By Andrew Williams
Introduction
Do you ever feel like your personal struggles—your secret anxieties, your recurring temptations, your battles for faith—are about more than just you? You’re right. They are. The Bible pulls back the curtain to reveal that our individual lives are a single thread in a grand, cosmic tapestry.
Your fight is part of a much larger story, a heavenly drama that the apostle Paul calls “the great controversy.” Today, we’re going to get the big-picture context for our battles, and in doing so, discover the incredible purpose and meaning our lives have in God’s eternal story.
A Conflict of Heavenly Proportions
In Heaven, there was a rebellion. A powerful angelic being, Satan, in his pride, sought to usurp the throne of God. This initiated a cosmic conflict between the Kingdom of God—a kingdom of light, love, and life—and the kingdom of darkness—a kingdom of pride, deception, and death. This is the ultimate backdrop to all of human history.
Every struggle, every temptation, every act of rebellion, and every act of faith on earth echoes in this unseen realm. Your personal battle is a local skirmish in a universal war. Understanding this doesn’t make our problems smaller; it gives them a profound significance.
Your Faith on Display
So, what is our role in this story? We are not the main characters—God is. But we are the evidence. We are the exhibit.
The book of Job gives us a glimpse of this. Job, a righteous man on earth, had no idea that his faithfulness was the subject of a conversation in the heavenly courts. His response to suffering was a testimony on earth that declared a truth in heaven: God alone is worthy of worship, not because of the blessings He gives, but because of who He is.
In the same way, Ephesians 3:10 says that God’s plan is that “through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms.”
How does God show off His wisdom to his enemies? Through you. Through your trust in the middle of a trial. Through your choice to forgive when you’ve been wronged. Your faith is a declaration to the unseen world that God is good, God is wise, and God is victorious.
The Ultimate Goal: God’s Glory
This brings us to the ultimate reason for everything: the glory of God. Why does God allow the fight to continue? Why does He allow us to face resistance?
Because our dependence on Him in the battle puts His power on display. Our hope in His promises during the struggle puts His faithfulness on display. Our love for others in the face of conflict puts His character on display. Every time you choose to trust God in the dark, you are casting a vote of allegiance, and that vote resounds in eternity, bringing glory to your King. Your struggle is not pointless; it is a stage upon which the glory and worth of God are being brilliantly displayed.
Practical Steps/Takeaways
How do we live in light of this incredible reality?
- 1. Reframe Your Battle. The next time you face a struggle, pause and ask, “God, how can my response in this situation bring you glory? How can my trust in you right now be a testimony?”
- 2. Pray with a Bigger Perspective. Shift your prayers from being only about your comfort to being about God’s glory. Pray, “Lord, deliver me from this, but even more than that, be glorified in my life through it.”
- 3. Read the End of the Story. When the fight feels overwhelming, go read Revelation 21 and 22. Remind yourself how the story ends. The King wins, and His kingdom is eternal. This gives you hope to keep fighting.
Conclusion
Your life is not a random series of events. You are a part of the greatest story ever told. Your personal battles for faith have cosmic significance. God has invited you to play a role in demonstrating His wisdom, His power, and His ultimate victory. So, take heart. Your fight matters more than you can possibly imagine.
Prayer: Father God, I KNOW my place in YOUR story. I will live in full obedience to you, magnifying and Glorifying You!
