Joel Osteen - Outlast The Opposition
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Joel Osteen encourages believers to develop «staying power» and outlast opposition—whether illness, injustice, or difficulty—rather than always expecting instant defeat of enemies, using David outlasting Saul, Moses facing Pharaoh’s stubbornness, and Joseph enduring betrayal as examples; some victories come through sustaining faith and stubborn determination until God removes the obstacle.
Outlast the Opposition
I want to talk to you today about «Outlast the Opposition.» We all have things that come against us in life: people that are not fair, we are dealing with an illness, our business has slowed down. We are praying, believing, doing the right thing—but nothing is changing.
It is easy to get discouraged and think that it is never going to improve. But the way you win some battles is not by defeating the opposition, but by outlasting the opposition. You have to have staying power.
You cannot be weak and give up because it is not happening on your timetable. Some enemies are stubborn—you have to outlast the trouble at work, outlast the difficulty in your marriage, outlast the slow season in your finances. We want God to deliver us from the attack, but if He is not changing it, it is real simple: you have to outlast the attack.
A Holy Determination
Sometimes we feel like God has forgotten about us—we have seen Him turn situations around in the past, but this problem seems like it is never going to go away. No, God is still going to turn it around, but this time He is going to do it a different way.
You have to have a holy determination—a made-up mind where you dig your heels in and say, «I am in it for the long haul. Quitting is not an option. I am going to outlast this sickness; I am going to outlast the addiction; I am going to outlast this injustice.»
David and Saul
This is what David did. He defeated Goliath in five minutes—no big deal. God favored him, and he quickly brought down that huge giant; overnight he became a national hero.
But there was another man named King Saul that was against David. Saul was on the throne of Israel when God promised David the throne. God could have had David defeat Saul like he defeated Goliath—quickly, no problem. But this time was very different.
David had been anointed to be the next king. After he defeated Goliath, he left the shepherds' fields and went to the palace to serve King Saul. But Saul was jealous of David—he could see the favor on his life.
One time David was playing the harp for Saul, trying to make him feel better—Saul threw a spear at David and barely missed him. David had to run for his life; he spent months in the desert, in hiding, living in caves—with Saul and his men constantly on his trail trying to kill David.
It was not fair—David had not done anything wrong; he was being good to Saul. You would think that God would stop Saul, vindicate David, and put him on the throne like He promised. But God does not do things the same way.
For some victories we have to prove we will do the right thing when the wrong thing is happening. We have to be good to people when they are not being good to us. We have to stay in faith when it is unfair—when it is taking longer than we thought, when we do not see how it is going to work out.
How Bad Do You Want It?
How bad do you want what God promised you? If you give up easily, you do not want it bad enough. If you let people talk you out of it—bad breaks discourage you, or delays cause you to quit believing—that will keep you from God’s best.
There are two kinds of faith: delivering faith and sustaining faith. Delivering faith is when God instantly turns it around—that is when we defeat our Goliath. We do not have to wait; we do not have to endure—God suddenly shows out in our life. We believe in delivering faith; we have all seen that.
But most of the time we are going to need sustaining faith—that is when God takes us through the difficulty, through the challenge. He could turn it around right now; He could change it in an instant. But if God did that every time, our faith would never develop—would never grow like it should.
Sustaining Faith in the Struggle
Something happens in the struggle—when our mind says, «It is never going to work out,» but in our heart we know, «What God promised is on the way.» Our mind tells us, «You are wasting your time—there is no use even believing.» But you just keep on keeping on—keep on trusting God, keep on thanking Him that it is on the way. That is sustaining faith.
And do not expect everything to be easy; do not expect every person to be for you. Just because it has not happened yet does not mean it is not going to happen. The victory is on the other side of the opposition.
It takes staying power—a made-up mind, someone that is not moved by the circumstances.
At one point David saw Saul and his men sleeping. David snuck up on them and could have easily taken Saul’s life. This was his big moment to get revenge—to pay him back, to put an end to the misery that Saul was causing him.
But David would not do it. Saul had been anointed to be the king; David knew «touch not God’s anointed.» Had he taken matters into his own hands, that would have kept him from the throne.
You have to pass the test of honoring those that are in authority—not because they are doing right, but because of their position.
Let God Vindicate You
It is easy to be disrespectful to people when they are being disrespectful to us. It is easy to want to vindicate ourselves: «Here is my big chance—pay them back, get revenge, make them look bad—after all, they did it to me.» No—stay on the high road; let God be your vindicator; let Him pay your enemies back.
