Enduring Faith: Walking Through Trials with Christ

Daniel Marsh
Nov 11, 2025
5 min read

By Bro. Robert Green – October 26, 2025, Sunday Evening Revival Service

When I think of endurance, I’m reminded that faith was never meant to be the easy road. You can’t go over it. You can’t go under it. You can’t go around it. You have to go through it. That’s true of the Christian walk as surely as it is of life itself.

Many would like the bypass—an easier path, a “loop road” around hardship—but that’s not the way God works. Our calling is not to avoid the valleys but to walk through them with grace. We began this journey not to get halfway up the mountain but to make heaven our home.

Every believer begins with a made-up mind. I didn’t start this walk to see how far I could get before quitting; I started with heaven in view. Yet so many lose sight of that original goal. The Christian life isn’t a one-time sprint at the altar—it’s a marathon of obedience.

Like the Apostle Paul said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”Endurance is what keeps the heart pressing forward when the mind is weary and the way is steep.

We must remember why we began. We were sick and tired of paddling our own boat and getting nowhere. We were weary of self-effort and shallow victories. And one day, we found the strength we lacked—not in ourselves, but in Christ.

What Endurance Really Means

To endure is to last, to continue in the same state without perishing. It’s not about being the fastest—it’s about finishing. The turtle, not the rabbit, wins the race because he doesn’t stop. Endurance is what holds you steady when the initial excitement of salvation fades and reality sets in. It’s what keeps you walking when emotions cool and prayers feel heavy. It’s what turns “I can’t” into “By His grace, I will.” In exercise, endurance is built through resistance. Spiritually, the same principle applies. Resistance—trial, temptation, affliction—builds the strength that sustains faith. As Paul wrote, “We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience.”

I once compared endurance to a physical plank. Anybody can hold it for three seconds. Try holding it for three minutes—and you’ll find out what endurance really costs. Muscles tremble, sweat burns, and every fiber cries out to quit.

The same happens spiritually. The devil whispers, “You’ve done enough. Why keep trying? This isn’t fair.” But endurance answers back, “I’m not walking away. I’ve come too far to turn back now.” The truth is, you’ve used less strength than you think. As one firefighter told me, at the point you feel physically done, you’ve often only used 30% of your energy. There’s more in you because God is in you.

Endurance doesn’t happen by accident. You must prepare. No hiker starts up a mountain without the right gear. Spiritually, your preparation includes justification and sanctification—those are your two trekking poles. Without them, you’ll fall.

When I go hunting, I make preparations: water, shelter, equipment. It’s costly and inconvenient, but necessary. Likewise, Christians who hope to make heaven must count the cost and equip themselves. Prayer, Scripture, fellowship—these are your supplies for the climb.

Jesus told of ten virgins—five wise, five foolish. All were invited, but only those who made preparation entered the wedding. It doesn’t matter that you’ve heard truth or even begun well—without oil in your lamp, you won’t endure the night.

Personal Endurance Example

Once on a hunting trip, my family and I each carried heavy packs—some over 100 pounds—up eight miles of mountain in rain and darkness. The packs cut our shoulders, and fatigue set in, but there was no turning back. That’s life. Sometimes the weight feels unbearable. You can’t see the top. You’re wet, weary, and wondering if it’s worth it. But every step forward is one less between you and victory.

When one of us stumbled, another carried the load. That’s the Church in motion: bearing one another’s burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ. You were never meant to hike alone.

There will be moments when endurance feels impossible. You’ll want to stop. You’ll feel you can’t go another step. That’s when you cry, “Lord, I can’t!”—and He whispers back, “I know. Let Me.”

Sometimes, God sends help through others. A pastor prays with you, a saint testifies, a song reminds you that heaven is real. That’s how the weary find new strength.

And when one brother falls, the others pick him up. There are no expendable members in the body of Christ. Every soul matters. We are not leaving anyone behind on this mountain.

Each hardship teaches us something. The steep hills build faith. The storms teach trust. The nights of loneliness deepen prayer. If you’ve ever worked until exhaustion for the Lord and wondered if it’s worth it—remember Christ asleep on the ship. Even He grew weary in service, yet never abandoned the mission. The rose of endurance comes with thorns. You can’t have one without the other. And if you try to remove the thorns—like a “thornless rose” bred for comfort—you lose the fragrance. A faith without endurance loses its testimony.

The Apostle Paul wrote near his death, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”That’s the goal. It’s not about how loud we start but how faithful we finish. Heaven’s reward is worth every sore muscle, every tear, every uphill climb. The elk steak I enjoyed after that hunt was sweet because it cost something. So will heaven’s crown.

Endurance transforms suffering into sweetness. It changes “Why me?” into “Thank God, He was with me.” Because He was. Every mile, every burden, every dark night—He was there.

Endure for the Crown

So I ask you: will you still be standing when the storm passes? Will I see you at the next camp meeting, still pressing forward? Don’t let the rain distract you. Don’t let the night discourage you. Don’t let weariness steal your joy. Get up. Shoulder the load. Endure for Christ. The first mile may feel easy, but salvation is tested on the last mile—when day is done and faith must walk on unseen. That’s when endurance shines.

For it is written: “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

📖 Scripture Reference List

Philippians 3:14 – “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” — A call to perseverance as a lifelong pursuit of holiness.
Romans 5:3–4 – “Tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope.” — Endurance refines faith through testing.
Matthew 25:1–13 – The parable of the wise and foolish virgins—only those prepared endured to the end.
2 Timothy 2:10 – “I endure all things for the elect’s sake.” — Paul endures hardship for the salvation of others.
Matthew 24:13 – “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” — True discipleship is proven through perseverance.
2 Thessalonians 1:3–4 – The church’s faith grows stronger through trials, becoming a testimony of endurance.
2 Timothy 4:6–8 – Paul’s final testimony: finishing the course and receiving the crown of righteousness.