Winning the Spiritual Battle

John 16:33
“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.”

The verse above carries important information for the believer to help them make it through this present world. Before a soldier goes to battle, they are given the information and weapons needed to make it through the battle. Likewise, God gives the believer the information and weaponry necessary to make it through the spiritual warfare in which they are engaged. Make no mistake; you are in a spiritual conflict, and you will never make it through this battle without the information given in the verse above. Let me point out several things from this verse that will help you to win in the spiritual battle in which you are engaged.

First, you are living in the world. You cannot get around the fact that you must live in this world; however, just because you live in the world doesn’t mean you have to be like the world. As a believer, you are simply a pilgrim traveling through this world; therefore, you must be careful not to let the world influence you, but you must leave an influence on the world.

Second, you are going to have tribulation in this world. It doesn’t matter what you do to try to avoid it; you will soon find out the tribulation will find you. God said, “In the world ye shall have tribulation.” You will find that heartache, battles, sorrows, problems, adversity and difficulties will be encountered as you live your daily life. These things happen, not because you are saved, but because you live in this present world.

Third, you can still have peace and good cheer in spite of tribulation. Just because you are going through tribulation doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy serenity and tranquility in spite of everything that goes on around you. Just because you are in tribulation doesn’t mean that you can’t have a joyful spirit. In fact, the opposite is true for the believer. The believer has the wherewithal to enjoy peace in the storm, and good cheer in sorrow because of the presence of God within them.

Realizing that you are going to have tribulation, how do you find the peace and good cheer while you go through the tribulation? The answer is found at the end of the verse above when it says, “I have overcome the world.” You must realize that the tribulation you face today is only temporary. The world has already been overcome; therefore, what you face today is a temporary situation.

Moreover, you can have peace in the storm and good cheer in tribulation by realizing your tribulation has already been overcome. My friend, you are on the winning side. It is only a matter of time for the victory to come. You don’t need to live in fear of what will happen with the storm because the tribulation is a part of the world, and the world has already been overcome. You have good cheer by acknowledging that you are simply walking through a battle that has already been conquered by the LORD. There is no reason to be sad or fearful because you have already been guaranteed the victory.

Furthermore, you have peace and good cheer by focusing on the internal instead of the external. If you dwell on the tribulation, you won’t have peace or good cheer, but if you focus on the Christ who lives within you, you will find the peace and good cheer to enjoy life in spite of tribulations.

Author: Allen Domelle