Standing Firm in Spiritual Battle: Enduring Adversity as God’s Soldiers

Jack Selcher
Jul 16, 2025
4 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Jesus in a meadow embracing a lamb in both hands with sheep in the background

Summary

This article compares Christian life to military service, emphasizing that believers are God’s soldiers equipped for spiritual battle. Scripture teaches that hardship, opposition, and adversity are inevitable, coming from the world, human choices, and Satan. Yet God faithfully strengthens His people, never abandoning them. Enduring suffering with God’s armor and grace shapes believers to become more like Christ, who willingly suffered for us.

On June 28, 2018, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Paul J. Selva, said:

“The men and women who serve in the U.S. armed forces represent the best America has to offer, volunteering to put themselves in harm’s way to serve and protect the nation. Every one of us wears the uniform of our nation because we choose to. Service members are asked to do inherently dangerous jobs in the defense and protection of freedom and liberty. For that, we have vowed to give our dying breath if that’s necessary. What we owe them...are the best tools, the best education and the best training available to allow them to do the tasks they have to do.”1

Enduring Adversity as God's Soldiers

Enduring adversity as God's soldiers is part of the calling of Jesus’ followers. We are God’s armed forces, who, unexplainably, volunteer to serve Him while He also drafts us. He equips us for the spiritual battles we will face and sends us into harm’s way as His soldiers to expand His Kingdom. We desperately need the armor He supplies.

Equipped With the Full Armor of God

“Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13-17 NLT). We are always at war.

The Christian Life Is Not Easy

The Christian life isn’t a peaceful stroll along an easy, smooth, shaded path, without hardships or adversity. The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them” (2 Timothy 2:3-4 NLT).

Paul warned Timothy that he would experience opposition, persecution, sufferings, and difficulties while spreading the gospel (2 Timothy 4:5). We will too. God uses adversity to make us more like Jesus. He employs social, economic, and physical hardships to train and strengthen our faith as His followers (Hebrews 12:7).

Paul said that we must endure many trials, tribulations, challenges, and obstacles because we follow Jesus (Acts 14:22). He wasn’t immune. He knew his future held imprisonment and difficulties (Acts 20:23).

Why Adversity Is Inevitable

Adversity is a universal human experience. Although we all endure hardships, many of them are the natural consequences of previous decisions. Forty years of smoking causes lung cancer. Speeding leads to totaling a car and, perhaps, death. Gambling brings bankruptcy. Moral indiscretions result in STDs. Partyers tend to flunk out of college. Humans generate many of their hardships as their own worst enemies.

One reason a Christian life introduces unique hardships is that the world hates Christians, with all the unpleasantness and adversity that brings. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first” (John 15:18 NLT).

Satan causes hardships, especially for Christians. He seeks “to steal and kill and destroy” (John 10:10 NLT). Jesus’s purpose is to give His followers a rich and satisfying life despite the adversity that the world system, sinful nature, and the devil generate.

Paul and his companions faithfully persevered to complete their divine assignments despite troubles, afflictions, calamities, and distresses of every sort (2 Corinthians 6:4). Paul’s thorn in the flesh tormented him, kept him humble, and forced him to rely on God’s sufficient grace for strength despite his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:10).

God’s Faithfulness in Times of Suffering

God intervened in Jacob’s life after Laban’s persistent mistreatment (Genesis 31:42). He rescued the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, shortages of food and water in the wilderness, and the Amalekites (Exodus 18:8). He delivered David when King Saul tried to kill him.

God doesn’t fail or abandon believers during adversity (Deuteronomy 31:6, Hebrews 13:5). Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword can’t separate us from Christ’s love (Romans 8:35). He remains our good and faithful Shepherd (Psalm 23, John 10:1ff).