy that it may produce goodness in me, then God will
always go for the goodness—and sacrifice temporarily the happiness.
In His wisdom, He knows that the happiness will come back later,
when His purposes have been accomplished. Over many years, I have
learned to trust His wisdom, and so can you.
 THE CROSS
As we continue with this theme of how hope relates to this life—
within the time frame of life on this earth— there is one truth we
always need to bear in mind: At the center of God’s provision for His
people is the cross.
When it comes to having hope, understanding and believing this
truth makes all the difference. If we get away from the cross, then we
get away from that sure, unfailing certainty which gives us the kind of
hope the Scripture speaks about. Please notice what Paul says of God
in Romans 8:32:

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over
for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all
things?

Here is the remarkable measure of God’s love and commitment to

us: He did not spare his own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul states
this very logically, “If God didn’t spare Jesus, then there is nothing
good that He will withhold from us.” That includes hope.
As Paul continues to expound this principle, he uses such beautiful
language!

How will he not also with Him [notice, it must be with

Him] freely give us all things?

Again, everything—including hope—is included! If we keep the

cross central in our lives, then we can go on and affirm what follows
in the rest of that chapter. Please take some time to meditate on these
glorious words in Romans 8:35–39:

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will

tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
 nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “For
Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were
considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these
things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved
us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor
angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other
created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of
God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

What a wonderful confidence we can have! What a deep assurance

that the love of God surrounds our lives!

WHATEVER HAPPENS
Please notice, however, that our assurance of God’s love and care
does not depend on everything going right. Paul talks about
tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword.
He says we are counted as sheep for the slaughter. But in all of that,
he still says we overwhelmingly conquer! Why? Because God is on our
side. Because God is working out His purposes through all these
difficulties. Because we know that, no matter what the appearances
are, no matter what the situation is, God is working all things together
for good to those who love him, to those who are called according to
his purpose.
In our understanding of God loving us through every situation we
face, we cannot let our eyes wander from the cross and from the
purpose of God in our lives. We cannot let the pressures of life
distract us from the truths that are basic, fundamental, and central to
our faith: the cross, the love of God, the commitment of God to us,
the faithfulness of God, the fact that He has called us, the fact that He
has a special purpose in life for each of us. If we are walking in line
with that purpose, God is going to see to it that His special plans for
our lives are totally fulfilled.
Then we can say with David, “I remain confident of this: I will see
the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Or, we can say the
other version, “I would have despaired unless I had believed that I
would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
Whichever version we chose, we will see the goodness of the Lord in
the land of the living! We will have hope in this life.

SETTLING THE ISSUE

There is much we have covered in this chapter on Hope in this
Life. As you have read these words, however, there may be some
doubt lingering in your mind. Is there an issue still troubling you?
Perhaps you aren’t sure that you are meeting the two conditions I
described earlier: to truly love God and to be walking in His purposes
for your life. Sometimes we are certain we love God, but uncertain
that we are following in His will. Other times, it’s the other way
around—we are earnestly serving Him, but we feel that our hearts, for
some reason, have grown cold. Let’s settle these or any other issues
that may have arisen in your mind and heart by praying the following
prayer together:

Dear Lord Jesus, You know my heart better than I do. I

want to follow You, but I am struggling in a few specific
areas. (Name what comes to your mind now.) I know You
love me, and that You died for me on the cross. Lord, I
place my belief and trust in You now, and I commit myself
to follow You with my whole heart. Thank You for Your
grace to do Your will. I place my life in Your hands, Lord.
Amen.
 Chapter 7

HOPE IN DEATH

THE TITLE OF THIS CHAPTER, “HOPE IN DEATH, ” MAY strike some as

a little strange. For many readers, it could represent a complete
paradox—the impossibility of “Hope in Death.” In a verse we
considered earlier, Paul spoke of those who were “separate from
Christ, excluded…having no hope and without God in the world”
(Ephesians 2:12). Sadly, we all know people who have no such hope,
and who would find it nearly impossible to have “hope in death.”
However, we learned in the previous chapter that if we are in
Christ, we have a basis for never-failing optimism! No matter what
happens, no matter what the outward appearances, no matter what the
situation, if we love God and are walking in accordance with His
purpose and calling for our life, then He causes everything that
happens to us to work together for good. It may not appear so at the
time, but it will work out that way. And so we can say as David said
in Psalm 27:13:

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the

Lord in the land of the living (NIV).

AN INESCAPABLE APPOINTMENT
I want to take the theme of hope one step further, beyond the time
frame of life on this earth. In this chapter I will be sharing with you
about “Hope in Death.”
First, we all need to face the fact that at some time we are going to
die—unless the Lord Jesus returns first. Realistically, you and I must
face the fact that death is an appointment for all of us. It is one
appointment that we will not fail to keep.
The writer of Hebrews states this very clearly in chapter 9, verse
27:

And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and

after this comes judgment.

Please notice that word “appointed.” It refers to an appointment .

You and I may miss every appointment we make on earth. You and I
may never turn up at the right time or the right place. But this
appointment you and I will keep. It is an appointment with death.
Bear in mind, however, that death is not the end. We do not cease
to exist; we simply pass out of this world into another mode of
existence. There is something beyond death—it is the judgment of
God. “ It is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes
judgment .” We all are going to experience that moment when we will
have to answer to Almighty God for the lives we have led. At that
time, the primary question we will have to answer is this: Have I
responded affirmatively to the gospel of Jesus Christ?
I have regularly asserted that any religion which offers hope only
for this life cannot meet man’s deepest need. To my understanding,
Christianity is the only faith that has a real and positive answer to
man’s need concerning death. Why? Because only the Christian
gospel offers hope beyond the grave.
Paul expresses this in very vivid terms in First Corinthians 15:19:
 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all
people most to be pitied (NIV).

