The Antidote for Anxiety and Depression: Trust in Abba Father’s Care – Pt 10
Trials Are Inevitable But Victory In Jesus Is Assured!
These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
– John 16:33
As a young Christian in my early teen years and even as a young adult, I never understood why I had to experience all the difficult situations that I did. I asked God many time why but I never really waited for the answer from Him. I Thought that because I gave my life to Christ as a young child, and lived an obedient life because I only wanted to please God, then I should have been exempted from all the pain and suffering that I went through. I didn’t understand why, if God loves me so much, He allowed those bad thing to happen to me (so I thought). Therefore, for years I blamed God for the trials that I encountered in my life. I felt that He did not protect me as He should have. However, I have since learnt that being saved, sanctified, Holy Ghost filled, obedient, or even perfect do not immune one from tribulations.
Jesus in John 16:33 says, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world”. Let us take a moment to see what exactly Jesus means in this verse.
The word “peace” used by Jesus in this verse is the Greek word eirene. It is often used in the New Testament to describe tranquillity experienced after the cessation of war and expresses the notion that the battle is completed; the war is ended; victory is attained; and it is time for tranquillity and rest. It also strongly suggest the rule of order in place of chaos, when a person is dominated by eirene (“peace”), he/she has a calm, inner stability that results in the ability to conduct him/herself peacefully, even in the midst of circumstances that would normally be very nerve-racking, traumatic, or upsetting. Furthermore, eirene is the Greek counterpart for the Hebrew word shalom, which conveys the idea of wholeness, completeness, or tranquillity in the soul that is unaffected by outside situations or pressures. The Hebrew equivalent, the word shalom, indicates that this dominating peace ultimately gives rise to prosperity in one’s soul. Rather than permitting the hitches and stresses of life to break him/her, a person who is possessed by eirene (“peace”) is whole, complete, orderly, stable, and poised for blessing (Renner, 2003, 2016).
The word “tribulation” is the Greek word thlipsis, which refers to a situation so difficult that it causes one to feel stressed, squeezed, pressured, or crushed. It can be translated as distress, affliction, or trouble, constantly signifying a level of intensity that is almost unbearable in the natural.
Nevertheless, Jesus tells us to be of “good cheer”. These two words are from the single Greek word tharseo, which literally mean to be courageous. It is consistently translated, “Fear not”, however a better rendering would be “Take heart!” It is a word that would be spoken to strengthen someone who is facing some kind of adversity or difficult ordeal. Jesus was literally saying, “In this world you will go through some distressing times, but take heart and be courageous…”
Moreover, Jesus tells us, “I have overcome the world.” The word “overcome” is the Greek word nikos, which is also the word for victory. However, the grammar used in this statement does not imply a single victory in the past, but a continuous and abiding victory. Hence, this Greek word presents the idea that: “I have overcome the world: I am still overcoming the world: and I will always be in an overcoming position over the world!”
The word “world” in Greek is kasmos, the Greek word that is always used to portray the arena where Satan attempts to wield his influence and describes all the human systems of the world. It is the very word Paul uses in Second Corinthians 4:4 when he refers to Satan as the “god of the world”. Satan is not god of the earth, but he operates through the human systems in the world – and these systems are what the enemy usually uses to attack the Church and God’s people (Renner, 2003).
Jesus cares so much for you that He wants you to know He is aware of the difficult encounters you face in the world, which cause you to feel stressed, anxious, fearful, depressed, pressured, etc. As a matter of fact, He lets you know that once you are in the world, you will have tribulations. This means that trials are inevitable and at some point in all of your lives, you will experience trials of some sort – be it illnesses, bad relationships, financial situations, loss of loved ones, problems on the job, unruly children, and the list can go on. But God has sent Jesus so that in Him you will have “peace” and be “courageous”, even in the midst of your storms. This “peace” in Jesus and “the ability to be “courageous” is made possible because Jesus had already obtained the victory over the world, is still gaining victory over the world and will continuously achieve victory over the world as He usurp the powers of Satan.
It therefore means friends, that you are a winner, an overcomer, a victor, more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ. There is no influence of Satan in the world’s systems that can take the “peace” of God from you.
Shalom!
MY PRAYER FOR TODAY
Heavenly Father You are my Peace and I worship You. Thank You for giving me Your peace that nothing in this world can give. I declare that because I have the peace of God I fear not and I am a winner, an overcomer, a victor, more than a conqueror through Jesus Christ who loves me. Therefore, no influence of Satan in the world’s system can take the peace of God from me. I pray this by faith in Jesus’ name with thanksgiving. Amen!
