Author: Sophie Luo

Most of us have known from a young age that there are many unpleasant things in life, there are many troubles and sufferings. And many Christians have realized that their sufferings have increased rather than decreased since they became a Christian. It is very normal to have this realization because that is the reality. Like Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “In the world you have tribulation”, what Christians face and experience are not just the many “normal” hardships in this broken world that’s been corrupted by sin, but more severely the ongoing attacks from the devil (which is to shake our confidence in God so as to lead us away from God), as well as the innumerous attacks from our own sins that come from our hearts corrupted by sin. Under the three influences of the world, the devil and our flesh, it is natural that Christians’ sufferings would have increased, but this is not necessarily a bad thing from God’s perspective, hence, the Lord reminds and encourages us in Rom. 5:3-5, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

This passage reveals to us that suffering is a trial that can help us to learn endurance, which can produce many fruits of the Spirit, making us more and more like Jesus, causing us to boast and rejoice in our sufferings for the hope that we have in Christ (James 1:2-4), as the Lord has assured us that our sufferings will have a glorious ending, just like Christ’s suffering ended in glory. When Christ comes again, we will have a resurrected body and a holy life, living with Him forever in the new heaven and new earth.

However, we might often feel that it is easier said than done. So how do we persevere in suffering? What can truly motivate us to persevere in suffering? Jesus says in Matt. 11:12, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” (ESV) This is not just true back then, but also true for every Christian now and in all history. 

1. The Kingdom of Heaven

“The kingdom of heaven” here refers to the kingdom of God, which is the kingdom, the spiritual realm over which Jesus Christ reigns as King, and so it includes both now and the future. The coming of Christ indicates that the kingdom of God has come upon us (Luke 11:20, 17:21), and when Christ comes again, the kingdom of God will be fully established (Luke 22:18, Matt. 25:34, Rev. 12:10). What is described in Rom. 5:3-5 is the life that we live now in the kingdom of God.

2. Take the Kingdom of God

Luke 16:16 says that “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone forces his way into it.” And Matt. 11:12b says that “and the violent take it by force.” In other words, the kingdom of God is the object or goal that believers strive to enter or take.

In describing the goal of life, Paul says in Phil. 3, “.…so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him….Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” (NASB1995) Paul is saying that the goal of the Christian life is to press on to take hold of the kingdom of God (Note: this does not mean that Christians can lose their salvation), which echoes the “take it by force” in Matt. 11:12. “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” (Heb. 3:14)

3. Take the Kingdom of God By Force

It is not by relying on our own strength that we “take the kingdom of God by force”, but by praying and depending on the grace of God towards us in Christ alone, as we press on looking to Him through faith in Christ.

Salvation is gift of God by grace (Eph. 2:9), but salvation and a devout Christian life is like two sides of a coin. If salvation of God were one side of a coin, then being imitators of Christ would be the other side of the coin. These two are not contradictory but form an integral whole.

Matt. 11:12b says, “the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” Now, “violence”, “the violent” and “take by force” are often associated with physical violence, so it could be a bit confusing here, and might lead to the misunderstanding that it means the kingdom of God is taken by physical violence. However, this is definitely not what this passage means. The Expanded Bible version might help us to understand this passage better, “the kingdom of heaven has been going forward in strength, and forceful people have been trying to lay hold of it.” (Paul uses “lay hold of” for the same idea in Phil. 3). So, “violence”, “the violent” and “take it by force” here do not mean physical violence, rather, as Matthew Henry said, “they press with a holy violence into the kingdom of God”. “the violent” here does not mean exclusively those who are very smart, capable, strong or fearless, but quite the opposite sometimes (as will be explained below).

Therefore, we can see that to “take” the kingdom of God, we must hold onto our faith to the end, and must make the effort in faith (2 Pet. 1:10). If we are neither hot nor cold about the kingdom of God, then we certainly will not be able to take it, just as it says in Rev. 3:16, “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Some lead an indolent life, despising or ignoring the Word of God, and think that others are having too high a demand of them when they exhort them to obey God’s commandments. If we are like that, then we need to ask themselves whether we are “neither hot nor cold”, and ought to reflect upon ourselves and repent, so that we do not become the salt that has lost its taste and is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet when Christ comes again (Matt. 5:13).