If our Christian faith were only for this life, then we would be the
most pitiful of all people on the earth. We would be self-deluded. We
would be walking in a dream. We would be living in a fantasy land.
The truth of the matter is that faith in Christ takes us through death,
through the portals of the grave, and into an eternal life with Christ in
the next world.

GLIMPSES FROM THE OLD

TESTAMENT
It is irrefutable that the Bible specifically offers hope in death—
not only in the New Testament, but also in the Old Testament. Does
that surprise you? Many people have said to me, “The Old Testament
doesn’t say anything about life after death.” But that is a complete
misconception. There are many passages in the Old Testament which
specifically speak about life after death, and even portray the kind of
experience some people will have in the next world.
Let’s take a brief moment to look at three of these passages.
Perhaps one of the clearest statements in the Old Testament about
eternal life, and the resurrection of the dead, is given to us by the
prophet Daniel:

Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will

awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace
and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2).

Then there are two statements from the book of Proverbs,

beginning with chapter 11, verse 4:
 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness
delivers from death (NIV).

You can spend your life piling up money and wealth. But as
everybody knows, you cannot take it with you. Death is the end of all
that. Whatever benefit your wealth afforded you in life, it will do you
no good whatever in death. On the other hand, the proverb says
righteousness delivers from death. Righteousness is a way of escape
from the bitterness and the crushing burden of death. Shouldn’t more
people be paying attention to this truth?
The same sentiment is stated in Proverbs 14:32:

When calamity comes, the wicked are brought down, but

even in death the righteous seek refuge in God (NIV).

Another translation of this verse says the righteous “have

confidence,” or “have hope.” Notice again, “ When calamity comes,
the wicked are brought down.” The wicked have no answer for
calamity. It snuffs them out and finishes them off as far as this life is
concerned. But even in death, the righteous have a refuge.

LIGHT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

Let’s now look to the New Testament to see what it has to say
about the refuge the righteous have in their death. What the Old
Testament states briefly concerning hope in death is brought fully out
into the open, in the light of the New Testament.
In Second Timothy 1:9-10, Paul speaks about the grace that we
receive through faith in Jesus Christ. He emphasizes to us that this
grace did not begin in time, but that it is eternal. It was in the mind of
God before creation ever took place. This is what he says, in very
vivid and powerful words:
 This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the
beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through
the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has
destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel (NIV).

Those beautiful words of Paul help you and me to know that we

are not an accident looking for somewhere to happen. You and I are
part of God’s eternal plan. Before the world was created He knew you
—He knew your name. He had a plan for your life. Once He had
chosen you in Christ, He gave you the grace that would be needed for
you to fulfill His eternal plan for your life.
However, God’s plan was not revealed until Jesus came. Jesus, by
His own death and resurrection, “ has destroyed death and has
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Isn’t that a
beautiful phrase? The word “gospel” means “good news.” This is
surely good news! What a life-changing encouragement to know that
Jesus Christ, on our behalf, has destroyed death. In place of death, He
has made life and immortality available to everyone who believes.

THE HOPE THAT IS OURS

This “good news” is more fully unfolded by Paul in First
Thessalonians 4:13–18. We will consider this important passage verse
by verse, beginning in verse 13:

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed

about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve
like the rest of mankind, who have no hope (NIV).

This verse echoes a verse we read previously (Ephesians 2:11-12)

which also speaks of “ those who have no hope, who are without
Christ .” What tragic words those are! Did you know that the Bible
speaks about death as “falling asleep” only if it is referring to the
death of a believer? The meaning is clear. He or she may have “fallen
asleep,” but they are going to awaken. In the next verse Paul gives the
reason why we do not need to grieve like those who have no hope:

For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we

believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have
fallen asleep in him (1 Thessalonians 4:14 NIV).

The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of our resurrection if

we are believers in Him. We are identified with Him in death, in
burial, and in glorious resurrection. In verse 15, Paul continues:

According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are

still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will
certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep (1
Thessalonians 4:15 NIV).

Let me clarify what Paul is saying: Those believers who are alive
on earth when the Lord returns will not meet the Lord any sooner
than those who have already died, because those who have died will
be resurrected first. Then both the living and those who have died will
be caught up to meet the Lord together.

THREE GLORIOUS SOUNDS

Paul brings all of this to its culmination in the next three verses.
Let’s begin with verse 16:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a
loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with
the trumpet call of God (NIV).
 Three glorious sounds are going to be heard at that instant! First
will be the Lord’s “loud command.” This is referring to the command
of the Lord Jesus to the believing dead to come out of their graves.
You see, when Jesus gave that one command to Lazarus to come out
of the grave, Lazarus came out, but Jesus had to name him
specifically. He said, “Lazarus, come out.” Because if Jesus had not
named him specifically, but simply said, “Come out,” all the dead
would have come out! When Jesus returns, it will be different. He is
going to call forth out of the dead all those who have died in Him.
That will be His loud command.
The second sound will be the voice of the archangel calling the
whole creation to attend to what God is doing. Finally, there will be
the trumpet call of God. In the Bible, one of the purposes of a trumpet
call is to gather God’s people together for a solemn meeting, which in
this case will be the meeting of God’s people in the air with Jesus.
So there is the command of the Lord, the voice of the archangel,
and the trumpet call of God. What happens next?

The dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are
still alive and are left will be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be
with the Lord forever (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17 NIV).

I like that word “forever.” It means there will be no more

separation from the presence of the Lord, or from our dear ones. If
you have ever stood at the deathbed of a loved one who knows the
Lord, there is a parting. There is a sadness, and there is a grief. I have
experienced that in my own life. But I know that such moments are
not a final parting. They are only for a time. There will be a reunion!
We will be reunited with the Lord. When we are being reunited with
the Lord, we will be reunited with one another.
You see, there is such awful heaviness, such awful bitterness in
the death of those who do not know the Lord. But there is such
wonderful assurance and peace in the death and passing of those who
do. That is why Paul concludes by saying in First Thessalonians 4:18,
“ Therefore encourage one another with these words ” (NIV).
These are days in which we need encouraging words. As we close
this chapter, let me encourage you with those words of hope. If you
know Jesus, death is not the end. In reality, it is the doorway into a
new and glorious eternity. You will not forever be separated from the
loved ones who know Him. We shall all be reunited with the Lord
and with one another. “And so we will be with the Lord forever.” If
that isn’t reason enough for us to have great hope, even in the face of
death, I don’t know what is.
 Chapter 8

HOPE FOR CREATION

IN THE TWO PREVIOUS CHAPTERS WE CONSIDERED what the Bible

has to say about hope in two successive phases of human experience.
First, hope during life in this world. Second, hope in death.
Perhaps you are a mature and faithful Christian, but you find
yourself in a baffling struggle to live in hope. I know that battle,
because I fought it myself. So I want to begin this chapter with a clear
statement about hope, grounded in the teaching of the written Word
of God: We who are committed to Jesus Christ, walking in His
purposes, can have hope. You and I can have hope .
First of all, we can have hope in this life because God is making
everything work together for good. This is what He has promised in
His Word: “And we know that God causes all things to work together
for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to
His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
This means that no matter what the appearances are, no matter
what the situation is, the hand of God is in it. He is making everything
work together for good, if we love Him and are walking in His
purposes.
Second, our hope does not end in this world. Paul says in First
Corinthians 15:19:

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all

 people most to be pitied (NIV).

If our faith does not meet the challenge of death, it is a worthless

faith. It is a deception. But thank God, it does. We have hope—not
only in this life, but also in death.
As I have stated previously, this is not wishful thinking or fantasy.
The biblical basis for all true hope is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
On this basis, the Bible offers us solid grounds for hope in this life, in
death, and beyond the grave.

THORNS AND THISTLES

In this chapter, I am going to broaden our theme still further. We
are going to consider hope for creation—for the whole of creation.
First of all, we need to understand that Adam’s rebellion and fall
did not only affect all of Adam’s descendants (meaning, the entire
human race). Adam’s fall also affected the whole area of creation
over which God had given Adam both authority and responsibility to
rule as God’s vice regent. This is a very important point. Why?
Because we cannot understand the state of reality in the world today
unless we realize that Adam’s fall had a negative effect on the whole
created order, over which he was ruler, for which he was answerable
to God.
Adam’s sin admitted a negative, blighting influence that affected
both the animal and plant kingdoms. Every aspect of creation on this
earth was adversely affected by Adam’s fall. We see a small picture
of this in the words that the Lord spoke to Adam when He challenged
him with the results of his disobedience, in Genesis 3:17-18:

To Adam he [the Lord] said, “Because you listened to your

wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded
 you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ cursed is the ground
because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from
it all the days of your life. It [the ground] will produce
thorns and thistles for you” (NIV).

The ground was cursed because of Adam’s sin. Thorns and thistles
were not the way God intended plants to grow. They are the result of
the negative influence and impairment that came through Adam’s
disobedience. It affected the whole creation. Every time you see
thorns and thistles, just say to yourself, “Those are the evidences that
the earth is under a curse.”

LONGING FOR REDEMPTION

In Romans 8:18–23, Paul gives us a dramatic description of what
is happening in creation at the present moment:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth

comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For
the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of
God to be revealed. [This is the redemption of God’s
believing people.] For the creation was subjected to
frustration [other translations read “vanity” or “futility”],
not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who
subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be
liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the
freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that
the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of
childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we
ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan
inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship,
the redemption of our bodies (NIV).
 Notice the succession of words that give evidence to the curse:
sufferings, frustration, bondage, decay, groaning, pains . You see, the
tragic fall of the first Adam brought a blight—not only on himself and
his descendants, but also on the whole creation. However, the total
redemption achieved by Jesus, the last Adam, extends not only to
Adam and his descendants, but also to all of creation. Therefore,
when man is redeemed, creation will also be redeemed together with
man.
In this present age, however, believers share in that wordless
longing of all creation for the hour of redemption. Paul is saying,
“Not only is creation groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to
the present time. We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the
redemption of our bodies.”
What does Paul mean by “the first fruits of the Spirit”? He is
referring to the revelation of the Holy Spirit within us that enables us
to see beneath the surface, to see what is really going on in the
spiritual realm.
So, creation is groaning, waiting for that glorious day, and we who
have the first fruits of the Spirit are also groaning. We are looking for
a birth of a new age which will be the redemption of man and the
redemption of the earth which was blighted and cursed through man’s
fall.

