How to Gain Strength through Spiritual Struggles (A Faith That Works)

If you’ve lived long enough in this world, you can probably say, “I’ll never forget the moment everything changed.” The job you counted on disappeared. The diagnosis blindsided you. A relationship shattered.  

And it’s in these moments, when life cracks open without warning, that our faith is tested and our foundation revealed. 

You see, the truth is this: trials aren't the enemy of faith. They're the pressure points that prove whether our trust in God is real or just theoretical. In God’s hands, suffering becomes something unexpected: a tool for growth. 

Trials Reveal What We Really Believe 

Consider James’ counterintuitive instruction: “Count it all joy… when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (Jms 1:2–3). What a statement. James isn’t calling us to fake happiness. He’s calling us to see pain through the lens of spiritual purpose. 

That’s because trials strip have the unique ability to strip away spiritual pretense. In other words, when trouble strikes, we quickly discover what we actually believe. Do we cling to God, or to comfort? Do we trust Him when the outcomes aren’t what we hoped? Do we live by faith, or by fear? Real faith isn’t proven on the mountaintop. It’s proven in the dark. 

The Refining Fire 

Peter compares suffering to the refining of gold, writing that “though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,” this testing produces a faith “more precious than gold” (1 Pet 1:6–7). 

In other words, God is not wasting your pain. He’s putting it to work. He’s purifying your trust, removing what’s shallow or self-reliant. He’s shaping you into someone who doesn’t just believe in Him intellectually, but who belongs to Him in deeper, more surrendered ways. 

And as He shapes you, He prepares you to help others. The comfort God gives you in suffering becomes the comfort you’ll offer someone else (2 Cor 1:4). 

Job’s Hard Road 

Job’s story reminds us how bad suffering can be and pervasively it can spread. He lost his wealth, his family, and his health. That’s a lot. Yet, he never cursed God. He questioned. He wept. He wrestled. But he refused to walk away. 

By the end of his journey, Job said to God, “I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you” (Job 42:5). His suffering didn’t just test his faith. It expanded it. 

Job never received the neat answers he probably wanted. But he received something better instead: a fuller vision of God’s greatness and a renewed trust in His purposes. 

Jesus in the Valley 

Consider the life of Jesus. The entirety of his life depicts one of the greatest comforts in the Christian life: we do not suffer alone. 

Jesus knows pain. He was misunderstood, betrayed, mocked, beaten, and killed. On the cross, He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mt 27:46). He entered our suffering so that we would never face it alone. 

That’s right. Christians will never face suffering alone. When you walk through trials, Christ walks with you. Because of His resurrection, your suffering will never isolate you from him nor will it have the final word. 

Strength Through Struggle 

The bottom line? If we think of trials as wasted seasons, we’ll miss what God intends. God want us to see trials as opportunities for spiritual fitness. When we see them as that, then the moments where faith is trained and tested are seen as having value. They’re not detours.

They’re part of the journey. 

Trials invite us into Scripture, where we find hope. They drive us to prayer, where we encounter peace. They strip away distractions, forcing us to focus on eternal things. And they prepare us to serve others with wisdom and empathy. 

Don’t Waste the Valley 

Are you in a valley right now? Does the night feel long? If so, do not be fooled. God is present. He sees you. And He is working—quietly, deeply, faithfully. 

So, don’t waste your valleys. Bring your pain to God. Keep walking by faith, even when you can’t see the next step. What feels like breaking may actually be building. 

Your trial isn’t just about you. It’s about others as well. God is preparing you to bless someone else down the road. And in the process, he’s making you more like Christ.