Training is essential to prepare us for actual battle. The spiritual war is real and if we’re to know how to forge forward in the thick of it, we must be aware, prepared, suited with armor, and have the weapons of combat.  As I have said many times before, not all trials that we go through are punishment from God. Many trials are about providing the equipping and training to make us mighty warriors. 

God’s testing is always going to be about arming you to choose Him with priority. He wants to make you aware that every scheme of the devil is going to be aimed at manipulating you away from your devotion to God.  There are times when God must allow hardships and consequences to remind you that your focus has shifted from the priority. Other times God is putting you through a spiritual boot-camp of coaching, fitness, and experience.  Those lessons will give you the foundation against future temptations that God knows will be on the path ahead.

“The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Timothy 4:18 NIV)

There are times on this path in obediently following God, that I have been hurt and angry with Him for allowing others to use and abuse me. I’ve questioned how the Righteous Judge could patiently watch while I was treated unfairly, persecuted, censored, betrayed, and falsely accused. But in hindsight, I can see clearly that He was training me to become more like Him.  He used those trials to equip me with wisdom, help me to see who is for me or against me, more readily identify the imposters, and anticipate traps by the enemy. 

Spiritual training is never comfortable. The only way through the pain is to keep choosing God first. When you’re tempted to walk away, cry out to Him. When you’re tempted to give up, seek Him for direction. When you’re tempted to be lazy or uninvolved, ask Him to mentor you to a better way.

Read: 2 Timothy 4:1-18