In 2 Timothy 3:1, Paul warns, “Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.” This statement should bring us encouragement, as Acts 14:22 declares, “It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.” Trials and tribulations are doorways to His kingdom. The greatest trials and tribulations come upon the world at the end of the age because they are a door through which the world will enter the kingdom of God.
As we covered previously, when the Lord was asked by His disciples about the signs of the end of the age, the first thing He said was, “See to it that no one misleads you” (see Matthew 24:4). In this day of widespread deception, one of the most deceptive lies perpetrated in these times is the wrong teaching that if God is in something it will be easy. That is contrary to the entirety of Scripture and a major reason for the weakness of the church in our time.
Certainly, the Lord may make things easier for us at times, but by putting us on this earth where “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (see 1 John 5:19), He was obviously putting us here to face difficulties. He had the authority immediately after His resurrection to bind the devil and dispel him and his minions to make it easier for us if that is what He wanted. Instead, He is using the devil and the troubles in this world for our training. That training comes mostly comes through overcoming difficulties.
The Lord obviously did not intend for life in this world to be easy, and those who think this are going to be constantly thinking the Lord has let them down. We must realize how much of the devotion to ease and convenience is an attempt to make us softer so we will quit or retreat when something gets difficult. As 2 Timothy warned, it is going to get more difficult at the end, but this world in this age has been difficult since the Fall. Isn’t this why the calling of the Lord to all seven of the churches in Revelation, which represents the whole church in this age, was to the overcomers?
The resolve of every follower of Jesus should be to become an overcomer. This demands that we face trials with the resolve to overcome them and learn all that the Lord wants us to learn through them. God only honors what He promises. He never lies, never fails to do as He promised, and has promised to always lead us in His triumph (see 2 Corinthians 2:14). But we must follow Him.
Again, the Lord is the Truth, and He always keeps His word. However, He will not do what those who have twisted His words claim He will—such as making everything easy for us. One of the worst deceptions of the devil—and the most devastating to the Christian faith—is the easy, quick, painless salvation preached in recent times. This is the opposite of the gospel the Lord and His disciples preached. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer asserted, “When Jesus calls a man, He bids him to come and die.” And it’s not just once; He calls us to die daily.
No doubt, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest message of hope the world will ever hear. It is the promise of eternal life in a place of such glory, wonder, and peace we cannot even comprehend it now, but it is not a promise of ease, comfort, and luxury in this life. He did promise us an “abundant life,” but He did not say it would be the easy life. He just said there would be a lot of it.
Jesus calls those who would follow Him to take up their crosses and “die daily” and to not live for ourselves but for Him. He said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). The true Christian life is the most wonderful, exciting, and fulfilling life we can live on this earth, but it will also be the most challenging life we can live.
Studies have shown that the quality of the message we respond to that draws us to the Lord can have a major impact on the quality of our entire spiritual life. We don’t need studies to know this; the Scriptures declare it. Those who come because of a watered-down message that promises things the Lord never did either fall away quickly when tried or needlessly struggle in confusion their entire lives. How many have “come to Jesus” because of “another gospel?” Is this not why the church today is but a weak shadow of the first century church? Is this not why so many fall away at the first hint of trouble?
At the end of this age, the true gospel will be preached again, and those who believe and live it will exude the life of Christ and His power, and they will be the strongest people living on the earth.
© 2025 Rick Joyner. All Rights Reserved.