ALL CREATION YEARNS

This anticipation and expectation of nature for redemption—even
as man is redeemed—is beautifully portrayed by the psalmist in
Psalm 96:11–13:

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea
 resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and
everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for
joy. Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in
righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness (NIV).

In this vivid picture, all creation is waiting for the coming of the
Lord to bring redemption to man and to earth. By way of explaining
that more fully, I want to quote a section from my book, Through the
Psalms . It is a comment on those verses of the psalmist.

Awaiting the Climax

The creation waits in eager expectation for the children of

God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to
frustration, not by its own choice (Romans 8:19–20 NIV).

Man by his rebellion against his Creator brought

corruption and decay upon the whole natural world around
him. That which was blighted through his fall can be
restored only through his redemption. This is the climax
that all nature awaits. Too often man himself loses sight of
this, but the anticipation of nature grows stronger all the
time. With insight given by the Holy Spirit, the psalmist
here interprets the wordless longing of the natural world
around him. In his spirit he senses a hushed anticipation,
like the stillness in a concert auditorium as the conductor
with upraised baton surveys his orchestra to make sure that
each player is ready for the opening note. Heaven above
and earth beneath, seas and fields and trees, all await the
coming of the Lord to restore to them what was lost
through man’s fall. At that moment, like the orchestra as
the baton descends, they will break forth into a symphony
 of praise and jubilation.
How about you and me? Are we as ready as nature is for
that great climax? May God grant that you and I be more
expectant and excited than the trees and the fields and the
seas and the heavens!

In this book, Through the Psalms, every one of these meditations

on the Psalms is followed by what I entitle Faith’s Response . If we
accept the truth presented, we should respond, in turn, to the Lord.
Here is Faith’s Response to the words of the psalmist, and to the truth
which we are embracing.

By Your Spirit, Lord, keep me in continual excited

anticipation of Your coming.

Paul says that if we have the first fruits of the Holy Spirit within
us, we will identify with the groaning and anticipation of nature.
Nature is waiting for the manifestation of its creator, the Lord’s return
in glory. Everything is going to break forth into a glorious symphony
of worship, praise, and thanksgiving. Everything in nature is making
itself ready!
How about you and me? Shouldn’t we be more ready for the
Lord’s return than nature? Shouldn’t we be more excited? Since we
can read the Bible and study the truths of Scripture, shouldn’t we be
“on tiptoe” of expectation, as the J.B. Phillips translation says? You
see, we are in the midst of the birth pangs of a new age. We can groan
now, but we have a sure and certain hope that a new age is going to
be born.
In light of that, let’s take a moment now to offer this faith
response to the Lord:

By Your Spirit, Lord, keep me in continual, excited

anticipation of Your coming.
 Chapter 9

HOPE AS A WEAPON

AS WE CONTINUE OUR STUDY OF HOPE, I TRUST THAT you are

beginning to grasp the theme of hope in a deeper biblical sense than
you may have before. It is my prayer for you that what I have been
sharing in this book will give you a solid scriptural understanding of
what hope is, how important it is, and how you may have it.
The world tends to think of hope as a nice, positive feeling that
cheers us along life’s way and comforts us through the hard times.
Although there is nothing wrong with that kind of hope, unless it is
based on faith it is merely wishful thinking. Most of us aren’t
prepared for the possibility that we could actually lose hope. As we
said earlier, it is not until we begin losing hope (or perhaps have
already lost it) that we realize the depths to which we truly need it.
We not only need hope so we will feel better. We need hope to
survive.
Simply put, losing hope can become a matter of life and death,
which is part of the reason the enemy of our soul tries so hard to rob
us of it. His ultimate goal is to steal, kill, and destroy. But God’s plan
for us is to give us a future and a hope.

“For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the
Lord, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a
future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).
 This is why the Bible teaches us that genuine hope is a spiritual
weapon—a very important one! Have you ever considered hope in
that light? This theme will be the topic of our discussion, not only in
this chapter, but also the next.

PROVISION FOR PROTECTION

To begin this part of our discussion, we need to understand that as
Christians, we are involved in a tremendous spiritual conflict
spanning heaven and earth. Our involvement in this spiritual conflict
is not optional. We have no choice in the matter. It is mandatory.
When we become Christians, as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we are automatically involved in this conflict with the powers of
Satan and of darkness. Nowhere does this battle rage more powerfully
than in our own minds.
Paul speaks about this in Ephesians 6:10–12:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His

might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be
able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. [Notice
we are in direct conflict with the devil.] For our struggle is
not against flesh and blood [Another translation says it is
not against “persons with bodies.” We are struggling
against unseen spiritual forces.], but against the rulers,
against the powers, against the world forces of this
darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the
heavenly places.

Notice that our conflict is not just happening on the earthly plane;
it is also on the heavenly plane. As I said earlier, this conflict spans
heaven and earth. Paul then gives us the practical application of these
verses in Ephesians 6:13:
 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will
be able to resist in the evil day, and having done
everything, to stand firm.

I want to point out to you that we are not born with the armor in
place, even when we are born again. We are born with the potential for
putting on the armor of God. But we must take it up ourselves. It does
not simply drop down on us.

BATTLE READY
In the verses quoted above, we also see that Paul does not say the
evil day may come. He says you and I are going to experience it. Every
one of us will encounter the evil day at some point. Be ready for it.
Be fully armed. Notice his emphasis on the full armor.
As you read the verses that follow, keep in mind that Paul is
identifying specific pieces of armor we will need to face the evil day.

Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth,

and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and
having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of
peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with
which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows
of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians
6:14–17).

We see that there are six pieces of armor, which I will list here:
1.The girdle or belt of truth

2.The breastplate of righteousness

 3.The shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace
4.The shield of faith

5.The helmet of salvation

6.The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God
Actually, the complete list is sevenfold. There are six items of
equipment, plus a seventh weapon. What is that weapon? It is the one
which Charles Wesley, in one of his hymns, calls “the weapon of all
prayer”—praying always with all prayer and supplication in the
Spirit. The next verse, verse 18, tells us more about this additional
weapon.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit,
and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance
and petition for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18).

How do we effectively activate the weapons? Through prayer.

As I studied this list I came to realize that if a believer puts on
each piece of equipment, he is completely protected from the crown
of his head to the soles of his feet—upon one condition. What is that
condition? That he doesn’t turn his back. Why? Because there is no
protection for the back.

STAYING IN THE BATTLE

If you turn your back, if you give up, if you say, “It’s no good, I
can’t do it anymore, I’m giving up,” then you are turning a
defenseless back to the devil. In your despair you may not realize it,
but that is what you are doing. And believe me, the devil will pour in
his fiery darts and wound you in the back. We have to stay facing the
enemy.
What can cause a Christian to give up and turn his defenseless
back to the enemy? Throughout the years of my ministry, I have
consistently seen one circumstance that can cause even the most
dedicated, faithful Christian to give up. It is not tragedy, loss, or a
personal setback. It is hopelessness.
As I have said many times already in this book, the reason I share
such a deep concern for Christians who are struggling with
hopelessness is my own experience. My concern for you stems from a
time in my own life, many years ago, when I was in a desperate battle
with depression. Even though I was a mature Christian, in full-time
ministry, I was losing all hope.
I found out for myself about the wounds that can come from
offering a defenseless back to the enemy because of hopelessness. In
the next chapter, I will share with you how the Holy Spirit, through
the Word of God, not only led me to victory, but taught me how to
maintain that victory throughout the rest of my life. It is my sincere
prayer that my story will encourage you. I believe that if you are in a
difficult battle with hopelessness, the Holy Spirit can do for you what
He did for me.
 Chapter 10

THE HELMET OF HOPE

IN THIS CHAPTER, LET’S FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON THE fifth piece

of our armor—the helmet of salvation, and its unmistakable
connection to what Scripture calls in First Thessalonians 5:8, the
helmet of hope of our salvation.
Each one of the seven pieces of armor that Paul lists in the sixth
chapter of Ephesians is of vital importance for every believer. But
let’s focus now on the fifth item—the helmet of salvation. I will tell
you in this chapter how it has become an essential part of my own
personal victory over depression and hopelessness.
My story begins in the mid-1950s, when I was pastoring a
congregation in London, England. During that time, God was in many
ways blessing my ministry. We regularly saw people saved, healed,
and baptized in the Holy Spirit. Inwardly, however, I was battling a
tremendous, ongoing struggle with depression. Those around me
never had any idea what was going on inside of me. But almost day
and night during this period of my life, I was surrounded by an awful
sense of depression. It took the form of a dark, heavy cloud that
would descend over me—pressing me down, closing in on me, and
shutting me off from normal communication with other people—even
my own family.
Ironically, the more successful I became in my ministry, the worse
the oppression grew. I battled against it in every way that I could. I
prayed. I fasted. I reckoned myself dead. I made resolutions. I got up
early. I stayed up late. I did everything within my power that I knew
to do. But nothing seemed to do any good. In fact, the more I prayed
and fasted, the worse it got.

THE BREAKTHROUGH
Then one day, when I reached the end of all my efforts, God gave
me a wonderful revelation. I read these words from Isaiah 61:3, “ The
garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness ” (NKJV).
Suddenly, as I read those words— the spirit of heaviness —the
Holy Spirit indicated to me, “That’s your problem. It’s not you. It’s
not a mental or a psychological condition. It is a spirit—it is a person
that hates you, that dogs you, that is unseen. It is a person without a
body that has followed you even from boyhood. That person knows
your weakness, so as to know exactly when and how to attack you
most effectively. You are fighting a person, an unseen demonic
person. It is the spirit of heaviness.”
In modern English we would call it the spirit of depression . This
was not psychological. I was not dealing merely with some
entrenched pattern of negative thinking. There was a person—an evil
spirit set against me by Satan himself—tracking me and plotting my
downfall.
Then I saw why the pressure got worse the more I wanted to serve
the Lord. The assignment of this evil spirit was to hinder me in my
service for God. When I was somewhat slack and indifferent in my
ministry, the pressure was lifted. But the more dedicated and earnest I
became, the worse the pressure became.

SET FREE
 At last, I had come to realize the identity of my enemy. With that
realization, I knew I was 80 percent of the way to victory. But the
Lord knew that I only needed one other scripture to bring me the
solution to my problem. He led me to Joel 2:32, which says this:

It shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the

name of the Lord shall be delivered (KJV).

I saw that this promise was just as all-inclusive as John 3:16:

Whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have

everlasting life (KJV).