He sees what is happening; He sees the injustice; He sees the wrongs. If you will leave it up to God, He will vindicate you better than you can vindicate yourself.
Month after month David kept doing the right thing. He could have been sour: «God, it was easy to defeat Goliath—why is this taking so long?» But David understood some opposition you have to outlast.
If you get discouraged, worn down—it is never going to happen—that is going to keep you from what God has in store.
Thirteen years after David was chosen to be king—after all the hiding, being mistreated—King Saul was killed in a battle. Saul was suddenly taken away, and David became the king.
What is interesting is David never defeated Saul—he just outlasted Saul. When you let God fight your battles, He will get you to where you are supposed to be.
Some of the challenges that you are facing—things that are not changing, you are being your best, it is not improving—that is like David: you have to outlast that opposition.
Do not worry about defeating it—if you will just outlast it, you will see the victory. God will take care of your Sauls. You keep honoring God, and you will not even have to fight—God will move the wrong people out of the way; He will open doors you could not open; He will turn that situation in your health around.
Endure to Receive the Prize
Now outlast the sickness; outlast the loneliness; outlast the trouble at work. You have to tap into your staying power. The scripture says (Matthew 24:13), «He who endures to the end will receive the prize.»
Do not give up in the middle; do not get discouraged because it is not happening as fast as you would like—your time is coming.
A friend of mine works for this big company for years. His supervisor was against him—he was always putting him down, trying to make him look bad. The supervisor even went to the main boss to try to get this man fired—but the boss would not do it.
The boss took all of his other recommendations—why would not he take this one? Because God is in control of your life—not the boss, not people, not a sickness, not an addiction. God has the final say.
This supervisor was constantly spreading rumors about the man—trying to poison the other employees. But this man—my friend—he just kept doing the right thing, overlooking the offense, being good to other people. I never heard him complain; I never saw him discouraged—and this went on for years.
One morning this supervisor was called into the main office. He had been working for the company for over 20 years—looked like he would retire there. But that day he was unexpectedly terminated—they let him go.
A few minutes later they called my friend in—out of all the people there, they gave him the supervisor’s position. He said, «Joel, I do not have the qualifications—there were other people in front of me. But for some reason they chose me to head up the whole department.»
The Trap the Enemy Set
The scripture says the trap the enemy set for you, they will fall in themselves. You may have people coming against you—trying to make you look bad, discredit you. You do not have to fight those battles—just outlast them.
Keep doing the right thing; keep being faithful each day—and God will take care of what is trying to stop you.
Are you frustrated over what is not changing—you are praying and believing, and it is not improving? It is because that is not a Goliath—that is a Saul. You cannot pray it away; you cannot make it work out—you have to outlast it.
Now trust God’s timing. God knows what He promised you; He knows what He put in your heart—and at the right time it will come to pass.
Moses and Stubborn Pharaoh
In the book of Exodus, God told Moses to go tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go—they had been in slavery for many years. Moses told God that he did not want to go—that Pharaoh would not listen to him. He finally went—but just like Moses thought, Pharaoh basically laughed: «Moses, who are you to tell me what to do? You have no authority here—I do not have to listen to you.»
Moses went back and said, «God, I told You it would not work out—I told You he would not listen to me.»
What is interesting is the scripture says (Exodus 7:3) God caused Pharaoh to be stubborn so He could show His power in a greater way. God had Moses go back and tell him again and again—but God already knew Pharaoh would say no; He caused him to harden his heart.
Moses could have thought, «God, I give up—I am doing what You asked me to do, but it is not making any difference.» No—Moses kept doing the right thing even though nothing was changing.
Everything in him said, «You are wasting your time—it would have happened by now; this man is never going to change his mind.» He had to outlast Pharaoh’s stubbornness.
I wonder if you are upset about an enemy that God is causing to be stubborn. He is not letting it turn around yet because He is going to use that situation to catapult you to a new level.
All you can see is «Nothing is improving"—what you cannot see is what God is about to do: the doors He is about to open, the healing, the vindication, the favor, the promotion that is coming.
And yes, you may have some stubborn enemies—the good news is they are not too stubborn for our God. He would not have allowed it if He was not going to bring you out better.
Stubborn Faith
And you have to get your fire back—dig your heels in a little bit deeper and show the enemy you are more determined than he is. God did not bring you this far to leave you—He did not let the Pharaoh say no because he is more powerful. God is setting you up to show out in your life.
He allowed that opposition not to stop you, but to promote you. Now you have to be more stubborn in your faith than the stubborn things that come against you.
