Can a Christian Experience Inner Trials?

Can a Christian experience “inner trials”?  

I was recently asked this question from one of the  students at Emmanuel Baptist Church’s weekly college gathering, Harbor.

I took this question to mean “Can a Christian experience turmoil or trials in their inner life? In other words, in their mental, emotional, or spiritual life?” And I think the answer biblically and experientially is ‘yes.’

James 1:2-3 exhorts us to consider it joy when we experience various trials. The word various tells us that we may experience trials in many different forms. I would not hesitate to include trials that come in the form of mental, emotional, or spiritual turmoil. When we experience trials like this, James calls us to endure, so that we may mature in our faith.

Trials in our inner lives come from three places:

The World – Romans 12:2 warns us that the spirit of our culture wants to press us into its mold. But we must resist this, and strive not to be conformed to this age.

The Flesh – Romans 7:14-25 talks about a law that works in the members of our body, waging war against what we know to be true, and leading us into sin. This means that sin has affected us in deep ways in our body, so that our desires, emotions, and other inner realities are primed to lead us towards sin and away from faith in Jesus.

The Devil – In Acts 5:3, Peter asks Ananias why he has listened to Satan, who has “filled his heart” to lie to the Holy Spirit. So our enemy, Satan, is willing and able to bring temptation right into our inner life.

God has not left us without help. Most immediately, when we place our faith in Jesus, we receive the gift of His Holy Spirit, so that the presence of the all-powerful, triune God is constantly with us. He is an ever-present help, as Psalm 46 teaches us. We can fight temptation and pursue endurance through inner trials in three specific ways.

We Take Every Thought Captive

Second Corinthians 10:5 teaches us to “take our thoughts captive” in order to obey Christ. Given what we have seen above, we take our thoughts captive to know where the thought comes from. Is this a thought that comes from God and from His word? Then this thought brings to me something good and godly. It helps me obey Christ. Is this a benign thought? “Almost time for lunch.” We have many thoughts that probably don’t have a deep spiritual aspect, for good or bad. Or is this a thought from the enemy? Is this a thought that tempts me to disobedience or mistrust of God? We can take every thought captive and determine, is this a good and helpful thought? If so, let me dwell on it. Or is this a tempting and dangerous thought? Let me dispel it right away.

We Renew Our Mind

Romans 12:2 warns us not to be conformed to this age, as we have seen, but it also gives us the alternative. We must seek to renew our minds. We do this by reading and meditating on God’s Word. We rely on His Word and His Spirit to help us “discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” As our mind is renewed, we receive the endurance we need to persevere through inner trials. And this perseverance strengthens and matures our faith.

We Put On Spiritual Armor

Ephesians 6:10-18 teaches us how to “stand against the schemes of the devil,” including his temptations and attacks in our inner life. God has given us spiritual protection in His truth, in His gospel, in our faith, and in our salvation. In all of these things, we take hold of them through prayer in His Spirit, and so we can endure through trials of many kinds.

Christians face trials in many ways. They don’t always come from difficult circumstances or external problems beyond our control. They may originate right in our mental, emotional, or spiritual life. They come from the influence of the world, our sinful flesh, and our enemy. In every case, God has not left us helpless, but calls us to honor Him by enduring trials of all kinds. Thankfully, we have everything we need to accomplish this and arrive at a mature faith.