Tested to Prevail
From DeeDee Mac Marketing
Tested to Prevail
“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat.”
— Luke 22:31 (ESV)
Satan had a destructive motive in his demand of Jesus. Just as in the case of Job, a sovereign God knew that this trial would produce in Peter a strength that otherwise would have been lost.
Peter was sifted.
Peter failed.
Peter wasn’t finished.
Jesus already knew what Peter would become on the other side of his failure.
In my golf book, Playing the Ball Where It Lies, I pinpoint examples from our beloved game to draw attention to what God is trying to do in our lives.
“Strength without restraint falters. Skill without character eventually collapses under its own weight.”
Recently, I have been alerted in my spirit to the way we Christians sometimes talk about trials. There are endless sermons, songs, testimonies, and posts about what we have endured, what we have survived, and how severely we have been tested.
Sometimes, if we are not careful, our trials can almost become a badge of honor.
But having trouble doesn’t make us exceptional. Jesus told us plainly:
“In the world you will have tribulation.”
— John 16:33 (ESV)
Trouble is a given.
We live in a fallen world. Bodies fail. People disappoint us. Sin has consequences. Relationships break. Plans collapse. Temptation comes. People we love die. Sometimes we make terrible decisions and suffer the consequences ourselves.
The remarkable thing isn’t that trouble comes.
The remarkable thing is that God meets us there.
It is in the difficulties of this life that God so often reveals Himself to us—His faithfulness when we are frightened, His strength when ours is gone, His wisdom when we cannot understand, His mercy when we fail, and His grace when we discover that we simply cannot do this on our own.
That changes the way I think about trials.
The question isn’t, “Why did God give me this trial?”
Nor should our testimony become, “Look at everything I have survived.”
Instead, perhaps it should be:
“Look at the God who met me there.”
In the cases of Job and Peter, Scripture specifically tells us that Satan sought to test them and God allowed it.
Is that to suggest that God purposes every trial in our lives? That Satan confronts God every minute seeking permission to deal in the lives of God’s people?
I think not.
Much of what we encounter is simply the reality of living in a world broken by sin. But none of it is outside the reach of a sovereign God.
I do believe two things: Satan can target God’s followers (1 Peter 5:8), and a sovereign God can teach us through life’s naturally occurring struggles.
And that is where James becomes so important.
James does not tell us to rejoice because suffering itself is wonderful. He tells us that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness (James 1:2–4).
The trial is not the trophy.
God’s work in us through the trial is.
His grace is the story.
His mercy is the story.
His faithfulness is the story.
And ultimately, His glory is the story.
I like the teachings of Pastor John MacArthur on this subject. I would summarize three of those principles this way:
- Absolute Control: Nothing in human history or personal life happens by accident. God governs everything.
- Permitting vs. Causing: God does not generate evil or sin within human hearts, but He sovereignly permits trials and suffering while accomplishing His purposes.
- Displaying Glory: Difficulties and pain provide the canvas upon which God manifests His mercy, grace, and redemptive power.
That is what I mean by Tested to Prevail.
Not that we celebrate being tested.
Not that suffering proves how spiritual we are.
But that when the inevitable troubles of this life come, God uses even those moments to reveal Himself, extend His grace and mercy, and form us into men who can stand.
We are not promised lives without testing. We are called to become men capable of standing when the testing comes.
What we have been given is life in a fallen world, and as we walk it, sin attempts to trip us up. We grow through how we allow God to do His work in our lives.
Peter discovered that his testing—and even his failure—was not the end of his story.
God was still at work.
And He is still at work in us when trouble comes.
That idea inspired the Truth Seeker “Not Tempted to Fail — Tested to Prevail” Collection.
Give us a look: