Everyone is born into the fight. Everyone needs to be born again into the fight. There is no staying out of the fight. When we are born again, after a while, we start to feel the weight of the fight. C.H. Spurgeon said, “Satan tells me I am unworthy. But I was always unworthy, and yet you have long loved me. So my unworthiness cannot stop me from having fellowship with you.” Life before Christ is the light shone in the darkness, and the darkness (you) comprehended it not; spiritual blindness. The moment you are born again, you are no longer hidden in the shadows—you are lit and enlightened by the Light Himself. And that light, now the beacon in the darkness of a fallen world, exposes you to the enemy. You are now a threat. You are now marked. You are now in the fight, whether you choose to pick up your cross and follow or not. If the sheep hears the Shepherd’s voice, you can be certain the Lord knows them that are his. This is why many Christians don’t understand the continual affliction and tribulation in their lives after salvation. It’s to glorify God. It’s to refine us to make us more Christlike because that’s what He deserves. There is protection and blessings in obedience. Beyond that, there is the empty tomb that can allow us to endure. See John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” This is not a soft entry into a peaceful club. It’s a declaration of war against darkness. You were loved before you were worthy. And now, because of Christ, you are equipped to endure.
Truth Before the Fight
Born Again Into the Fight: Salvation, Struggle & Spiritual Warfare
Darkness Doesn’t Fight Darkness
Darkness doesn’t war against itself. It wars against light. The moment you are saved, you become a beacon—and the enemy takes notice. Free from the penalty of sin, the world (and the devil) now hates you. There’s no soft peddling it; the more you live for Christ, the more you are afflicted.
See Ephesians 6:12 and John 15:19:
- Ephesians 6:12: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
- John 15:19: “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”
Affliction Is Proof of Position
Affliction isn’t a sign of failure. It’s not a sign of weakness—it’s confirmation that you’ve switched sides. The enemy doesn’t afflict the lost. He afflicts the redeemed. Properly understood if you know you’ve been born again it can provide assurance.
See 2 Timothy 3:12 and Psalm 34:19:
- 2 Timothy 3:12: “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
- Psalm 34:19: “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.”
Commentary on Suffering
Suffering is not random—it is purposeful. The Bible teaches that affliction is both a refining fire and a proving ground. It strips away self-reliance and forces us to cling to Christ. It exposes whether our faith is shallow or rooted. It’s living selflessness instead of selfishness.
Affliction reminds us of Christ’s path. To follow Him is to share in His sufferings. He Himself was “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.” See Isaiah 53:3: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”
Affliction sharpens endurance: Trials are not wasted—they produce patience, character, and hope. See Romans 5:3-4: “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:”
Affliction is temporary: Paul reminds us that our “light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” in 2 Corinthians 4:17. You suffer now, but heaven is your home, and it awaits. Do you gather treasure unto heaven or pad your 401k?
Affliction is fellowship: When we suffer for righteousness, we are not abandoned —we are sharing in Christ’s sufferings and drawing nearer to Him. See Philippians 3:10: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
Suffering, then, is not a curse—it is a badge of belonging. It proves that we are in the fight, and it prepares us for the crown. It glorifies God. He uses it to make us better, to shed the light around us to save the lost.
Endurance Is Obedience
Endurance isn’t passive. It’s an active obedience. It’s choosing to stay in the fight, knowing the reward is not comfort, but fellowship. If enduring suffering, persecution, and affliction results in what Jesus said, should we not seek it through service? The world says sacrifice and prosper. God says obey and be blessed. Obedience is better than sacrifice.
See James 1:12: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.”
After Salvation: Motivations for Obedience & Spiritual Progression
- Fear of Consequences: The immature stage, rule-based and reactive.
- Desire for Reward: Seeking blessings, still self-focused.
- Sense of Duty: Covenant commitment, growing in responsibility. Christian. Christian child. Christian Spouse. Christian Parent.
- Love and Devotion: To be selflessly devoted singly to Christ, regardless of consequences in this life is the ultimate, the highest level, modeled by Christ Himself.
As Christians mature, obedience shifts from rule-following to relationship. We obey not just to avoid punishment or earn favor, but because we love Him. This is the obedience that endures. We fear at first because we are in awe of being saved, we begin to study and pray, we read of God’s promises, He answers and shows us His glory, it humbles us and creates a sense of duty that leads to love, and we devote ourselves to Him.
Blessings and Protection Through Obedience
Obedience is not only endurance—it is the doorway to blessing and protection. God does not leave His children exposed when they walk in His ways. He shields, provides, and honors those who obey.
See Deuteronomy 28:1–2, Psalm 91:1–2, and Proverbs 10:29:
- Deuteronomy 28:1–2: “And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.”
- Psalm 91:1–2: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.”
- Proverbs 10:29: “The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.”
Spiritual Maturity Insight
Early obedience may be rule-based, but with growth, it becomes relational—focused on aligning one’s heart with God’s. The mature believer obeys not just for protection or provision, but because they delight in fellowship with the Father.
Reflection Questions
- What changed the day you got saved? What battles began?
- How does Spurgeon’s quote reframe your view of unworthiness, sadness, or depression?
- What afflictions have you faced that confirm your position in Christ?
- How has obedience brought blessing or protection in your life?
- Where are you in the obedience progression—fear, reward, duty, or love?
- How can obedience be practiced in your home this week—even when it’s hard?
The Christian life is not a retreat—it is an enlistment. From the moment of salvation, we are called into the fight. Yet we do not fight alone. God’s love preceded our worthiness, His strength sustains our endurance, and His promises secure our protection.
Affliction may come, but it is proof of our position. Suffering may weigh heavily, but it refines us for glory. Obedience may begin in fear, but it matures into love. And love-driven obedience brings not only blessing, but fellowship.
A decade into my new life, I hit a wall. A wall that told me I was unworthy. I am, I always was, but Christ has loved me every step of the way. He will continue to, I know He will. I sputter between duty and selfless devotion because I don’t think I’m good enough. The only issue is faith and letting it fall away. You must trust Him daily, in every thought and in every way, just like He says, to stay on the narrow path and be mature.
So let us stand as a family, marked by light, strengthened by obedience, shielded by His protection, and refined by suffering. The battle is real, but the victory is certain. The tomb is empty. See Hebrews 12:1: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”
Affliction is a privilege. Discernment, blessings, wisdom, victory, relationship instead of religion, and protection. What is the alternative? Even though salvation cannot be lost, fellowship can. Having tasted the righteousness of God in your life, there is only one logical choice.
See Galatians 2:20: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
Closing Declaration
“I’ve enlisted in the fight for the cause of truth and right—praise God, I’m on the winning side!
Lord's Library participates in affiliate programs. We may make a small commission from products purchased through this resource.
- Born Again Into the Fight: Salvation, Struggle & Spiritual Warfare - January 19, 2026
- God’s Will in Creation & the 7 E’s of Elephants - November 7, 2025
- The Urgency of the Gospel: The Only Logical Road to Salvation - October 9, 2025
