From the research I’ve done on persecution, the hardest part is not the persecution itself, but the preparation before it begins. Standing firm in the face of pain or injustice is a small thing if one dedicates their life to living in full obedience and surrender to Christ (Philippians 1:27-28). The hard work comes before. The real difficulty is the lifetime of saying no to the pleasures and temptations of this world.
There are countless stories of people persevering through hard times. But how many examples can you recount of people putting aside their dreams, passions, and desires so they can devote themselves to Christ? How many people are dying to themselves every day and picking up their cross (Luke 9:23)?
It’s easier to deal with temporary afflictions than a lifetime of sacrifice. Surrendering our will is the hardest part. Through the power of Jesus, nothing will be too much for us to handle if we learn to live in total devotion to Christ (Philippians 4:13; John 15:5). How you have ordered your life until now will determine if you will hold fast to your faith when persecution is staring you in the face (Ephesians 6:13; 1 Corinthians 16:13). Do you want to be a Christian who doesn’t waver in times of testing? Then surrender everything to Jesus right now and do it again every day for the rest of your life (Romans 12:1).
Giving up everything to follow Christ is the hardest thing you will ever do. Our sinful nature will not go down without a fight (Romans 7:18-19; Galatians 5:17). It’s so strong we could never defeat it on our own. We wouldn’t stand a chance if Jesus had not taken all our sins upon Himself and crucified them on His cross (Colossians 2:13-14; 1 Peter 2:24). It is only through what He has done that we can be victorious over temptation and sin (1 Corinthians 15:57; Romans 8:37). Jesus did the hardest part for us. Our job is to embrace that truth and walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him and worthy of His sacrifice (Ephesians 4:1; Colossians 1:9-10; 1 John 2:5-6).
Many of us have encountered persecution because of our commitment to Christ, but few have faced physical torture or the threat of death. It’s difficult to imagine or predict what we would do with a gun to our head or a knife to our throat. What I know is, should such a circumstance befall us, it won’t be such a big thing if we’ve already spent a lifetime dying to ourselves. We recognize this life is not our own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and to die is great gain (Philippians 1:21). While none of us looks forward to pain and suffering, we do not fear the grave and rejoice in the opportunity to meet Jesus face to face (2 Corinthians 5:7-8; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
The hardest part of living for Jesus is not persecution. No, the hardest part is surrender. Surrendering our will now and then isn’t so difficult, but living the rest of your life in complete surrender? That’s a different story. But it is this story to which each of us is called. There is no salvation without repentance, and no repentance without surrender (Acts 3:19-20; Luke 13:3). Persecution is coming just as Jesus said it would (John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12). The way to prepare for it is by surrendering your life to Him. Put away the foolish things of the world (1 Corinthians 13:11; 1 John 2:15-17), pick up your cross, and follow Jesus (Matthew 16:24). That’s the hardest part.