Obtaining and Maintaining Your Victory: Why Christian Suffering is a Guaranteed Path to Glory

The Unspoken Truth About the Christian Walk

Have you ever felt like you were sold a false bill of goods about the Christian life? You heard the message of salvation, you accepted Jesus, and you were ready for a life of peace, joy, and blessings. But instead, you found yourself facing trials, tribulations, and persecutions that left you feeling confused, defeated, and maybe even a little angry at God. You see the pop-culture version of Christianity promising health, wealth, and a life that's a perpetual bowl of cherries, yet your reality feels more like a fiery furnace. If you're tired of the bumper-sticker theology that crumbles under pressure, then this post is for you. We're going to dive deep into the scriptures to uncover the raw, unfiltered truth about spiritual suffering and discover how it's not a sign of failure, but the very crucible God uses to forge unshakeable victory and eternal rewards in your life.

Main Message: Tribulation Isn't a Possibility, It's a Promise

Welcome, friends, this is Conrad from ConradRocks.Net, where my passion is to help you develop a real, spiritual relationship with the biblical Jesus. It's more than a catchphrase. Jesus isn't some distant deity, unaware of our struggles. He is near to the afflicted, the downtrodden, the brokenhearted. Think about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He was right there in the fire with them, a pre-incarnate vision of Christ himself, so powerful that even a heathen king had to acknowledge the power of their God. Their trial transformed a nation. Sometimes, we have to go through the fire, too.

One of the biggest misunderstandings I see in the body of Christ today is the idea that a godly life should be free of trouble. This simply isn't the case. The Bible is brutally honest about the reality of persecution for those who choose to follow Jesus. It's not a bug; it's a feature of our faith. We need to blast this incorrect, bumper-sticker theology with the pure, unadulterated Word of God.

Biblical References: The Guarantee of Persecution

The Scriptures are filled with passages that people don't often preach about from the big stages because they don't build massive congregations, but they are vital for building indestructible faith. My goal isn't just for you to get to heaven, but to get there with a crown of glory, having brought many people with you through the power of a tested and proven faith.

Let's look at what the Word says:

• Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV). It doesn't say "might" or "could" - it says "shall." It's a guarantee. It makes you wonder, as the famous preacher John Wesley did, if you're not facing any persecution, are you truly living a godly life?

• Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. (Matthew 5:11-12 KJV). Jesus tells us to rejoice in it! Why? Because our reward in heaven is directly connected to it.

• For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. (1 Thessalonians 3:4 KJV). The apostles warned the early church plainly. This was expected.

• ...and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:22 KJV). The path to the kingdom is not paved with ease; it runs directly through "much tribulation."

• Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (1 Peter 4:12-13 KJV). Peter commands us not to be surprised by fiery trials. They are the very process by which we share in the sufferings of our Lord.

This is the point where many people fall away. They were sold a bill of goods and feel betrayed when life gets hard. But the early Christians, facing Nero's persecution and being fed to lions, understood something profound. They knew the value of eternal life was worth more than temporal comfort. They had a tangible, spiritual encounter with the living Christ that made earthly suffering pale in comparison.

Personal Reflections: Building a Spiritual Defense

The Lord has shown me a couple of visions over the years that perfectly illustrate how we obtain and maintain victory in this spiritual war. In one dream, I was at a long banquet table, and the devil was on the other side. We were both using building blocks, like dominoes, to build a wall between us. I was building my wall with precepts from the scriptures, "precept upon precept; line upon line" (Isaiah 28:10 KJV). I had to build from the bottom up, with Jesus as the cornerstone of my theology.

As I built my defenses, I noticed the devil was also building, looking for any gap, any weakness, any low point in my wall where he could attack. There were areas where I was weak, where a spot on my Ephesians 6 armor had gotten rusty from neglect. These are the opportune times the enemy seeks to exploit. We all have them.

Another recurring vision is of my property. In America, we have houses, but we also have fences around our property. The goal is to keep the enemy off your property entirely, not just out of your house. Every time there is a hole in your spiritual fence, it's an open invitation for the enemy to get closer. That hole could be ignorance ("My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge" - Hosea 4:6 KJV), unconfessed sin, bitterness, or trying to solve a spiritual problem with a carnal solution like drugs or alcohol.

