We live in a world where we are constantly faced with challenges. Regardless of whether you are a believer or a non-believer, we encounter numerous struggles in life. It often seems that we are in one battle after another. When discussing the hardships we face, we tend to focus on the external forces at play. For example, individuals may lose their jobs, have disagreements with a spouse, deal with unruly children, experience financial difficulties, fall out with friends, or cope with sickness—whether it affects themselves, a family member, or a friend. There are countless battles that we confront in this world.
While some of these struggles may be self-inflicted and could potentially be avoided through changes in our behaviour, the reality is that we cannot escape all the battles directed at us; none of us is immune to life’s challenges.
In religious circles, we often face blame for the challenges in our lives. We are told that our sins attract these difficulties. However, the truth is that not all the battles we encounter are a result of our sins. Take, for example, the blind man that Jesus encountered in John 9:1-3. As he went along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus responded, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
This blind man and his parents faced significant challenges because of his blindness. First, there was the blindness itself, which came with its own set of obstacles. Raising a blind child is undoubtedly a difficult task, as blind children require extra attention compared to those who can see. Additionally, there are social attacks, including isolation and the assumption that either he or his parents must have sinned to justify his condition.
Beyond these external challenges, we also face less obvious battles that often go unrecognized. We may fail to see them as battles because we internalize the negativity as coming from within ourselves. The adage “We are our own worst enemies” captures this idea. At any given moment, we may find ourselves grappling with internal struggles manifested as negative thoughts and emotions. We experience crippling fear, anxiety, shame, regret, worry, anger, resentment, jealousy and a variety of other negative feelings that ultimately hinder our ability to be our best selves and build fulfilling lives.
The truth is, we all know what we need to do to achieve the best results in life. At the very least, we understand the basics. For instance, we recognize that being faithful to our partners is essential for a healthy marriage, yet some of us struggle to overcome our inner desires. Similarly, we know that exercising and eating healthy are crucial for achieving the physical and health benefits we desire, but we often lack the motivation to go to the gym or choose an orange over a chocolate bar when we’re hungry. We understand that sometimes it’s better to remain silent to avoid escalating unnecessary conflicts, yet we speak our minds anyway, fully aware that it can lead to pain and strain in our relationships. We recognize the importance of being responsible stewards of our finances by avoiding excessive spending. However, we often spend recklessly, which keeps us trapped in a cycle of financial oppression.
Paul captures this struggle perfectly in Romans 7:15: “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do.” Many of us can relate to Paul’s words. We want to do good—for ourselves, our loved ones, and society as a whole. However, we often find ourselves caught in an internal battle where we fail to act in accordance with what we know is right. It’s as if we are at war with ourselves. Later in the same chapter, Paul states in Romans 7:17: “As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living within me.” This sin dwells within all of us, waging war against our better instincts. While we may feel we are at war with ourselves, in reality, we are battling the sin within us.
Our lives are under attack from two different angles: external and internal challenges. The external threats can come from the sinful nature in other people, who are more visible to us. We notice a spouse who is cheating, a co-worker trying to get us fired, a boss who has unfairly let us go, or a relative or neighbor whom we suspect is casting curses upon us. It’s easier to blame individuals for our struggles because they are tangible and apparent. However, the Bible reminds us in Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Thus, we realize that our true enemy is not ourselves or others, but the sinful nature within both ourselves and others.
Sin can be defined as transgressing the Ten Commandments. Some atheists argue against this logic because they disagree with the first three commandments since they don’t believe in the existence of God. However, even atheists agree that the other 7 commandments should be kept. Our sinful nature leads us to act against these commandments, while our Godly nature encourages us to align with them.
When we yield to our sinful nature, we invite various difficulties into our lives and the lives of those around us. For example, violating the commandment “Thou shalt not covet your neighbor’s goods” can lead to feelings of jealousy, guilt, hatred, shame, and a loss of respect. This, in turn, can result in actions such as slander, theft, and property damage, which can further strain relationships and may lead to legal troubles. This illustrates the consequences we face when we submit to our sinful nature. We live in a universe governed by laws, and the law of cause and effect is very real. We experience its impact throughout our lives.