I knew that these verses were a promise to me of deliverance, and

I said, “That’s for me!” I did not understand the deliverance ministry
in any sense in which we do now. But driven by my own desperate
need, and acting on those promises in faith, I put the two Scriptures
together—Isaiah 61:3 and Joel 2:32. Then I prayed specifically to God,
and I want to emphasize the importance of praying specifically. I
named the spirit, “the spirit of heaviness,” and I claimed God’s own
promise, “Whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be
delivered.”
This was my prayer: “God, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
according to Your Word, I’m asking You to deliver me from this
spirit of heaviness.” When I prayed that specific, scriptural prayer, I
was delivered! The pressure was lifted! I give God all the thanks and
praise for this wonderful, wonderful deliverance.
 Chapter 11

WEARING THE HELMET

AS JOYFUL AS I WAS AT THE TIME OF THE DELIVERANCE I described

in the previous chapter, I quickly learned that it is one thing to be
delivered—it is another challenge altogether to stay delivered. God
began to show me that He had done His part of the job. Now I had to
do my part. I had to learn how to protect my own mind against
thoughts of pessimism, morbidity, and depression.
As I considered how to protect my mind, I remembered these
words in Ephesians 6, “the helmet of salvation.” Immediately I said to
myself, “That’s what I must have— the helmet of salvation.”
So I came to realize my need for this helmet of salvation to protect
my mind. But then I wondered, “What is the helmet of salvation? I
know I’m saved—doesn’t that mean I have the helmet of salvation
already? If I have it already, why do I need to take another step?”
The answer to my questions came when I realized that the people
to whom Paul wrote in Ephesians were like me—they were saved and
had received the Holy Spirit. Yet Paul still told them to put on the
helmet of salvation. Therefore, the fact that a person is saved does not
mean that he or she is wearing the armor. Saved people must still put
on the armor of God. So I began to explore more fully what exactly
the helmet of salvation is.
Fortunately, in the margin of my Bible there was a reference for
the verse about the helmet in Ephesians. It directed me to First
Thessalonians 5:8:

But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on

the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope
of salvation.

This verse refers to two of the pieces of armor that are mentioned
in Ephesians 6. The first is the breastplate. It is very obvious that the
breastplate of faith and love protects the heart. (As I said earlier, faith
is in the heart.)
Then the verse continues: “ And as a helmet, the hope of salvation
.” When I read those words, I felt as if currents of divine electricity
were going right through me! I said to myself, “That’s the helmet—
it’s hope!”

RECLAIMING MY MIND
Faith is in the heart and protects the heart. But hope is in the mind
and protects the mind. Immediately I saw that one of my biggest
problem areas in my life was in the realm of my mind. All through
my life, the devil had been continually reaching in and defeating me
through my mind. His attack on my mind came in two ways.
The first way was through my education. I happened to have had
the privilege of a very elaborate, prolonged, and scholarly education,
especially in the area of analytical thinking. I discovered that the
more highly refined and cultivated a person’s mind is, the more
vulnerable that person can be to Satan. Why? In my case, I realized
that the more I trusted in and relied upon my own mind, the more
Satan could use it against me. I was going to have to learn how to
reclaim control of my mind.
Second, I realized that all through my life I had been a habitual
pessimist. Not only that, the whole of my family background was one
of pessimism. I respect my parents and I am grateful for their
memory, but they were steeped in anxiety and pessimism. I would
have to say that in my family if you were not worrying about
something, you ought to be worrying about the fact you were not
worrying! As a result, I was totally imbued with this spirit of
worrying and pessimism.
God then began to reveal to me that this pessimism was actually a
denial of my faith. If I truly believed the gospel, I could not be a
pessimist. In earlier chapters, we considered several scriptures which
teach this very clearly, especially Romans 8:28:

And we know that God causes all things to work together

for good to those who love God, to those who are called
according to His purpose.

God said in effect, “I’ve delivered you from a spirit of depression.

Now, it is up to you to put on the helmet of salvation, which is the
helmet of hope.” As a result, I began a process of retraining my mind.
I had to cultivate a totally different outlook, different reactions,
different mental patterns. Every time a negative or pessimistic
thought would come to my mind I would refuse to yield to it. I also
quoted and memorized helpful Scriptures that became a scriptural
foundation for not being a pessimist, but for being an optimist!
Changes did not happen overnight, or even in a period of months.
Change happened over a period of years. However, I can testify that I
became a totally different person from what I was before this
experience. I am now a scriptural, Bible-believing optimist. In
addition, thanks to what God showed me in Scripture, I keep my
helmet on day and night. I never take that helmet off—the helmet of
optimistic hope. It is a helmet that ensures faith in God and hope in
Him, and protects my mind against all the dark forces of pessimism
and depression.
 BREAKING THE CHAINS
In the years since my deliverance, I have helped many people who
have suffered from prolonged, serious depression. I have come to the
conclusion that in almost every case, it is connected with involvement
in the occult.
This was true in my own situation. Before I became a believer, my
involvement in the occult had been quite extensive, particularly in the
field of yoga. It was not until many years later that I saw the
connection between my involvement with yoga and the spirit of
depression.
My ministry in the area of deliverance has spanned many decades
now. I can tell you clearly that whenever I deal with a person who has
prolonged, serious bouts of depression, it is usually a signal to me that
somewhere along the line, they have trespassed into Satan’s territory
in the realm of the occult. If you are depressed and you suspect that
occult involvement is part of the issue, it is of the utmost importance
that you deal with that issue. You must first take back the ground that
has been given to the enemy. In fact, for me to tell you to cultivate
new thought patterns would be like a drill sergeant giving orders to a
group of soldiers who are fettered. They can hear the orders, but their
feet can’t move to carry the orders out.
Deliverance is an essential part of God’s provision. If your
depression or hopelessness is a demonic problem, then step number
one is deliverance from the demon. Once that is dealt with, step
number two is to begin a “retraining program”—to bring your
thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 1
 NOTE
1. If you believe your hopelessness or depression is possibly the result of
demonic oppression, additional teaching on this topic is available in The
Basics of Deliverance CD set and study guide by Derek Prince. Please
contact either Destiny Image Publications at destinyimage.com or Derek
Prince Ministries at derekprince.org to obtain these materials.
 Chapter 12

