How do we make the Lord our source of strength?
The Lord is my source of strength, my reason for joyful singing, because he is my deliverer. Shouts of joy and victory live with the righteous. The Lord is powerful in battle. — Psalm 118:14–15 The Discussion Bible
No matter how little or how much we have, life is full of struggles—physical, emotional, and spiritual. We might think … if only we had more money, better health, or fewer responsibilities … life would be much easier. Yet even the healthy and wealthy battle anxiety, and even the strong wrestle with weakness.
The question is not whether we struggle, because we all do. The important question is … how will we respond?
The Burden of Convenience
Ironically, many of the things designed to make life easier often complicate it. Before modern technology, families sat together in the evening and shared stories. Today, many families sit “together” in the same room, yet they are relationally “separate,” each person glued to a TV screen or cell phone.
Social media provides hundreds of “friends,” but we’re hard-pressed to find just one true friend, one who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). A hundred years ago, before we had air conditioning, privacy fences, and automatic garage door openers, we knew our neighbors and watched out for one another. Now, we do well to know their names.
Unless we are intentional about cultivating depth, our conveniences offer shallow connection and intensify our struggles.
The Inner Battle
Imagine a car with the steering wheel in front of the center console. Two people are in the front seat, each one trying to steer their way. The apostle Paul describes that kind of struggle within us—an ongoing tug-of-war between what the flesh wants on one side and our spirit wants on the other (Galatians 5:17). Even Jesus acknowledged this battle in Gethsemane when he said the spirit was willing, but the flesh was weak (Matthew 26:41).
We have a spirit that can be sensitive to God’s presence, but will our flesh be given control of the steering wheel? That’s an emotional choice that reaches to the core of our being. We see the intensity of this struggle in Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane, when his sweat was like drops of blood (Luke 22:44). If our spirit yields to God’s presence, we find life and peace. But if we yield to the flesh, our path leads to destruction.
Our struggle, then, is not a sign of failure. It’s part of the process in our choices to surrender to God’s will.
Struggle in Scripture
The Bible highlights how our struggles reveal which side of the battle we are on.
- Judas struggled with greed and loyalty. His tragic choice to betray Christ ended in despair and death (Matthew 27:3–5). His story warns us that surrendering to sin leads only to ruin.
- Peter denied Jesus three times out of fear (Luke 22:60–62). Yet his tears of repentance led to restoration and equipped him to strengthen his brothers.
- Paul endured shipwrecks, beatings, prison, and rejection. Yet he said he could do all things through Christ who gave him strength (Philippians 4:13). Does that sound right? It was right, because he was talking about winning the battel to have God’s way, not his own, independent way. His struggles became the soil where perseverance and faith flourished.
Our faith is shaped and strengthened by our struggle. Without it, Peter would not have become the rock of the early church, and Paul would not have written letters that still inspire millions.
Struggle is not the end of the story. It is the refining fire.
Peace in the Struggle
Jesus is both the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) and the One who said he hadn’t come to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34). At first glance, this seems contradictory, but it really isn’t. Actually, peace is not the absence of struggle but the result of overcoming it.
Think of a soldier returning home after battle. The peace he feels is deeper than someone who never faced conflict, because he knows the price of freedom. Similarly, the Christian’s peace comes, not from avoiding hardship, but from walking through it with Christ.
Paul said he had fought the good fight. He had finished the race. He had kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). The imagery of a fight and a race implies struggle, sweat, and strain. Yet finishing well produces joy.
Paul said he had fought the good fight. He had finished the race. He had kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). The imagery of a fight and a race implies struggle, sweat, and strain. Yet finishing well produces joy.
Peace is not cheap. It is victory forged in the fire of faith.
The Struggle Within Ourselves
The hardest battles are often fought within our own hearts. Paul said he didn’t always do the good he wanted to do (Romans 7:19). It was a struggle.
Like Jacob wrestling with God at the Jabbok River (Genesis 32:22–32), we wrestle with our fears, sins, and doubts. But Jacob walked away with a blessing—and a limp. The limp was a reminder that struggle shapes us permanently. Our scars, like Jacob’s limp, tell stories of grace.
Sometimes our struggle is against pride. Or it might be fear or despair. But the ultimate resolution is surrender to whatever God wants. True peace comes when we finally give up our attachment to what we want and realize that what God wants is so much better.
Victory in Struggle
Quitting is one way to end a struggle, but quitting the wrong thing leads to disaster. If we quit trusting God, we lose everything. If we quit selfish ambition, we gain everything. The key is to quit the flesh and cling to the Spirit.
Struggle is not an interruption of life. It’s part of God’s plan. Seeds must struggle through soil to sprout. Butterflies must struggle out of cocoons to fly. Believers must struggle against sin to mature. Jesus himself struggled with the cross—yet through his suffering, he brought eternal life.
The struggle is real. Embrace it. Walk with the Lord through it. With that comes the victory.
Song of Victory
Life is a puzzle with unexpected twists and turns.
Some days bring laughter, but others bring burns.
We wrestle and wrangle. We stumble and fall.
Yet God gives us strength when we give him our all.
We might think money will make our struggles cease,
But wealth adds more confusion instead of peace.
With our gadgets and gizmos we text and we play,
Yet relationships grow weaker and drift far away.
The battle inside us may be rumbling and roaring.
As fleshly desires keep our spirit from soaring.
Like Peter and Judas, we’re faced with tough choices.
We can heed God’s calling or follow other voices.
Our struggles aren’t wasted. They shape who we are.
Like wrestling with angels, we’re reaching for the stars.
Christ is our strength when the fight’s at its peak.
His power is made perfect when we’re feeling weak.
So be courageous. Don’t give up. Don’t hide,
For we will find peace with Jesus inside.
The race may be wearisome, difficult, and long.
But victory is certain. So sing a new song.
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