That sickness may be stubborn—you cannot seem to get well. That is okay—I am more stubborn than the sickness: «I will live and not die. Father, thank You that healing is coming—thank You that the number of my days You will fulfill.»
That financial difficulty may be stubborn—it has been hindering my family line for generations. Can I tell you? I am more stubborn: «I will lend and not borrow. Lord, thank You that abundance is coming my way—that what I touch will prosper and succeed.»
Moses went back and told Pharaoh again and again, «Let them go.» Pharaoh was stubborn—but Moses was more stubborn.
Every time the opposition tells you «No,» you need to go back and tell it «Yes» one more time. Do not let the enemy have the last word—keep speaking faith over your life; keep declaring favor; keep calling yourself blessed, healthy, strong, victorious.
Enemies You Will See No More
Well, Pharaoh finally decided to let them go. These two million Israelites headed toward the Promised Land. It was not long before Pharaoh changed his mind—came chasing after them.
It looked like a setback, but really it was God setting them up. The Israelites were at a dead end at the Red Sea—they had nowhere to go. But just because you run out of options does not mean God has run out of options.
God told the Israelites (Exodus 14:13): the enemies you see today, you will see no more. The Red Sea parted; the Israelites walked through on dry ground. When Pharaoh and the army came chasing after them, the waters closed up—they were all drowned; they saw those enemies no more.
You may have situations that do not look like they are ever going to work out—God is saying to you what He said to them: that depression you are about to see no more—that is not your destiny. That struggle in your finances—you cannot seem to get ahead—you are about to see that enemy of lack no more; God is about to release you into abundance.
The sickness that is hindering you, the addiction, the loneliness, the anxiety—you might as well have a going-away party: you are going to see them no more.
This is a new day—God is doing a new thing. Now you need to keep this tenacity in your spirit. This is not the time to be weak and slack off—get worn down. You have been armed with strength for every battle—you are not weak; you are well able to outlast what is trying to stop you.
Joel’s Personal Experience
Over these last twenty-plus years that I have been pastoring, I have had to learn to outlast some things. When I first stepped up to minister, every thought told me that I could not do it—that I was not qualified, that I did not have the talent.
I tried to push them down, but they kept coming back up—they were stubborn. I could not pray them away; I could not believe them away—I had to outlast the insecurity, outlast the fear, outlast the intimidation.
I wish I could tell you if you have enough faith—if you are bold enough and confident enough—then you will never have to fight fear or discouragement or people coming against you. But that is not the case. Some things you just have to outlast—you have to be more determined than what is trying to hold you back.
Twenty years later I do not fight those thoughts anymore—the enemies I saw back then I do not see today.
What am I saying? Do not get stuck in the middle—do not believe the lies that where you are is permanent, you will always be that way. No—outlast that opposition; keep believing; keep reprogramming your thinking; keep thanking God that He is bigger than what you are facing.
A few years after I started pastoring, the church began to really grow—more people started watching. That was great, but with the greater exposure comes more critics—people that do not understand you and people that do not want you to succeed.
At first I was not sure how it was going to work out—seemed like every week someone was coming against us, trying to discredit us. But I never debated with people; I did not try to change their minds—I just kept running my race, being my best, honoring God.
About ten years in I felt this weight lift off of me. It was as if God said, «Okay, Joel—you have outlasted your critics; you passed this test. The enemies you see today you will see no more.»
Sure, I still have a few critics—maybe a couple—but people cannot keep you from your destiny. God being for you is more than the world being against you.
My encouragement: do not fight with your critics—just outlast them. Let your actions speak for you; let your success do the talking.
Stand Firm and Immovable
Paul said in Ephesians 6:13, «Having done all to stand.» He was saying when you have done everything you know how to do—you have done your best to get well, you have treated people good that were not good to you, you have worked hard but you have not seen increase—what do you do? Get discouraged, give up, think it is not going to happen? No—just stand.
Standing is trusting God—knowing that He is in control. When you are standing, you are not frustrated by what is not happening; you are not complaining about how long it is taking—you are at peace; you are at rest. You know what God started in your life He is going to finish.
The amplified version says, «Stand firm, immovable"—that means you are not moved by the medical report; you are not moved by how your child is acting; you are not moved by the contract that did not go through. You are steadfast—you keep believing; you keep thanking God; you keep being your best.
Quitting is not an option—giving up is not in your mindset. You know what God promised is on the way. If it has not happened yet—no big deal; I am going to keep standing.