HOPE AS AN ANCHOR

IN OUR PREVIOUS TWO CHAPTERS, I SHARED MY personal story of

how the Lord brought me through a difficult battle with hopelessness
into lasting victory. Through the Scriptures, He led me to understand
that hope is absolutely essential, a vital piece of spiritual armor. Had I
never gone through that desperate crisis, I might never have gained
the proper understanding of the place of hope in the life of the
believer and its importance for the protection of our minds. This
understanding has set me free and changed my life.
My testimony of wearing the helmet of hope—every day and night
—can be yours as well. It is my prayer that what I have shared will
help you to always put on the helmet of hope.
In this closing chapter, I want to present you with another
beautiful picture of hope as an anchor of the soul. This is not only a
beautiful aspect of hope. As we shall see, it is another practical tool
for allowing hope to govern our lives!

PICTURES FROM HEBREWS

To begin, we are going to explore a lengthy passage from
Hebrews 6:11–20, which actually gives us two pictures of hope. The
first is as the horns of an altar. The second is as an anchor of the soul.
Let’s begin at verse 11:
 And we desire that each one of you show the same
diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until
the end.

Please notice that the emphasis is on maintaining hope until the

end. This thought parallels the perseverance of hope which we have
discussed in an earlier chapter.

So that you will not be sluggish [or lazy], but imitators of

those who through faith and patience inherit the promises
(Hebrews 6:12).

FAITH AND PATIENCE

The writer of Hebrews then gives us Abraham as the example of
an individual who inherited the promises through faith and patience:

For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He

could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
saying, “I will surely bless you and I will surely multiply
you.” And so, having patiently waited, he [Abraham]
obtained the promise (Hebrews 6:13–14).

Immediately, the writer goes on to explain why God swore to

Abraham with an oath:

For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with

them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every
dispute. In the same way God, desiring even more to show
to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His
purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two
unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to
lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong
 encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us
(Hebrews 6:16–18).

We need to emphasize some important truths before we continue.

First, hope must be maintained until the end; it is associated with
diligence, faith, perseverance, and patience. In fact, hope is the key to
perseverance and patience.
Notice also that God desires that our confidence should be based
upon two unchangeable pillars. The first is His Word; the second is
His oath. God’s spoken word really is sufficient. However, in certain
situations, to convince us that He absolutely means what He says and
will never go back on His word, He confirms the word He has given us
by His oath.
The writer of Hebrews then makes a practical application to hope:

That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for

God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have
fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us
(Hebrews 6:18 NKJV).

HOPE AS A REFUGE
There is the first picture of hope we talked about earlier—it is a
refuge. In order to fully appreciate what the writer is saying, we need
to understand the Old Testament custom from which this picture is
taken.
In Old Testament times, when a man was being pursued by an
enemy who was attempting to take his life, there was one place where
he was guaranteed security. If he could run to the altar of God and
catch hold of the horns of the altar (on the altar there were four horns,
one at each corner) no one would dare to pull that man away from the
horns of the altar. (See First Kings 1:50–53.)
Here is what the writer of Hebrews is saying: Hope is like taking
hold of the horns of the altar. When the enemy is pursuing you, when
he is breathing down your neck to the point that there seems to be no
way of escape, your place of refuge is the horns of the altar. Find
them. Cling to them.
What are the horns of the altar? The horns of the altar represent
the hope God has given us in these two immutable gifts: first, His
word ; second, His oath . If, as you are reading this, you are under
intense pressure, wondering where to turn, I recommend you turn to
the altar. The altar is the place of sacrifice that represents the death of
Jesus Christ on our behalf. Lay hold of the horns of hope there at that
altar. When you do, you will be secure. Because the enemy, the
accuser, and the avenger will not be able to follow you there.

HOPE AS AN ANCHOR
The second picture of hope in this passage is in verses 19 and 20.
To me, this analogy is the most beautiful of all the pictures of hope.
Because of my own struggles and need for hope, it is the principle
that means so much to me personally. This is what the writer of
Hebrews says:

This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both

sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil
[the second veil into the Holy of Holies], where Jesus has
entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high
priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek
(Hebrews 6:19–20).