4. Take the Kingdom of God by Force & Persevering in Sufferings

It is not easy to stand firm in faith and hold onto our faith to the end facing various sufferings in life. However, persevering in sufferings is a form of effort that we make in taking the kingdom of God by force.

We often hear people say “endure it quietly”, which could create an illusion leading some people to think or believe that endurance/perseverance is static, like “doing nothing and waiting quietly until the storm is over”. However, as persevering in sufferings is a form of effort that we make in taking the kingdom of God by force, it must be dynamic, it must be an action, and a “forceful/violent” action (note again: not physical violence) as described above.

We are facing triple effects/attacks from the world, from Satan and from our flesh every moment of the day, “take it (i.e., the kingdom of God) by force” is not enduring it (i.e., suffering) quietly/motionlessly but to fight for it (i.e., the kingdom of God) with power. What is the greatest power in Christ? It is the Holy Spirit. 

We are not to rely on our own strength to persevere in sufferings, but to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

His power is the mighty power that raised Jesus from the dead (Rom. 8:11), and can surely help us persevere in sufferings and overcome the temptations that these trials may bring. Thus, our fighting with power is not the kicking and striking that we see in action movies, but is “abiding in Christ”. Now we might understand Paul’s words more clearly in Phil. 3, “.…so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him.” We might be very weak, especially when we face sufferings, but when we rely on the Holy Spirit to help us endure sufferings, we can receive the “violent” (mighty/forceful) power from the Spirit and become “the violent man” who “take the kingdom of God by force”.

For any sufferings that we face, we all need to pray and ask God to help us calm down in order to analyze which aspects are from without (i.e., the world and Satan) – external temptations and attacks, and then cry out to God for these sufferings, having our faith solely and firmly in Him, asking Him to give us strength to fight against them, asking Him to reveal His mighty power and righteousness to cover us. We are also to pray for our enemies, that the Lord would have mercy on them to turn their hearts to Him, so that they may know God and repent and believe in Him. The last but not the least, we need to pray and ask God to help us understand and see which temptations and attacks come from within us (i.e., our sins), and cry out to Him to help us repent quickly and to turn back to the righteous path in Christ (Ps. 139: 23-24).

When commenting on Matt. 11:12, Matthew Henry said,

“They who would enter into the kingdom of heaven must strive to enter; that kingdom suffers a holy violence; self must be denied, the bent and bias, the frame and temper, of the mind must be altered; there are hard sufferings to be undergone, a force to be put upon the corrupt nature; we must run, and wrestle, and fight, and be in an agony, and all little enough to win such a prize, and to get over such opposition from without and from within. ”

Those who strive to enter the kingdom of God will obtain it because their desire for the kingdom of God is higher than their desire for anything else and it becomes their motivation. Christians are in union with Christ, and this union is dynamic – it is actively living out our love for Jesus, which means obeying His will in every area of life depending upon His power and grace, living a holy life, bearing many fruits of the Spirit, glorifying God and enjoying Him. This is the abundant life that Jesus promises us (John 10:10) – He came and lived a perfectly obedient life on our behalf and died on the cross in our place so that we may have this life when we believe in Him.

For Christians who are going through suffering,  this dynamic perseverance is also shown in actively living out our love for Christ, not being concerned about our own gain and loss, but loving others with humility and sincerity. Our spiritual life is like a safe electric netting – when we learn to be obedient to God in a small thing (e.g., giving someone a smile or a simple greeting even when we are feeling depressed), it will arouse the electric in other wires in this netting, one after another, until God plays a beautiful melody with those sweet notes. This is certain because our faithful God has promised us, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)

Hence, let us seek the Lord and his strength continually (1 Chron. 16:11), praying at all times in the Spirit and keeping alert with all perseverance (Eph. 6:18); let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up (Gal. 6:9). May the Lord be with us in our sufferings, giving us sufficient grace, and making His power perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). May the Lord be glorified through it all!

© 2021 恩典新生辅导关怀中心 Biblical Counseling Soul Care Center – New Life In Grace. All rights reserved.

 ❤️ For Biblical Counseling Appointments: please click here.