-1 Peter 4:12–13 (ESV)
"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." -James 1:2–4 (KJV)
These two verses, sisters in the holy Scriptures, are of great encouragement to the believer who finds him or herself in the fires of affliction. Note first to whom each verse is addressed: beloved and my brethren. This in and of itself is a great comfort! God lovingly reminds us of our identity in the moments when we are most tempted to doubt it. For though our enemy would have us feel that trials and temptations are signs of a lack of faith, we see here in God's word that our sufferings are in fact evidences of the Christ-life within! In all of our faith, but in trials most especially, God's fact must always be greater than our feelings.
Next, let us look at the subject of these verses: fiery trials and divers temptations. The nature of the trial is described as fiery—that which burns and devours and causes one to suffer loss. The nature of the temptations are diverse—literally, many-colored. We can be sure that the enemy will test the entirety of our faith for any crack or crevice of weakness. And though he often concentrates his forces on our weak spots, we must not grow lax or complacent in other areas where we feel ourselves to be strong. He is constantly searching for a foothold; therefore, we must constantly be on our guard!
The word here rendered 'temptations' is peirasmos in the Greek, meaning an enticement to sin, either outward or inward. Notice the twofold tactic of our enemy: temptations can be any adversity, affliction, or trouble allowed by God to test our faith, but they are also the same internal temptations with which Satan sought to derail Christ from His divine errand (Luke 4:1–13). They can be any condition or mental state that provoke us to lapse from faith or holiness. Doubt, depression, apathy, bitterness and greed are just a few of the inner strategies our enemy likes to employ and, when coupled with outward pressures and afflictions, they often become doubly persuasive!
Thankfully our merciful God does not leave us to wonder at the presence of these trials, but graciously tells us their express purpose: to test and try our faith. At first glance this may seem to be a harshness in our Lord's dealing with us, but it is actually a mark of His blessing! How will you know your faith is real, beloved, lest it be tested in the flames and come forth as gold? How will you know it to be a sure faith—reliable and solid—lest it be proved by the fire? The doctrines of faith are not meant to be believed only, but experienced!
Does not each trial reveal to us more precious and greater facets of the blessed object of our faith—our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? We would not know the brilliance of His light save for the depth of our darkest moments! We would not know the strength of the One who holds us in His hand save for the doubt and despair that try to snatch us away! We would not know the immeasurable magnitude of His love and grace toward us save for our continual struggles with sin and self. But the purpose of our suffering is not for us only; it extends beyond our lives to others and, ultimately, to God's own glory! As Job, being bereaved and distressed to the uttermost, wisely and humbly observed, "Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know" (Job 42:3).
Finally, the text illuminates the believer's responses: do not be surprised and rejoice and be glad. Do we now, having been called beloved and identified with Christ, expect less than our Master? If Christ, though sinless, was made perfect by what He suffered (Hebrews 2:10), how much more do we have need of this perfecting?
Remember our Savior's words: "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 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..." (John 15:18–20). Jesus was the "man of sorrows" (Isaiah 53:3)—let us not think it strange, then, that the sorrows He experienced should beset our way also.
We are told also to rejoice—not in the trials themselves, but in their ultimate goal, the first of which is our perfection. We must not think that because perfection is unachievable this side of Heaven that it ceases to be God's goal for us. Perfection is not our enemy; it is a Person, and His likeness is and ever will be the aim of a true believer! "For this is the will of God, your sanctification...For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness" (1 Thessalonians 4:3, 7). Afflictions find out our weak points that we might attend to them, not ignore them! Therefore we rejoice in this—that though the natural tendency of trouble is to induce sin, by grace we overcome that tendency and so derive benefit from our tribulation: namely, our sanctification!*
And the second and greater goal of our trials is this: God's glory. When Christ is revealed, and we have borne our trials without grumbling, without undue haste, casting aside disturbance of mind and fervor of spirit, not hurrying nor striving, but possessing our souls in patience,* then it shall be made known that His perfect grace alone has sustained our faith! We shall shine forth like precious jewels (Zechariah 9:16), cut and polished by our afflictions. Like gold refined, the fires of this life shall only serve to burn up the dross and bring us forth all the purer! Therefore rejoice and be glad, beloved of God, that in your trials and temptations God's grace works doubly—for your good and His glory!
So if you are tried and tested in your faith, if you are tempted and sorely vexed by that roaring lion, that lurking serpent Satan, count yourself beloved of God! Number yourself among Christ's brethren! Take heart and rejoice, o child of the Most High, for if there were no faith in you, the devil's fiery darts would have no target! Be comforted, for though we are promised troubles in this world, we belong to Him who has overcome them all (John 16:33)!
*excerpted from Charles Spurgeon