Jesus never promised that when we choose to follow Him, everything would be easy. But, He did promise that He would be with us in the midst of the storms. Life with Jesus does not mean it is always smooth sailing, but it does mean He will guide us through it all. 

John 16:23: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.“

Jesus reminds us that we will have troubles, but He also told us to take heart because He is the victor over all of life’s circumstances. And when He lives within us, we are victorious as well. What do you do to get through life’s battles? How do you respond to painful shots? When we face hard times, the Bible encourages us to follow these tips: 

1 Corinthians 16:13: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.“

Be on Your Guard

Being on guard means that you are sober and alert. Oftentimes, we become spiritually hypnotized by fear. We can get caught in a trance of confusion, bitterness, hopelessness, and frustration when life gets difficult. This causes us to lose focus in our faith and trust in God’s promises. When we allow circumstances to rattle our defense, we can easily let our guard down. When our guard is down, we are vulnerable to attack. The word fear actually comes from the Old English word faer, meaning sudden ambush or attack. That is exactly what fear does—it attacks us spiritually and ambushes our trust in God. Faith is our guard against fear’s attack. And when our faith is strong, we are protected against the shots of the enemy. The Bible tells us in Ephesians to put on the full armor of God. One of the pieces in this armor is the shield of faith. 

Ephesians 6:16: “In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.“

Faith can extinguish all the flaming arrows. Notice the scripture does not just say arrows, but it says “the flaming arrows.” And not just some of them, but “ALL” of them. Faith is our greatest weapon against the attack of the enemy and challenging life circumstances. No matter how many arrows get shot at us, or how fiery they are, faith fortifies our position in Christ. Philippine politician Corazon Aquino said, “Faith is not simply a patience that passively suffers until the storm is past. Rather, it is a spirit that bears things—with resignations, yes, but above all, with blazing, serene hope.”