Relevant Life

Refiner’s Fire**

Revival is more than a moment. It is more than a weekend service, a conference, or a temporary spiritual high. True revival alters the heart and sustains the heart until the return of the Lord.

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The Reality of Revival and Resistance

Whenever God stirs His people toward holiness, hunger, and purpose, the enemy reacts. Satan hates revival. He hates when the people of God begin to burn with desire for God’s holy purpose. Revival is not easy, and it often brings trials and tribulations.

We must understand that there is a real enemy who hates Christ—and who hates you and me.

The apostle Paul reminds us of this spiritual reality:

Ephesians 6:10–12

“Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength.

Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil’s strategies.

This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world.”

We have power from God to overcome, but that does not mean the trials will not come.

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Revival Always Passes Through the Fire

The well‑known intercessor and man of God, Rees Howells, once said:

“No work of God can become established unless it goes through the fire.”

This truth is woven throughout Scripture. God uses trials and tribulations to draw us closer to Him and to purify our hearts.

The prophet Malachi gives us a vivid picture of this refining work:

Malachi 3:1–3

“I’m going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way ahead of me. Then the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the promise will come. He is the one you want,” says the LORD of Armies.

But who will be able to endure the day he comes? Who will be able to survive on the day he appears? He is like a purifying fire and like a cleansing soap.

He will act like a refiner and a purifier of silver. He will purify Levi’s sons and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will bring acceptable offerings to the LORD.”

True revival is brought through the fire, and the end result is purified gold.

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The Refining Process: A Picture of God’s Work in Us

The purification of gold is an incredible process. To refine gold, the fire must be heated to 2,012 to 2,192 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s 1,100 to 1,200 degrees Celsius). At that temperature, the gold melts. As it melts, the lighter impurities rise to the surface—things like lead, copper, or tin.

Those impurities either vaporize or become part of the container holding the gold.

Sometimes, higher heat is required to produce higher purity.

The same is true spiritually.

The fire of God often moves throughout revival. It is meant to humble us, purify us, and keep us grounded in Him.

Peter echoes this truth:

1 Peter 1:7

“The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise, glory, and honor to God. This will happen when Jesus Christ appears again.”

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Embracing the Refiner’s Fire

If we want to see true revival, we must embrace the Refiner’s fire.

We must allow Him to humble us, purify us, and keep us grounded in His truth.

Revival is not just emotional moments.

It is not just powerful services.

It is not just goosebumps or excitement.

Revival is transformation.

Revival is purification.

Revival is God burning away everything that does not look like Him.

And the fire is not meant to destroy us—it is meant to refine us.

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Final Thoughts

God is not trying to burn you up—He is trying to burn away what holds you back.

The Refiner’s fire is a gift.

It is the love of God in action.

It is His commitment to make us holy, pure, and ready for His return.