In this passage, hope is pictured as an anchor of the soul. It is

described as sure and steadfast. In addition, this anchor enters in
within the veil. It passes out of time into eternity. It is fastened into
the Rock of Ages, attached to the very presence of Almighty God.
I found this beautiful passage when I was struggling with the
pessimism that dogged my steps. My background as a philosopher
prompted me to approach this passage analytically and logically. As I
meditated on these words, I carried on a dialogue within myself.
I said, “Hope is an anchor.”
Then I asked, “What needs an anchor?”
I answered my own question: “A boat needs an anchor.”
“Why does a boat need an anchor?”
“Because a boat is made to float on water, which is a totally
unstable element.”
My thought process was absolutely correct. There is nothing in
water that you can fasten on to that will keep you from being tossed
about by the waves. Therefore, in order to be held secure, the boat
must pass its anchor through the unstable water into some completely
secure object that will hold it steady. The best example is a rock.
When I thought about my own life, I had to admit: “Sometimes I
feel I’m like that little boat tossed to and fro on the waves.”
Without question, I recognized that all human beings live in a
world which is temporal, impermanent, and insecure. There is nothing
for us to fasten on to in this world which will guarantee us security.
Therefore, for true stability, we must have an anchor which passes out
of time into eternity. It must pass out of the temporal, the material, the
unstable, and the changeable into something that is permanent,
unchangeable, totally stable, and secure.

OUR FORERUNNER
 As I pondered this undeniable truth, I saw so clearly and
beautifully that the anchor I have is my hope in Jesus. It is not
restricted to time. It does not depend upon material possessions. Its
security is not found in the frailty of human beings and human
institutions. It is based on two unchangeable provisions in which it is
impossible for God to lie—His word and His oath.
You and I can pass our anchor right out of time into the immediate
presence of God. We can pass beyond that second veil into that holy
place where Jesus has already entered as my personal representative
—my forerunner and my high priest. Trusting in Jesus, I am not
limited to this world or to the constraints of time. All the treasures of
this world upon which people depend for security are transient—they
are going to pass away. But my anchor of eternal hope reaches out
beyond this world into the immediate presence of God.
It is so profound to realize what the writer of Hebrews says:

Where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having

become a high priest forever according to the order of
Melchizedek (Hebrews 6:20).

The function of our High Priest is to represent before God those

who trust in Him. The writer of Hebrews is also referring to Jesus as
our High Priest when he says:

He is able also to save forever those who draw near to

God through Him, since He always lives to make
intercession for them (Hebrews 7:25).

Our High Priest, who is in the immediate presence of God, is

always making intercession for us. He never sleeps. He is never going
to die because He lives forever. He is our personal representative
before Almighty God. The writer of Hebrews also tells us that “Jesus
Christ the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He
is the eternal rock in which our hope is anchored.

OUR ETERNAL ROCK

As we conclude this chapter and bring this book to a close, let’s
take a moment to reflect on the profound truth of our hope being
anchored to the eternal rock, Jesus Christ.
Everything around us may, at times, seem unstable and shaky—a
swirl of change and uncertainty. It can be enough to cause us to slip
into fear, dismay, and hopelessness. But then comes the picture of us
throwing out our anchor by faith, calling out the name of Jesus as we
do. At His name, our anchor passes through unstable time into
eternity—sinking deep into the Rock of Ages, holding strong and
firm in Jesus.
Can we end with a simple prayer of thanks?

Thank You, Jesus, that the hope I have is firmly anchored

in You. By Your word and Your oath, I come to You as my
refuge and the anchor of my soul. Thank You, Lord, that
instead of being tossed to and fro by every wave that hits, I
am stable and secure in You. I fully place my life and my
trust in You. You alone are my hope in a hopeless world.
Amen.

Now that you have told the Lord that He is your hope, please add
to that prayer this powerful proclamation:

PROCLAMATION FOR
UNSHAKABLE HOPE
 My God turns my darkness into light. 1
The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in Him! 2
I will call upon the Lord and He will be with me
In difficult times, He will deliver
me. He is my salvation. 3
God sees my trouble and considers my grief. 4
He is my Helper. 5
I destroy every obstacle that keeps
me from knowing God.
I take all negative thoughts captive
And teach them to obey Christ. 6
The God of hope fills me with all joy and peace,
So that I may overflow with hope by
the power of the Holy Spirit. 7
When doubts fill my mind,
His comfort gives me new hope and cheer. 8
I’m anxious about nothing,
but in every situation
I tell the Lord, with thanksgiving, my needs.
The peace of God, which surpasses
all my own thinking,
Will guard my heart and my
mind in Christ Jesus.
Whatever is true, noble and right, pure, lovely
And excellent, I think about such things. 9
God will uphold me with His
righteous right hand. 10
God will restore, support, and strengthen me,
And He will place me on a firm foundation. 11
The Lord has plans to prosper me,
not to harm me.
He has plans to give me hope and a future. 12
1. Psalm 18:28 NIV

2. Lamentations 3:24 NLT

3. Psalm 91:15-16 NIV

4. Psalm 10:14 NIV

5. Psalm 118:7 NIV

6. 2 Corinthians 10:5 NLT

7. Romans 15:13 NIV

8. Psalm 94:19 NLT

9. Philippians 4:6-8 NIV

10. Isaiah 41:10 NIV

11. 1 Peter 5:10 NLT

12. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
 ABOUT DEREK PRINCE

Derek Prince (1915–2003) founded Derek Prince Ministries

International and authored more than eighty books during his lifetime.
He studied at Eton College, Cambridge University, and at the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem. His daily radio broadcast, Derek Prince
Legacy Radio, still reaches listeners around the world.
 OTHER BOOKS BY DEREK PRINCE:

They Shall Expel Demons

Pulling Down Strongholds
Secrets of a Prayer Warrior
Prayers & Proclamations
Rules of Engagement
Entering the Presence of God Lucifer Exposed
The Gifts of the Spirit
Called to Conquer
Fasting
The Holy Spirit in You
Spiritual Warfare
Bought with Blood