Somebody asks you, «Are you still believing to get well? You have had that sickness a long time—I saw the medical report—what are you going to do?» I am going to stand—I am going to keep trusting God; I am going to keep thanking Him that healing is coming; I am going to keep declaring that I am healthy, whole, and strong.
«Well, how long are you going to stand?» I am going to stand until I see what God promised come to pass.
God is looking for people who have stubborn faith. Anyone can get discouraged; anyone can say, «Pharaoh said no—it is not going to happen.» If you are going to reach your destiny, you have to make up your mind you are going to stand—no matter what comes against you and no matter how long it takes.
Paul’s Stubborn Faith
The apostle Paul outlasted betrayals, shipwrecks, beatings, being lied about. He had plenty of opportunities to give up—he could have said, «God, it is not fair—all these things have come against me.» Instead he had stubborn faith.
He said in Acts 20:24, «None of these things move me.» He was not moved by the opposition, by the bad breaks, by how unfair it was. He just kept standing—he went on to write over half of the books in the New Testament.
We need to get to the point where we can say like Paul, «None of these things move me—not moved by the economy, not moved by what is not working out. I have a made-up mind—I am going to keep standing, keep trusting, keep believing. I am going to outlast what is trying to stop me.»
This is one time that it is good to be stubborn—you are not going to be talked out of what God put in your heart.
The Persistent Bumblebee
I was at the beach one time when our children were small. Alexandra was three, and Jonathan was six. We were having a fun time making castles in the sand when this little yellow bumblebee came and landed right beside us.
Well, Alexandra screamed and took off running—and I just swatted it away, and we went back to play. Thirty seconds later the bumblebee was right back—flying all around us, and the kids started screaming again.
I got my towel and swatted it down to the ground—I thought I showed him who is boss. A minute later he was right back—buzzing back and forth, annoying us.
This time I not only swatted him to the ground, but I got my tennis shoe and squashed him in the sand as hard as I could. I thought I am tired of dealing with him.
A couple of minutes later I looked over just to make sure he was still dead—I could not believe it: I saw one wing barely start to move; I saw this other wing rise up out of the sand. He walked around for a few seconds like he was dazed.
I was amazed—not only that he was still alive, but that he could get back up again. About that time he took off flying in the air away from me—and just when I thought we were through with him, he turned around and headed straight back toward us.
I thought you have got to be kidding—this bee is like the Terminator: «I will be back.» He came and buzzed by my head like four or five times—I had to dodge to miss him. Alexandra said, «Dad, get the towel.» I said, «No, Alexandra—this bee deserves to live. I am a thousand times bigger than him, and I still could not kill him.»
When life tries to push you down—step on your dream, squash your health—you have got to do like that little bumblebee and get back up again. Outlast what is trying to defeat you.
The power in you is greater than any power that is trying to stop you. The scripture says (Proverbs 24:16), «A good person falls seven times but gets back up again.»
You have comeback power—God would not have allowed the adversity if it was going to finish you off. It is just another step on the way to your destiny.
Joseph’s Story
We see this with Joseph: he was betrayed by his brothers, thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, lied about, put in prison—it was one bad break after another. Thirteen years of injustice, disappointments—surely he would be bitter, discouraged.
No—he understood this principle; he just kept standing, kept doing the right thing. One day while he was in prison for something that he did not do, the guards came and said the Pharaoh wanted to see him—the leader of the country.
He did not have an appointment with him; he had never met the man. But when it is your time to be promoted, all the forces of darkness cannot hold you back.
When you pass this test of outlasting the opposition, the good breaks will come looking for you—the healing will come to you; the right people will find you. It will happen unexpectedly, out of the ordinary.
Joseph went and interpreted the dream for Pharaoh—he was so impressed he made Joseph the prime minister of Egypt.
When we study Joseph’s life, we realize God was not asking him to defeat his brothers; He was not asking him to break out of the pit, to escape captivity. God was simply asking him to outlast the opposition—that all had to happen for him to become the prime minister.
Some of the challenges that you are facing—things that bother you, you cannot sleep well—you are wondering why it is not changing. God is not asking you to overcome it—He is just asking you to outlast it.
It is all a part of His plan—it is necessary to get you to your destiny. Yes, the Pharaohs may be stubborn; things may not be improving yet—stay encouraged. God is still in control; He has you in the palm of His hand.
What He has promised you is on the way. Now do your part—keep standing; do not be moved by what is not changing; have this stubborn faith.
If you will do this, I believe and declare—like with Joseph—things are going to suddenly turn in your favor you did not see coming: promotion, healing, vindication, new levels, the fullness of your destiny—in Jesus' name.