“Maintaining Your Victory in the Midst of Discomfort”

This summary draws on the core message that God uses periods of suffering and discomfort as a catalyst for spiritual growth, designed to conform believers into the image of Jesus Christ. It emphasizes that true Christian living is rooted in a personal relationship with Christ, not religious obligation, and stresses the critical distinction between Christ’s historical suffering (to achieve victory) and the believer’s role (to maintain that victory).

The Purpose of Discomfort: Maturing into Christ’s Image

Suffering and pain are presented as inevitable parts of the human experience, designed not for complaint but for ultimate spiritual maturity.

Suffering as a Catalyst for Christ-Likeness

Discomfort serves as a stimulus or catalyst for Christ-likeness and growth. The Bible states that those who “live godly shall suffer persecution”. When individuals allow God to teach them, life events help them recognize their dependence on Him, facilitating growth.

God has predestined every believer to be conformed to the image of His Son. The ultimate objective of the Christian life is to look like Christ when it is over. Every disappointment, struggle, and setback is used by God, the Potter, to mold the believer into His will, provided they continue pursuing Him. This process results in deeper qualities such as increased love, empathy, and generosity.

God’s Promise of Restoration

According to 1 Peter 5:10, after suffering a little while, the God of all grace will take action. He will:

• Restore the believer.
• Support the believer.
• Strengthen the believer.
• Settle the believer, placing them on a firm foundation.

Relationship Over Religion: Knowing Christ

A major theme is the necessary shift from adherence to rules to cultivating intimacy with Jesus.

The sources define Christianity without a relationship with the Christ as nothing but religion that keeps you in bondage. If Christianity is merely about “coming to church, learning the rule, and trying to keep the rule,” it is only religion.

Genuine Christianity is characterized by a relationship with Christ. This relationship allows believers to “know him” and “know the power of his resurrection”. When a believer walks in relationship, they do not have to worry about seeking people’s approval or acting artificially because of who might be watching them; they simply walk in their relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Fellowship of His Suffering: Understanding Christ’s Finished Work

The concept of “the fellowship of His sufferings” (Philippians 3:10) is presented not as a call to re-suffer for salvation, but as a defined partnership where Christ completed His part.

The Greek word for fellowship, koinonia, implies a giving and receiving.

Christ’s Part: Obtaining Victory

Jesus suffered to achieve specific victories that humanity lacked. His suffering secured:

• Healing.
• Righteousness.
• Wholeness.
• All things pertaining to life and godliness.

Jesus is not expecting believers to endure the same suffering to obtain what He has already secured through His death.

The Believer’s Part: Maintaining Victory

Since Christ’s suffering achieved total victory, the believer’s role is to maintain the victory He died to obtain.

Satan’s strategy is dedicated to stopping believers from holding onto what Jesus obtained for them.

Maintaining Victory: The Chess Game Against the Enemy

The spiritual battle is characterized as a “chess game” focused primarily on the believer’s mind and identity.

The Strategy of the Adversary

Satan strategizes daily, holding meetings with his demons, specifically to try and knock believers off what they are standing on. The core attack is aimed at changing the way believers think. Satan’s goal is to convince them that they are not what Christ says they are—for instance, convincing them they are not righteous, not redeemed, or not holy.

The sources assert that the greatest fear a believer can have is being afraid that what Jesus promised is not true. The devil tries to use failures or hard times to challenge the believer’s identity, suggesting that if they were truly righteous, they would not have failed.

Resisting the Attack through Confession

The believer must maintain their mental and spiritual ground by consciously believing and declaring the truth of their victory. This involves confessing identity based on Christ’s finished work, even when circumstances contradict it:

• “I believe I’m healed,” even when hurting or sick.
• “I believe I’m righteous,” even after acting poorly.
• “I believe I’m redeemed,” even if circumstances suggest otherwise.

This confession is not an attempt to get something to come to pass, but a declaration that Jesus has already gotten it to come to pass. When faced with condemnation, believers must declare that Satan is a defeated force.

Fighting the Discomfort

Discomfort and trouble are not meant to be tolerated passively. They are opportunities for growth, similar to how resisting weight develops muscle. Believers should fight back and resist the troubles that come from the devil. The heavier the pressure, the more the believer resists, the more they develop strength. Jesus is always available as a “spotter” during these struggles.

The belief that Christians should never have problems or hard times is “tom foolery”. When bad things happen, it creates an opportunity to “bust up more demons” and become stronger.