Why is the Christian life so difficult?
Why is the Christian life so hard? Does the Bible really promise that our life in this fallen world will become easy after we convert to Christianity?
Unfortunately due to the lure and deception of such false doctrines as the prosperity gospel , seed-faith teachings and word of faith theology, many people are deceived into believing that if they became Christians then God would promise to give them all the money and material possessions they desire.
However, the Bible warns against those false teachers who would teach the pursuit of “godliness as a means to financial gain” (1 Timothy 6:5).
So due to such false teachings, many people convert into Christianity with the expectation that life will become easy; they’ll make a lot of money; they will live problem-free – but only to find out that the Christian life is not as smooth-sailing as they thought it would be.
Unfortunately when people discover that Christianity is not filled with the rich lifestyle they were promised by these false teachings, they either fall from the faith and forsake orthodox Christianity or they become more and more like the world in the pursuit of money and supposed happiness (1 Timothy 6:10).
Becoming a genuine Christian follower of Jesus Christ is the most important life decision that one can ever make. Without Jesus Christ, our life would be purposeless and we will never experience eternal life.
We are all sinners in need of eternal forgiveness and therefore God provided a method by which we can be eternally forgiven of our sins and escape eternal punishment (John 3:16-17).
Eternal forgiveness is found in the Person of Jesus Christ who died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. Jesus lived the life we should have lived and took our punishment on the Cross. By His grace, Jesus paid the debt for sin that we cannot pay through the shedding of His blood on the cross and then rising on the third day to prove His victory over sin and death.
So even the life of Jesus Christ was filled with difficult situations. Jesus was a perfect Man living in a fallen world but yet Jesus experienced suffering and persecution.
Therefore if Christ experienced problems and suffering, then it is most likely that His own followers will experience the same.
However, even though Christ’s life on earth was a difficult road, His life and purpose reveals a beautiful ending and hope for to anyone who would believe in Him as Lord and Saviour (John 10:10).
Below are 5 reasons why Christianity can be so hard
1. Jesus Himself said the Christian life would be hard
In Matthew 7:13-14 Jesus says: “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
In John 16:33 Jesus says: “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
So Jesus Christ Himself, who is the Founder of Christianity and the Church does not promise that life will be easy when you become a Christian.
2. We live in a sinful and difficult world
The Christian life is not easy because we live in a world whose culture and lifestyle always gravitates towards sin and wickedness. 2 Timothy 3:1 says that in the last days “there will come times of difficulty” because of the moral and spiritual decay of humanity.
2 Timothy 3:1-5 says: But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
We live in a corrupt, selfish and wicked society. Therefore the more depraved humanity becomes, the more difficult life becomes.
3. The world is a persecutor of Christians
The moral and spiritual value systems of the world are mostly contrary to the value systems and teachings of Jesus Christ.
The world is under satan’s influence and so the world promotes the culture and pleasures of sin as a lifestyle. In contrast, Biblical Christianity promotes godliness and righteous living through Christ.
So Christ told His disciples that the world hates Him and therefore the world will also despise and persecute anyone who genuinely follows Him.
In John 15:19-20 Jesus says: “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they keep My word, they will also keep yours”
2 Timothy 3:12 says: Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
4. Our flesh / sin nature is at war with the things of the Spirit
As Christians, our sin nature is constantly at war with the Spirit who dwells in us. There is always an internal battle within us that will continue until we are with the Lord in Heaven.
In Romans 7:15-25 Paul also confessed to his own internal and personal battles and struggles with sin.
In Romans 7:15-20 NLT, Paul says: “I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. 16 But if I know that what I am doing is wrong, this shows that I agree that the law is good. 17 So I am not the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
However, we must constantly say “no” to our fleshly desires and yield to the teachings of Christ and the things of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-24).
So we should not allow our sin nature to dominate us, but instead we must walk in obedience to God.
Galatians 5:16-17 says: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.
Therefore the Christian life can be difficult because of the battle we continue to experience against sin in our own lives. However it is only through Jesus Christ and denial of the desire of our sin nature that we can overcome the temptations of our flesh and the world.
As Christians we are a work in progress and our sanctification is a process which God will complete in us.
5. The devil is at war with humanity
The Christian life is difficult because we have a spiritual enemy called satan. The devil is constantly fighting Christians because of his hatred for Christ and the things of God.
1 Peter 5:8 says: Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Ephesians 6:12-13 says: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Conclusion
Christianity in this fallen world is not easy, but the end result is eternal life and eternal peace if we endure to the end. The most important decision we will ever make is to believe and receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
Many times, it is through difficulty and suffering that we can grow spiritually and become more like Jesus Christ.
James 1:2-4 says: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Therefore we should not be surprised when we face difficulties in our Christian life. Instead it is how we respond that matters. No matter the problems we are going through, we must learn to give all our anxieties and difficulties to God and trust in Him to give us victory through all our troubles.