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What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
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There are two questions posed by the apostle Paul in today’s verse, so let’s answer them both. First, what should we say in response to all that he has written in this chapter, Romans 8, and the answer is simply, ‘Praise the Lord!’ And secondly, he asks, who can be against us, and the answer is simply, ‘Who cares!’

Praise the Lord to the first because God has revealed to us through Paul the glorious truth that all things—and in the original Greek, the word ‘pas’ translated here and elsewhere as ‘all’ literally means all, any, every—so everything that happens or takes place in our lives our God is going to make it result in something good! {Rom.8:28} We must always remember that God is at work in us and through us for His good pleasure. {Php.2:13}

To the second question, who can be against us, the truth is that the entire world will be. Jesus had said that but because we believers are not of this world, but He chose us out of the world, therefore the world hates us. {Jn.15:19} And then John had said we should not be surprised that the world hates us {1Jn.3:13} so we should only be surprised any time the ‘world’ loves us!

But please be aware of the fact that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. {Eph.6:12} So keeping that in mind we are not to expect righteous behavior from unrighteous people, those worldly people. However, Jesus has commanded us to love them! He has already defeated Satan on the cross. He said we are to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us, so that we may be sons of our Father who is in heaven! {Mat.5:44-45}

We should rejoice, praising the Lord and giving thanks for all of that because in addition to the wonderful revelations in the letter to the Romans we have also been told by John in his first letter that ‘greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.’ {1Jn.4:4} Satan, the adversary and enemy of our souls, goes about as a roaring lion {1Pt.5:8} but he is a toothless lion—he has been defeated and disarmed (or should that be ‘de-toothed’) by the cross of Jesus Christ. {Col.2:15} Perhaps we should pause for a moment and sing a rousing chorus of ‘Victory in Jesus’, a hymn written by E.M. Bartlett—even after he had suffered a debilitating stroke!

Don’t give up, don’t give in and don’t quit. Don’t grumble and complain, {Php.2:14} but rather give thanks in all things for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. {1Thes.5:18} (And there is that word ‘all’ again!) Imitate Paul as he imitated Christ {1Cor.11:1} and say, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) Then top it off with, as it says in the Psalms, those wonderful songs of praise, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders.” {Ps.105:1-2}

“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.” (Ephesians 6:10-11)

REJOICE WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND BE GLAD!