"Spiritual warfare considerations are often low on the list of ministry priorities. The skepticism of society to this matter has often reflected in the life of the church and it's theology too, in practice if not in theory. The spiritual weapons and armor listed by Paul seem ethereal and impractical by worldly standards (Ephesians 6:12-18). All too often Christian counselors concede to the world's methods steeped in naturalism. We are unnecessarily medicating thousands of folks who need deliverance. Even among conservative Bible believers, we're hesitant to ascribe events to supernatural agency. This also plays out as an over emphasis on political and social activism. Conflating faith and political activism lead to an inevitable confusion between the two. Fighting the world with worldly means will ultimately fail. They may bring some results- activism does have its results- but they will not be the ones The Lord wants. In this war if we win a battle by using worldly means, then we have really lost. On the other hand, when we seem to lose a battle while waiting on God, in reality we have won. The world may mistakenly say, “They have lost." But if we seem to be beaten in a specific battle, not because of sin, or lack of commitment or lack of prayer or lack of paying a price, but because we have waited on God and refused to resort to the flesh, then we have won. The powers of darkness are real, we need to be conscious of their influence and we need to respond to them appropriately. " The Supernatural World View-Chris Putnam 

I've been learning a lot about how to overcome through suffering. There are all kinds of suffering we face…some more intense than others, but all are real and every circumstance we face that is hard or difficult is meant for a purpose. I want to share what that purpose is. 

How are we to respond to afflictions, hardships, persecutions, trials of many kinds? Answer: ".....WE REJOICE IN OUR SUFFERINGS, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:3-8)

How did Jesus win the war of sin and death in us so that we can make the right choice not to sin out of love for him, and instead GIVE THANKS in EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE? "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, who for THE JOY SET BEFORE HIM endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2) 

WHAT IS THAT JOY SET BEFORE JESUS that made his suffering worth it to him? Answer:  PLEASING his Dad in obedience was his joy because that meant we could live and be the JOY and DELIGHT of one another's heart forever. He died to save us! In truth, Jesus made it possible for us to be in a right relationship with God the Father, Himself, and God the Holy Spirit. He defeated our sin and death! 

My prayer is that we all would see how much God loves us, that we would see that it is our personal sin natures that separate us from him, and that we would turn away from our lifestyles of sin and agree with his Word that we need the new nature he provides.  Why? Simply out of gratitude and love for Jesus who endured all the punishment for us. May he himself be our JOY in return. 

To love and trust Jesus is to endure any suffering for him through thanksgiving whether it be sufferings that can be out of our control like sickness, economic collapse, losing loved ones, hardships, persecutions, afflictions. In addition, rather than continued choices of sin to mask pain ( like abuse of drugs and alcohol and prescription drugs, anger, violence, stealing, gossiping, sexual immoralities, over spending , or continued ignoring of the problem and running away etc. ) we can unleash the power of God in our lives by REJOICING in the trial. See the pain as a form discipline, and literally and verbally thank God when it hurts the most. This in turn can ignite the power of God to deliver us from not only the flesh, but also greater forms of spiritual strongholds. The enemy flees when we resist him and when we obey and give thanks there is nothing for the enemy to grab a hold of. The God of the Bible is really alive and he will respond to you powerfully. Wait on Him in faith! It will produce endurance, character, hope, and love for God.

We can give thanks in the most difficult of circumstances by being satisfied and grateful in Jesus alone and by seeing who he truly is.... God in a human body meant to die for us. Blessed are those who have eyes that can truly see who Jesus is. It is by reading the Bible that one starts to have faith in Jesus. 

The way the world is headed, along with our own flesh tendencies without being yielded to God, plus the spiritual enemy the Devil are all going to put up a fight against those who are serious about learning how to obey God out of sincere love for Jesus.....the means is through suffering.  We all have our sufferings. May God bless us to fully surrender in faith to the Lord during the time of sorrows. He is a living God who is so sovereign and in control of authoring faith in us, and loving us through every form of suffering even the form that seems the most impossible to endure....death. The God of the Bible is the only one who can bring life out of death. Let's keep working out this amazing salvation with fear and trembling. Deliverance comes when we win the battle in the mind and finally believe on Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and see him clearly. We must stop believing in lies to start winning. The Word of God does not lie to us nor contradict itself.  We desperately need new perspectives of truth from God’s Word to battle the lies we believe that keep us from rejoicing and thanking God during trials.

I've been reading and rereading the following verses for encouragement and to transform my mind. I hope they encourage you to face anything difficult you are facing from the past, now and in the future:

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ~ 9But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 10:3-6 ~ 3For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

1 Timothy 4:6-10 ~ 6If you put these things before the brothers,^a you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. 7Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; 8for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.9The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10For to this end we toil and strive,^b because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

Romans 6:15-19 ~ 15What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,^c you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.

2 Corinthians 1:3-7 ~ 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.^a 6If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:8-10 ~8For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers,^b of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. 

2 Corinthians 2:4 ~4For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.

2 Corinthians 2:9 ~9For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 

2 Corinthians 3:12 ~12Since we have such a hope, we are very bold,

2 Corinthians 3:14-18 ~14But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. 15Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. 16But when one^c turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. 17Now the Lord^d is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord,^e are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 4:8 ~ 8We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 

2 Corinthians 4:14 ~ 14knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. 

2 Corinthians 4:15 ~15For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ~16So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self^d is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 5:2-5 ~ 2For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3if indeed by putting it on^a we may not be found naked. 4For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

2 Corinthians 5:7 ~ 7for we walk by faith, not by sight. 

2 Corinthians 5:14-17 ~14For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.^b The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 6:1-13 ~1Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you,
and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything. 11We have spoken freely to you,^a Corinthians; our heart is wide open. 12You are not restricted by us, but you are restricted in your own affections. 13In return (I speak as to children) widen your hearts also.

John 14:21 ~21Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 

John 14:22-24 ~ 22Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?”23Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.

Romans 5:1-5 ~1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we^a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through him we have also obtained access by faith^b into this grace in which we stand, and we^c rejoice^d in hope of the glory of God. 3Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Psalm 51:12 ~12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

James 1:2-4 ~2Count it all joy, my brothers,^b when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Hebrews 12:1-2 ~1Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:7-13 ~7It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. 12Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 

Psalm 75:7 ~7but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.

Romans 8:18 & 22-28 ~18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.….22For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.23And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. 26Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because^g the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,^h for those who are called according to his purpose.

1 Peter 4:1-2 ~1Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh,^a arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

1 Peter 4:12 & 13 ~12Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 

1 Peter 4:19 ~ 19Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

Philippians 1:29 ~29For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,

2 Timothy 1:7-9 ~7for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.8Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9who saved us and called us to^a a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,^b