Just like a rancher in West Texas rides the fenceline to check for holes, we must constantly patrol our spiritual perimeter. This is why hiding the Word of God in our hearts is so critical. Memorizing scripture isn't just a cute devotional exercise; it's stocking your armory. When you memorize scripture, you are building your fence, one post at a time. You are loading your spiritual weapon. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, will then show you exactly which scripture to use to patch a hole or to fight back when the enemy attacks, just as He gave Jesus the exact "It is written..." to defeat Satan in the wilderness.

Overcoming and Maintaining Your Territory

Once we understand that tribulation is part of the deal, we can move on to the next phase: overcoming and then maintaining the territory we've won. Whether you've overcome addiction, pornography, anger, or apathy, Jesus was there with you. Now, you must learn to hold that ground.

This is where mentorship and discipleship become crucial. When you've been through a specific fire and come out victorious, you are uniquely qualified to help someone else who is in that same fire. You can look them in the eye and say with total integrity, "Brother, I've been there. Sister, I know what that's like. Here's how Jesus brought me through." You might even find yourself saying, "I wouldn't wish what I went through on my worst enemy, but now I'm glad I did, because I can help you." Your greatest tests become your most powerful testimonies.

The Role of Wisdom and the Holy Spirit

So how do you identify the holes in your fence? You ask. The Bible gives us a simple, powerful promise: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5 KJV). If you feel like you are perishing for a lack of knowledge, the solution is to ask the Spirit of God for wisdom. He will show you the weak spots. He will reveal the root of bitterness, the area of ignorance, the unrepentant sin.

And He won't just point out the problem. The Lord is the one who grants us "repentance to the acknowledging of the truth" (2 Timothy 2:25-26 KJV). He will guide you to the specific scriptures, the building blocks of truth, that you need to repair your fence and secure your perimeter. He gives you the fence pieces to win and maintain your territory. This is why a personal, spiritual relationship with the biblical Jesus is paramount. You have a direct line to the Commander who has the battle plan for your victory.

Conclusion and Call to Action

The Christian life isn't about avoiding the fight; it's about being equipped for it. The Bible guarantees tribulation, but it also guarantees that as we suffer with Him, we will also be glorified with Him (Romans 8:17 KJV). The joy set before us is an eternal reward that makes any temporary suffering on this earth worthwhile. We endure the cross, despising the shame, for the joy that is to come.

Stop relying on a fragile, feel-good theology. It's time to become a warrior. Build your walls, ride your fence line, and hide the Word of God in your heart. You have the Spirit of God and the Word of God. The devil is nothing compared to them. You have no excuse to lose.

If this message has touched you, please consider sharing it with your friends and family on social media. Let's get this truth out there! And I'd love to hear from you; send me an email once in a while. You can find more resources to help you dig deeper and go higher at ConradRocks.Net. God bless you, and until we meet again, remember to dig deeper and go higher.

Action Items

• Perform a "Fence Check": This week, set aside 30 minutes to pray and ask God, based on James 1:5, to show you one specific hole or weak spot in your spiritual fence. Is it a recurring sin, a relationship issue, a lack of knowledge in a certain area? Write it down.

• Find Your Scripture "Fence Post": Once you've identified a weak spot, use a Bible concordance or search online to find 2-3 key Bible verses (KJV) that directly address that issue. Write these verses on index cards and commit to memorizing them this week. This is your building material.

• Practice the "It Is Written" Defense: The next time you feel temptation or attack in that specific area of weakness, speak the scripture you memorized out loud. Verbally declare, "It is written..." and quote the verse. This is how you actively use the Sword of the Spirit to defend your territory.

• Identify a "Fire-Tested" Mentor: Think of one person in your life who has overcome the specific struggle you are facing. If you know someone, reach out to them this week and ask if you can talk to them about their experience. If you don't know anyone personally, search for trusted online ministries or testimonies related to that topic.