We are often confronted by the sinful nature within ourselves and others. However, there are also battles we face that arise not from our own sins or those of others. Some challenges, like the blindness of the man we discussed earlier, are beyond humanity’s control. Regardless of how good we or others may behave, we will still encounter these difficulties. Religion can lead us to believe that we can avoid all calamity by being virtuous, but the harsh truth is that we can’t control everything. There are things we can influence, and others we cannot.
The good news is that, while we are not promised a life free from troubles, the Lord has assured us that He will deliver us from all our difficulties. I believe that every difficulty we face—whether it arises from our own sinful nature, the sinful nature of others, or even from God Himself—serves a specific purpose and objective.
For instance, if your sinful nature leads you to cheat on your spouse, it’s not just about momentary pleasure. The enemy desires this behavior to break your spouse’s heart, deepen their resentment toward you and others, and further diminish their sense of self-worth, which can amplify their own sinful tendencies. Additionally, the enemy aims for consequences that could include you contracting a sexually transmitted disease that endangers both your life and your spouse’s, or even leading to the end of your marriage. This behavior is often referred to as “self-sabotage,” as it undermines your ability to thrive in the areas where you wish to succeed. Remember, the enemy seeks maximum destruction in his attacks against us. His intention is to steal, kill, and destroy.
When we come to understand that every battle we face has a greater purpose in our lives—whether it’s for good or evil—we stop losing our faith and hope in the midst of conflict. We realize that we still have a chance to succeed; just because we are in a war does not mean we have already lost. In fact, for believers, the promise is clear: whenever we find ourselves in the thick of a battle, we should remember that the war has already been won in our favor.
Psalm 34:19 states, “The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all.” In this context, faith means that when you find yourself in the midst of trouble, you should remember that the LORD has not forsaken you. The mere fact that you are experiencing difficulties does not mean that God has abandoned you. Instead, the promise in that moment is that God will deliver you, and that is what you should hold on to and declare.
It’s important to recognize that the promise mentioned here is specifically for the righteous person. Therefore, the enemy will work hard to ensure you don’t claim this promise. He tries to convince you that you are unworthy by highlighting your sinful nature, claiming that it disqualifies you from receiving the promise because “your sinful nature makes you unrighteous.”
This is where the concept of God’s mercy comes into play. In 2 Corinthians 5:21, it says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” God, in His mercy, understands that we cannot earn righteousness on our own. Regardless of how righteous we may seem, we all have a sinful nature. As David states in Psalm 51:5, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”
Spiritual wisdom involves recognizing and acknowledging that we cannot achieve true righteousness by ourselves. Additionally, it’s crucial to understand that acting righteously is not a prerequisite for righteousness; rather, it is a result of the righteousness of God that is credited to us.
Simply put, we are not righteous because we do good; rather, we do good because we are righteous. The righteousness of God, credited to us as a result of Christ’s sacrifice, becomes the weapon that fights against the sinful nature within us and enables us to overcome it. Our souls are often controlled by this sinful nature, but the righteousness of God—who is the Spirit of God within us—begins to deliver us from this inner struggle. This process is a continual journey of deliverance, and we will undoubtedly start to see changes within ourselves as the sinful nature loses its grip on us, the longer the Spirit of God dwells within us. Therefore, our righteousness is not based on our actions but on the Spirit of God within us. As a result, God’s promises for the righteous apply to us, and that is an expression of His mercy.
Additionally, sometimes, God allows trouble into our lives, not because of things we have done or things that others have done, but for the same reason given by Jesus regarding the blind man. Sometimes God allows some difficulties to happen to us, so that the works of God might be displayed in us.
Our role, therefore, is to first accept the gift given to us by God through Christ Jesus—the gift of righteousness. When we do this, we allow His Spirit to work within us and deliver us from our sinful nature. This enables the Spirit of God to help us resist being controlled by our sinful inclinations. Additionally, He equips us with the ability to respond to the pain inflicted by others, who act out of their own sinful desires, in a righteous and blameless manner.
When we face difficulties, we can take comfort in knowing that the LORD will deliver us from trouble. If the trouble arises from sin, it ultimately will not prevail. We also understand that some challenges are allowed by God and are not caused by sin. In these cases, we can trust that everything will work together for our good. When God’s work is revealed in us, we will share in His glory. Therefore, rather than trying to avoid all difficulties, we should pray to God, asking that if the difficulty comes from Him, His great works be displayed in us, and this is how we overcome
