It is possible for any person to be a Christian, and any person can be a successful Christian. Yet, no one will find the Christian life easy. Jesus warned the people following him to count the cost of being a disciple, for Jesus knew many were not willing to pay the price. Being a Christian is not a small thing.
Read Luke 14:25-33. Jesus did not mean we are to despise our families and our own lives to be Christians. He was teaching we must love him so much that we will obey him even if our parents, our wives, our husbands, our families oppose us and order us not to follow him. Christians must even love Christ more than all things they possess. They must expect for there to be difficulties for them to bear.
What kind of difficulties can Christians expect? They can expect Satan to trouble them with strong temptations. Satan hates Christ, and he hates Christians. Satan's highest goal is to make Christians fall. Christians can expect Satan to trouble them in every possible way.
Christians can expect their old friends in sin to discourage them. If a person left juju, the juju society will try to discourage him. If he left drunkards, the drunkards will try to discourage him. If he left a denomination, people of the denomination will try to discourage him.
Christians can expect some people to laugh at them. Many people mock Christianity. They think following Christ is foolish. They think worship and righteous living is useless. Such people will laugh at serious Christians. To have people laugh at you can be very discouraging.
Christians can expect some people to hate them. Jesus told the apostles that if the world hated him it would surely hate them (John 15:18, 19). Some people are true enemies of Christ and the church. These people would like to destroy Christianity. The Christian should not find it strange when such people hate him for following Christ.
Even if a Christian is physically abused for following Christ, he should not find it strange. Peter told Christians not to be ashamed to suffer as Christians (I Peter 4:14-16). Many Christians in the New Testament suffered abuse because they believed in Christ.
While many things can trouble Christians, nothing can spiritually destroy the Christian who has true faith in Christ. Read Romans 8:31-39. God is greater than all troubles. Through Christ, we are more than conquerors. Do not fear Satan's troubles; have strong faith in Christ.
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