In life, believers are not exempt from struggles. They come in many forms: personal sin; trials; tempations; sexual sin; persecution etc. What insight and support can the Bible provide us?
As the world faces many trials and tribulations, VBVMI would like to offer some encouragement through the eternal word of God. It is our hope that some will use this as a means of guidance through any difficult situation or through any temptation or sin that stands in the way of your walk with a Holy God.
It is important to remember that you are unique among all of God's creation, and as scripture confirms, He has prepared work for you to accomplish:
Eph. 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
Eph. 2:9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Eph. 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
Anyone struggling should take a moment to listen to Pastor Armstrong's last sermon, an introduction to Philippians, as he addresses holding fast to an eternal perspective even in our suffering: Why You're Still Here
We would also like to remind you that Christians WILL experience suffering and persecution just as Jesus did. However, we are also told throughout scripture that God is always working for our good and His glory. Accordingly, we may rest firmly on the promises of God's word:
Rom. 8:28 and we know God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
It may also be helpful for any believer to understand the following as foundational truths when dealing with any doubt, sin, or trial:
1) The Bible is the complete, true Word of God and through it, we come to know who our God is, what His plans are for us, and how to live in His love.
2) Once we have accepted Jesus Christ as our savior, we have the Holy Spirit Who lives inside us, Who helps us understand the Bible, Who draws us closer to Christ and Christ-likeness.
3) All believers have an enemy, Satan, who wants to draw our eyes off of God and steal us away from Him. One of his favorite methods is to ask “did God really say…” and then distort the Word of God. He also loves to have us dwell in our emotions and again, keep our eyes off God and the Bible.
4) God equips us to stand firm against the enemy.
These Bible Q&A's may be helpful in a time of need while addressing the foundational truths listed above:
– Explaining the nature of saving faith
– How can I put a stop to sin in my life?
– A warning for Christians who continue in sin?
– Is God responsible for allowing suffering?
– God’s will vs. Man’s will?
– Wrestling with God
– Salvation without conviction?
Furthermore, focusing on intentionally seeking to know God in a deeper way should be at the core of every Christian's walk. The concordance at the back of most bibles is a good way to do a word study— for example you can search "truth", "faith", "salvation". The list goes on. You could also study the attributes of God— just, kind, loving, merciful, all-knowing, etc. There are many free resources and apps you can use to go deeper in your knowledge of God. VBVMI is one of the best! But also, the Blue Letter Bible.
You may also wish to examine spiritual warfare and develop a personal battle plan based on scripture. For example, this may include verses that are helpful and strengthen you in the midst of temptation and speak them out loud:
Philippians 4:6-8, Ephesians 6:10-18a, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, and Exodus 14:14.
Our website also have many article on spiritual warfare we would recommend:
– Why does God let bad things happen to His children?
– Is God responsible for allowing suffering?
The Lord calls us to prepare for battle and to stand firm— He is the one Who fights the battle.
Finally, we would encourage you to get into the habit of memorizing Scripture. A helpful concept is “anchor verses”—that is, verses which anchor you deeply into God. For example:
Rom. 8:1 there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
What does this verse mean? It means because we have come to a saving relationship with Jesus, all our sins—past, present, future—are covered by Christ’s righteousness and we are made perfect before God. This is especially helpful when the enemy tries to speak words of condemnation: “You will never be good enough, you are a filthy sinner, you don’t pray enough, you don’t “fill in the blank” enough.” We can do just as Jesus did when Satan tempted Him in the wilderness and speak the word of God through our trial:
Matt. 4:1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.
Matt. 4:2 And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry.
Matt. 4:3 And the tempter came and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
Matt. 4:4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”
Matt. 4:5 Then the devil *took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple,
Matt. 4:6 and *said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command His angels concerning You’;
and
‘On their hands they will bear You up,
So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’”
Matt. 4:7 Jesus said to him, “On the other hand, it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Matt. 4:8 Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory;
Matt. 4:9 and he said to Him, “All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me.”
Matt. 4:10 Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’”
Matt. 4:11 Then the devil *left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
Jesus continually returned to the scriptures when tempted by the enemy. This is a model every Christian should adopt as we walk through life.
Moreover, we encourage you to pray and seek a wise and Godly mentor. Someone who is older and of the same gender, to help you through difficult times. A Christian brother or sister who can point you towards truth and encourage your walk consistently is a must. This life is not meant to be done alone. God has fellow believers in the body to encourage us and edify us. Likewise, we should always be pouring into other believers.
Additionally, we suggest listening to the following series from our website:
– The Sovereignty of God
By far the most important thing to remember is to submerge your life in the word of God and surround yourself with other likeminded individuals. Life is not easy and we must have our brothers and sisters around us. We highly recommend our James teaching or Romans teaching.
