Kindness in Suffering: 12 Ways God Shows His Goodness Through Trials and AfflictionsSample

Suffering Makes Us Spiritually Indestructible

As our faith continues to grow in the fires of adversity, it becomes battle-tested, especially if it has endured a diversity of trials. After decades of trials, a Christian becomes trained to turn to God at the first signs of affliction. Our knee-jerk reaction is no longer to fall apart in doubt and worry, but to affix our eyes on the Lord, who has proven faithful time and time again. In this way, suffering has produced an indestructible armor for us. This is why Ephesians 6:16 likens our faith to a shield that is “able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.” As the years pass, suffering tends not to faze us as much, and nothing surprises us anymore.

Not only does suffering create spiritual armor for us, but it also functions as an offensive weapon. We read in 1 Peter 4:1–2, “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” More than simply enduring pain and suffering, we are instructed to arm ourselves with suffering.

Why? Because when we come under fire, our battle-tested faith will wage war against our sinful impulses and steel itself toward obedience to the will of God. In this way, suffering actually accelerates a Christian into spiritual maturity. And when a seasoned believer completes the race at the end of their life, their faith in Christ will have been perfected through a lifetime of suffering.