Life is hard. I doubt that anyone would argue with that. Jesus knew about this and spoke of it. In Matthew 24:4-9, Jesus told his disciples, “Watch out that no one deceives you … you will hear of wars and rumors of wars… nation will rise against nation … There will be famines and earthquakes … you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me…” He goes on to say that scammers will be present, and the love of many will grow cold. Non-Christians will view those words of Jesus as a reason to reject Christianity.
Many of today’s issues are rooted in the fact that life is hard. Life challenges lead to euthanasia, prostitution, drug use, alcoholism, and a large percentage of mental illnesses. The most fundamental reason for this dilemma is that there is no purpose in living for those who reject the teachings of Christ and the Bible.
Beginning in the book of Genesis, the Bible presents the theme that a war is going on between good and evil. It starts in the Garden of Eden and is portrayed in the Book of Job. The New Testament clearly defines the conflict. Ephesians 6:12 tells us, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against … the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms.” Ephesians 3:9-12 explains the purpose of the Church in this war. Atheism dodges the issue of evil by simply denying that it exists, but reality says otherwise.
Yes, life is hard, but for Christians, life is the worst thing you will ever have to face. Romans 8:28 tells us that God will take the awful things in life and make good things come from them. Sometimes, those good things are spiritual, which is what life is about. Don’t defeat the purpose of your existence by denying the reality of the spiritual warfare in life.
— John N. Clayton © 2024