You’re Not Under Attack - You’re Under Construction

There are seasons in life, let's be real, where everything feels like a trial. You’re doing your best to stay faithful, to remain steady, but the weight of hardship starts pressing in. And in those moments, it’s easy to think, “But God, You said no weapon formed against me shall prosper. Your Word says I’m blessed and highly favoured. That I’m the head and not the tail!” And listen, every single one of those promises are true.

I know this personally, because that used to be me. I held tightly to the Word, but I couldn’t understand why my circumstances felt so heavy. It wasn’t until the Holy Spirit opened my understanding that I realised: sometimes it’s not that God’s Word isn’t working, it’s our perception that’s off. Whether it’s limited spiritual depth, misunderstanding the Scripture, or just being human, we can easily find ourselves discouraged when life takes a turn we didn’t plan for, didn’t cause, and didn’t see coming.

But James 1:2 brings everything into perspective:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds..."

That word “whenever” is doing a lot of heavy lifting. It doesn’t say if. It says when. That means trials are not optional; they’re inevitable. And let’s be real, when you decide to walk with God, for real, those trials might even come more frequently. Because now you’re not just existing, you’re enlisted. You’re a soldier in the army of the Lord.

This is where many believers lose their footing. The moment the heat turns up, discouragement creeps in, and if we’re not rooted, it can lead us to drift. I know, because when I first gave my life to Christ, I came in like many of us do, expecting a soft life. I genuinely believed that salvation meant ease, that, now that I was “in the light,” everything would be smooth sailing. No problems, no tests, just blessings on blessings.

But as I matured in the Word, I learnt something essential: God is not only the God of open doors and miracles, He is the God of tests. And if there’s one thing He will absolutely do, it’s allow the genuineness of our faith to be tried.

Scripture doesn’t shy away from this truth. In fact, it echoes it:

1 Peter 1:7 – “So that the genuineness of your faith, which is much more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested and purified by fire, may be found to result in your praise and glory and honour at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Isaiah 48:10 – “Indeed, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested and chosen you in the furnace of affliction.”

Job 23:10 – “But He knows the way that I take [and He pays attention to it]. When He has tried me, I will come forth as refined gold [pure and luminous].”

Psalm 66:10, - “For You have tested us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. You brought us into the net; You laid a heavy burden [of servitude] on us. You made men (charioteers) ride over our heads [in defeat]; we went through fire and through water, yet You brought us out into a [broad and] abundant place [of refreshment].”

Proverbs 17:3 – “The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests hearts.”

Over and over, we see this pattern: God tests what He treasures.

Now, here’s the part we often miss: just because we’re walking with Christ doesn’t mean life becomes a fairytale. In fact, choosing to live according to God’s Word, to seek Him, to pursue holiness and purpose, that’s exactly when the enemy starts waging war. When you were out here doing whatever, living in disobedience, it pleased the enemy. But now? Now you’re a threat. And he knows if you become everything God created you to be, his time is up. So the attacks come. Distractions, discouragement, spiritual warfare, it’s all designed to wear you down and shake your faith.

But hear me clearly, not every trial is from the enemy. Lamentations 3:37–38 makes it plain: “Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?” Nothing touches your life unless God allows it. And if He’s allowed it, trust, there’s purpose in it.

Take Job, for example. The enemy didn’t just pull up on Job and start wreaking havoc, he had to get permission. In Job 1:8–12, Satan appears before God, and God Himself brings up Job: “Have you considered my servant Job?” The enemy responds by saying Job only serves God because of how blessed and protected he is. So God allows Satan to test him… but with limitations.

Catch that, Satan couldn’t move without God’s approval. And even then, the boundaries were set by God. Job’s faith was tested through loss, grief, sickness, and confusion. Everything around him was shaken, but God was still in control the entire time. And how did Job respond? After losing everything, he fell to the ground and worshipped, saying:
“The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

Whew.

And because Job remained steadfast, even in his questions, even in his pain, God restored him. In fact, Job 42:10 tells us that “the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.” That testing season wasn’t pointless. It refined Job’s faith, exposed his heart, and in the end, elevated him.

So yes, your suffering may be intense. It may be stretching and shaking you, but know this: God is sovereign over it. He’s watching, measuring, and refining. And if He allowed it, He’s using it to do a deep work in you that goes far beyond the surface.

So… how should we respond when we find ourselves in the fire?

1. Remain Joyful

James says, “Consider it all joy.” That’s not denial, that’s a mindset shift. Rather than sinking into discouragement, remind yourself that your Father, in His love, is using this trial to strengthen and mature your faith (James 1:3). You’re not being punished, you’re being perfected.

2. Change Your Perspective

One shift that’s helped me is reframing the question from, “Why is this happening to me?” to “What is God trying to teach me?” That small change in thinking pulls you out of a victim mentality and into a posture of victory. Because one thing I know? Your mindset shapes your outcome. Change your mind, change your life.

There are some lessons that can only be learned in the storm. There are depths of spiritual maturity that can only be reached through pain. Certain character traits; patience, resilience, humility, wisdom, are birthed through struggle, not ease.

Even Jesus, the perfect Son of God, endured suffering to be made complete. Hebrews 5:7–8 tells us that during His time on earth, Jesus offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears. And “though He was a Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.” His suffering prepared Him to become the source of eternal salvation. In the same way, God uses trials to refine and shape us, to prepare us to walk in purpose and destiny without crumbling under the weight of it.

So my prayer is this: may we learn to suffer well. Not in despair, but with wisdom, grace, and understanding. May we see the fire as a refining process. Because it’s pressure that makes diamonds, and it’s fire that brings forth pure gold.

3. Meditate on His Promises

When life gets loud, go back to what God already said. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things, yes, even this, are working together for your good. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that His plans are to prosper us, not to harm us. Keep His Word at the forefront of your mind and let it anchor you.

4. Let Perseverance Finish Its Work

The temptation is always to quit when things get hard. But when we walk away too soon, we rob ourselves of the growth the trial was meant to produce. James 1:4 urges us to let patience finish its work, so we may be mature, complete, lacking nothing. Don’t short-circuit your process.

5. Do What Job Did

Before Job got answers, before restoration came, he worshipped. Job 1:20 says, “Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell to the ground and worshipped.” That’s power. Worship isn’t just for Sunday mornings when life is sweet. Worship is warfare. It’s how we remind our soul who’s really in control. It silences the enemy and shifts the atmosphere. In your pain, confusion, or grief, lift your hands, lift your voice, and lift your eyes to the One who holds it all. There’s breakthrough in your praise, and peace in your worship. Don’t wait for the trial to pass, worship in it.

If you’re in a testing season, don’t let it break you… let it build you. Instead of asking “Why me?”, start asking “What is God producing in me?” Get in the Word. Get in prayer. Surround yourself with people who can lift your arms when you’re tired. And most importantly, stay planted. The storm may rage, but your roots can go deeper.

You were never promised a life without trials. But you were promised a God who never leaves, a faith that overcomes, and a crown for those who endure.

So take heart, you’re not being punished - you’re being perfected.

With Love,

P. x