The route to eternal life in heaven is not and will never be a bed of roses, so, Christians who are desirous of being there with their maker, our Lord Jesus Christ, are bound to face challenges, temptations, and even persecutions in the course of the heavenly race.

The Devil is in constant war with Christians because they believe in Jesus Christ, the son of God. In league with the fallen angels, the Devil mounts challenges, temptations and oppositions against the children of God, so that, they can fall out of faith and be destroyed in hellfire. The Devil, as a result of pride, attempted to usurp power from God and this resulted to war in heaven. Other angels led by Michael fought against him, defeated him and threw him out of heaven to the earth with bout a quarter of the angels in heaven who were his followers. He knows there is no chance for him to enter heaven or be with our Lord Jesus Christ, so, he has resorted to fighting the people who are obedient to the word of God. He wants all to disobey God so that nobody will be worthy to enter the kingdom of God or to be saved. He, therefore, mounts oppositions, challenges and temptations against the children of God.

Fortunately, challenges and temptations are good for the heaven bound Christians, as these toughen them to be serious and focus on heaven. It is when one faces challenges that he is strengthened to do exploits for God’s kingdom. In the lead scripture, it is written that the people who will truly serve God must suffer persecutions. Christians are bound to suffer challenges and temptations to strengthen them. In its original Greek translation, the word ‘tempted’ literally means to test for weakness. It is the same word used for the process of testing a sword for strength and proper forging: the same process we can call tempering in today’s parlance. This is done by putting the sword in fire. The steel for the sword is heated until it turns red-hot and then beaten flat into proper shape.

After this, it will be held up to reveal any grayish spots in the red-hot metal that indicated areas of weakness. The sword then will be returned into the fire, and the weak spots are beaten with hammer on an anvil to smash the molecules together so they would be tighter and stronger. After this the sword is placed in cold water to freeze and for the molecules to fall in place. It is heated again to red-hot and re-examined for weak spots. This process of examination, hammering, cooling, reheating and re-examination are repeated until all the weak spots are beaten out of the sword. Only then, is the sword ready for use in battle. An untested sword might break in the heat of the battle, with the deadly consequences for the soldier who uses it in the battlefield.

Therefore, the word tempted means to test for weakness, not out of a desire for destruction, but for the purpose of making one strong and unbreakable. So challenges, oppositions and temptations are to strengthen the believer in the work of God and to face challenges that might arise in the course of the heavenly race. The children of God are never consumed by temptations and oppositions or defeated in a battlefield because God will always intervene and give them victory.

In the Bible, the Israelites were turned to slaves in Egypt after the Pharaoh who did not know Joseph mounted the throne. They were subjected to forced free labour and their daughters were taken into forced marriage without proper rites. At the heat of it all, God’s intervention led to their delivery from this bondage. On their way to the Promised Land, notwithstanding they were moving under the will and guidance of God, they met stiff oppositions and great lack in the wilderness. They faced enemies who engaged them in battles; they lacked food and water, and even had to confront snakebites, but God granted them victory in all.

Temptations, oppositions and challenges are meant to strengthen any Christian and make him or her to boldly forge ahead. Apostle Paul using himself as a showcase in encouraging believers to endure whatever comes their way in the course of the heavenly race said this in 2Corinthians 11:24-28: “Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25: Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep. 26: In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. 27: In weariness and painfulness, in watching often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in cold and nakedness. 28: Beside those things, that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”

The great Apostle, Saint Paul, suffered all these yet he overcame them at the end to the extent that he announced that he is waiting for the crown, which the righteous God will give to him and to all the people that love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. It should be noted that the more persecution and oppositions were mounted against them the more they did exploit for God’s kingdom. God will not allow us to be tested beyond our capacity; hence He is always with us to ensure we overcome temptations and challenges. Romans 8:35-39 says: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36: As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the daylong; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37: Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. 39: Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Eternal life with our Lord Jesus Christ is the focus of every Christian and as long as God is with us nothing shall separate us from loving, serving, and following Him to the end when we shall reign with Him in the New Jerusalem. Temptations, trials, challenges and oppositions are bound to come. Whenever we are faced with them, lets hold on to the answer God has given to us in Psalm 50:15: “And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

When we are confronted with troubles from the devil and his agents, the solution is to call on God for intervention and He will deliver us. Temptations and challenges are for our good because they are there to strengthen us, but when it becomes hard on us we call on God for intervention and deliverance. Our prayers will be answered in Jesus’ name.