Challenge #9 - Anticipate Struggle

Feeling afraid? There are so many things in this world that cause us anxiety. When we think about living out our faith in a noticeable way, it is particularly easy to feel nervous. This is a natural human reaction, but we are called to anticipate struggle. When we are trying to make a positive impact in this world, we will struggle against many different things.

We struggle with our own perception of God. It is tempting to think that if we believe in God, everything will go smoothly for us. We simply pray and ask God for what we want or need, and then he will deliver. This turns God into our own personal butler. The true God, as described in the Bible, is all-powerful, but his plan is hard for us to comprehend. God allows evil in this world.

We struggle against spiritual forces. The Bible paints a picture of a battle going on behind the scenes of our everyday lives. This battle is between good and evil, between angels and demons. In our modern world, this is hard for us to wrap our minds around. Nevertheless, we are called to pray and persevere.

When we anticipate this struggle, we realize the importance of prayer. We lean on God and his power. If we know we are going to encounter resistance, we prepare ourselves. We are able to be more resilient. Even when face fear, we are bold.

We also remember other Christians who are struggling all over the world. Then, we are able to pray and support our brothers and sisters in meaningful ways.

Blog Post: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil | Ligonier Ministries

➡️ https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/world-flesh-and-devil 

In this quick and helpful blog post, Ligonier Ministries unpacks Ephesians 2 in an understandable way. We struggle against three main forces in this world: the world around us, our own self, and evil spiritual forces.

Sermon: Spiritual Warfare | Timothy Keller

➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcPlfM7w-ZE 

In one of many impactful sermons from Tim Keller, he warns us of two great dangers: fearing evil forces too much or not believing they exist at all.

Organization: The Voice Of The Martyrs

➡️ https://www.persecution.com/

VOM is an amazing and powerful ministry. This is from their website: “The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is a missionary organization that serves persecuted Christians in the world’s most difficult and dangerous places to be a Christian. For more than 50 years, VOM has been dedicated to inspiring all believers to a biblical faith by encouraging their commitment to Christ and the fulfillment of his Great Commission no matter the cost.”