Imagine being given the task of delivering a message that comes with the assurance of extreme opposition as you carry it out. That is exactly the mission given to Jeremiah. God explicitly informs him: “And they shall fight against thee…” (Jeremiah 1:19). According to Brown, Driver, and Briggs, the word translated “fight” means “to fight, do battle, make war.” Anyone who knows the story of Jeremiah knows his hearers did often make war against him.

The same was true of Jesus’ apostles. On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus said to them, “They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:2). These men, starting with James (who by Herod was put to death with the sword, Acts 12:1-2), suffered martyrdom in most cruel ways. However, that was simply the climax of their opposition. Like Paul, many of them suffered much for the cause of Christ (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:23-28).

In the face of such opposition, how did Jeremiah, as well as so many other of God’s servants, persevere? The answer is found in Jeremiah 1. God said to Jeremiah, “Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD” (1:8). He further said to His prophet, “For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land” (1:18). Simply put, God promised to be His messenger’s protector and supply him with the strength and defense he needed.

Those who have been entrusted with God’s message today should also expect opposition when they speak God’s truth. In a society so steeped in political correctness antagonism, resistance, and even hostility is even more to be expected. As He was with Jeremiah of old, our Lord has promised us His presence and protection when he said, “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:20). As we face our own opposition, may we never forget Jesus’ words in His “Sermon on the Mount”: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:10–12).