These things I have spoken to you, that in Me, you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. (John 16:33 NKJV)
Paul found himself in chains in a Roman prison in 67 AD. Taking a pen and parchment he wrote to Timothy, “I have fought a good fight.†The word Paul used, which we translated “to fight,†was agonizesthai, from which we get the English word “agonize.â€
From the time of his conversion, Paul’s life was an ongoing struggle. When he went to a city, he didn’t ask about hotels. Instead he probably asked, “What kind of a jail do they have here?†because that’s where he was apt to end up.
The enemies Paul battled were the same as those we confront – the world, the flesh and the Devil. The world often views Christians as strange. In many cases believers feel like misfits who may be loved by God but not by their neighbors. Jesus already warned His followers about this in the Upper Room: “If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you†(John 15:18 KJV). He taught them that instead of fighting back, rendering an “eye for an eye,†they were to render love instead of hatred.
We also battle with the flesh – the old nature that leads us to places we should never return to. The ongoing battle of flesh versus spirit is a conflict that can be won only by living and walking in the Spirit.
The third enemy is the Devil himself. Once you decide to follow Jesus, you discover that there is an enemy of your soul that you must resist.
Knowing what would be in store for us, Jesus said, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world†(John 15:33).