Our Trials: Five Keys for Victory

 

Scripture Text: James 1: 2-4

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.

1. The book of Job reminds us that trouble and trials are inevitable.

 

Job 5:7

7 Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

2. We need to understand how to face the trials that will come.

3. The jeweler’s water test. A fake diamond loses it brilliance when submerged in water, a real diamond does not. We must not lose our brilliance when submerged in trials.

4. There are 5 keys for victory in our trials.

·        An attitude of Joy

·        An understanding mind

·        A Submissive Will

·        A Believing Heart

·        A Humble Spirit

5. Key #1: An attitude of joy. James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;”

6. “Count:” consider, evaluate. Joy is not the natural human response to troubles.  You must make a conscious commitment to face each trial with an attitude of joy.

7. Philippians 4:4,11: Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

8.”When:” The word conveys the idea of an unplanned, occurrence that surrounds you.

a. The Good Samaritan found a man who “fell” among thieves.

b. Acts 27:41:And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. (A place of turbulence).

9. Heb. 12:11: Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

10. Learn to cultivate a right attitude.

 

11. John 16:20-22

20 Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

21 A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.

22 And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

(KJV)

12. Seeing beyond the trial to the end.

13. Acts 16:25, Paul & Silas in prison. This is the attitude we need to strive for.

Acts 16:25

25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.

(KJV)

14. II Cor. 12:7-9:

2 Cor 12:7-10

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

(KJV)

a. The real need often times is not the elimination of the trial- but the grace to endure it!

 

15. Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory witch shall be revealed in us.

a. We can joyfully endure suffering in the present because of the glorious future promised us.

 

16. DO OUR TRIALS MAKE US BITTER OR BETTER?

17. KEY # 2: AN UNDERSTANDING MIND

18. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

a. You’ve got to know a few things.

19. Know the reason for testing. Trials are designed to produce
“patience.”

a. Endurance: patiently waiting on God to remove the trial at HIS
TIME.

20. God builds us up the same way a runner gradually develops the ability to run long distances.
The runner starts small and works up to his maximum capacity. God allows increasingly greater trials in our lives to increase our endurance.

a. THE MORE DIFFICULT THE BATTLE–THE SWEETER THE VICTORY!

21. Psalms 40:1-3, David said.

 

Ps 40:1-3

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

2 He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.

3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

(KJV)

22. I Cor. 10:13, Paul said.

1 Cor 10:13

13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

(KJV)

23. II Thess. 1:2-4, Paul wrote.

II Th 1:2-4

2 Grace unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

(KJV)

24. KEY #3: A SUBMISSIVE WILL

 

25. “But let patience have her perfect work,”

26. DON’T FIGHT THE TRIAL!

The only productive way out of a trial is through it!

27. Psalms 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

28. KEY #4: A BELIEVING HEART

29. Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

30. When going through a trial, you must put your faith in God’s wisdom and not in your own.

31. KEY #5: A HUMBLE SPIRIT

 

32. James 1:9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

33. 1 Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.