Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
John 16:31-33
Because he refused to conform to the teachings and practices of the state Church of England and continued preaching the Bible according to his convictions, John Bunyan was imprisoned in Bedford on multiple occasions. He spent more than a dozen years in prison. It was during his imprisonment that Bunyan began writing the story that would become The Pilgrim’s Progress.
Bunyan was told that if he would simply agree to stop preaching, he could be released from prison. But he refused to make that promise, choosing instead to remain faithful to God’s call on his life. He was also attacked, slandered, and falsely accused of all sorts of things, but he remained true to his convictions. Bunyan later wrote, “Therefore, I bind these lies and slanderous accusations to my person as an ornament; it belongs to my Christian profession to be vilified, slandered, reproached and reviled, and since all this is nothing but that, as God and my conscience testify, I rejoice in being reproached for Christ’s sake.”
None of us are eager to experience that kind of hardship or persecution. Yet Jesus warned us that there would be trouble as long as we are in this world. His ultimate victory—which has already been won—gives us the strength and courage to face any opposition that comes not just with confidence but with celebration. If we are called on to suffer, we should face it just as the disciples did: “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41).
