Is it harder after Baptism?

[Janette]

I was talking to a friend about the various struggles my husband is going through and she replied, "Well...it's always harder after Baptism."

She seemed to be of the opinion that while the devil certainly wastes no effort trying to corrupt you *before* you are Saved, that he gives extra attention to making life difficult for the newly Saved/Baptized.

I can't find any scriptural support for this, and I was baptized as a baby according to Eastern Orthodox tradition, so I don't have any serious before/after in my own life to measure.

I also couldn't imagine a reason for this particular demonic tactic, except perhaps an act fueled of petty emotion. It's not like Satan can undo a Salvation, so I can only assume that perhaps he'd be thinking that if he were to keep a Christian busy with petty trials that maybe he'd keep said person *too* busy to get anything of a Christian nature done?

Has anyone else got any experience in this whole "worse right after Baptism" thing?

 

[ladylovesJesus]

Janette I have been baptized twice and the 2nd time was so special. I felt the anointing of the Holy Spirit on me. We had problem finding our feet when we stood up too. Baptism is a requirement mentioned in the Bible once we give our heart to Jesus. It is a public declaration of our faith and wanting to follow Jesus. Once one is saved the enemy hates it as he has lost another soul to the Kingdom of God so he tries to deter them from staying with Jesus. He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world. 1 John 4.4

I was baptised/christened as a baby but that is nothing.

Before we get saved we are in satans camp so he does not have to try and get us to sin.

We are in a spiritual battle but it is not against flesh and blood. Eph. 6.12

God bless

LLJ :rainbow: :rose:

 

[rizen1]

Jesus saves...

I wouldn't call it " worse right after Baptism ", because everyone face trails. Although as christians our worse can happen if we are not equip spiritually.

Firstly I would say a downfall for most Christians after baptism or becoming saved is that they don't know " Who they are in Christ ." Without the knowledge, " how can we become mature in Christ and live in victory ".

2 Peter 1:2-3
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,

devil certainly wastes no effort trying to corrupt you *before* you are Saved, that he gives extra attention to making life difficult for the newly Saved/Baptized.

To be unsaved he had to already corrupted you. As for life being extra difficult after being saved/baptized.

Why Not ? the unsaved is already on his side why not put an extra effort to distract us. I won't get into once saved always saved.
But the devil does not want us to grow in Christ, he wants us to live in discouragement and defeat.


Secondly,we become saved and ignore the devil existance.
Ephesians 6:12
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,[a] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places

If we don't know the enemy of course our trials will be hard, that's why we must put on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:10-18


"worse right after Baptism"
We can not compare trails of a saved person with an unsaved person. The suffering people in Darfur, can not measure with our day to day trials of love,depression, jobs, finance.
God gave us a weapon for " the worse ", that we must apply daily. " Ephesians 6:10-18



Galations 5:1
1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free,[a] and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

 

[Waiting]

I ahve to agree with your friend. I think that until we are saved or baptized the Devil has no worried becasue we haven't given ourselves to the Lord. Afterwards though it is as if the Devil is trying to pull us back to him.

 

[catseye]

Have you ever been working on your computer and it puts up a little window that says something like:

"Are you sure you want to delete this?"

Then you have two buttons: one for "yes" the other for "no"...

The human mind has a fail-safe built into it so that you don't accidentally "delete" needed information.

When you change your thinking and behavior, your mind will ask you "Are you sure that you want to delete this?

You then have to make up your mind: Yes, I want to delete everything that would stand in the way of change OR No, I better keep this information in case I need it later.

The human mind naturally resists change (good or bad) and that is why we get into the habit of doing things a certain way. There is even a term for this, it is called "cognitive emotive dissonance". It means that when you try to change your mental "programing" it just doesn't feel right and things just seem to be a constant struggle.

Your friend seems to think that "the devil did it" but I don't like to give him credit for anything. Sure he will take advantage of any situation but I think your husband is dealing with his own mind.

THE REALLY GOOD NEWS is that this struggle only occurs when a person has ALREADY made a decision that HAS ALREADY changed them!

Your husband has already changed and his mind is just asking, "Since you lived differently before, are you sure you want to get rid of this old way of thinking and doing things?"

He just needs to keep saying "Yes! Delete that old stuff! I'm a new creation in Christ!"

Blessing & Prayers!

Catseye

 

[MAJ52653]

While not necessarily worse right after baptism, I do agree with those who stated that the devil does sit up and take notice when you do turn to God, and is perfectly willing to ignore you and let the natural inclination to lead you downhill to hell.

After all, Satan did throw an all out assault on Job, whom God said is blameless before Me. He seems to have ignored Job's three friends who were stuck up, hypocritical and nasty without his aid.

Or as St. Paul put it in 1st Cortinthians 10:

1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.

6Now these things occurred as examples[a] to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry." 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.

11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

 

[Faithful Son]

Our life is balanced while we are children of God, it is the same today, tomorrow and forever. We may have more trials on one day than the other, but that is not necessarily God's doing, it is the cause of our actions, since we reap what we sowe.

Jesus said:
Matthew 11:28-30
28"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.
29"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

30"For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."


Our life and the balance we have in Jesus will not change prior or post to baptism or Salvation. Jesus is the same today, tomorrow, forever.

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.