We live in a fallen world.

One tune in to the national news, one scroll on your Facebook news feed, one brief commercial break on the radio and you’ll see: our world is hurting and breaking and fighting and crumbling before our very eyes.

As a Christian, a child of the Almighty One, it is easy to be discouraged at times. If you are striving to fill your corner of the world with light and life and the joy of Jesus, then it can steal your breath and your zeal when someone tries to defeat you. When the world throws so much bad at such a fast pace, it’s hard to stay on your feet some days. Most days, really, we shouldn’t be on our feet at all, should we? Most days, we should be on our knees.

The New Testament promises followers of Christ that they will not be free from persecution and suffering. Instead, all those who live in a godly way will surely suffer (2 Timothy 3:12). So the New Testament was written to Christians who were being tortured and murdered for their faith in God and their dedication to Jesus Christ. We read throughout the inspired Scriptures that those who would be faithful even to the point of death would be counted the victors (Revelation 2:10). In the same way, Christians today ought to expect persecution. To welcome the opportunity to showcase our faith in the Lord to anyone who would press us to renounce our allegiance to Him. To find overwhelming joy in every moment we are shamed because of – or told to keep silent instead of – spreading the message of Christ.

But it’s a difficult pill to swallow.

Find joy in persecution? Seek to stand out instead of blend in? Ask for people to threaten me and humiliate me and make fun of me and say all kinds of evil against me? Counter-cultural, for sure.

One of the reasons we can find joy in persecution and suffering is because we serve the amazing, promise-fulfilling Father. He is the same God who told Moses, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrow” (Exodus 3:7). And in the same way He saw and heard and knew their troubles and cries and hurts and tears, he sees and hears and knows mine. He is there when the words hurt. He is there when the enemy threatens. He is with us, protecting us, ready in an instant to make our hope realized.

Our world is growing increasingly hostile toward Christians, but this shouldn’t be a surprise. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you” (John 15:18). Still, it won’t be easy. At least, it shouldn’t be easy. If life as a Christian is easy, chances are we’re not doing it right. So, embrace the difficult. Pray for the hard moments. Ask for opportunities to shine the brightest…but in order to shine bright, expect darkness to come closer than ever before.

So stand fast, Christians. Be on guard, army of God. Be strong and courageous and do not be afraid. The Lord, the King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega, He is our fortress and our rock. In Him we move and breathe and have our being, and in Him we will stand strong against the wiles of the devil. And above all, we shall not be moved.