Discover the Biblical ways to respond to trials and transform your spiritual life. TB Joshua shares wisdom for believers facing affliction.
💡 Comfort in Affliction Blog Series
In the first episode of our series on Comfort in Affliction, we explored why God allows trials in the lives of His children — and how affliction is often a tool in His hands to purify, correct, and ultimately draw us closer to Him.
In the second episode, we learned that trials are not signs of God’s rejection, but expressions of His love and mercy. Just as gold is refined in fire, so too are Christians shaped and strengthened through the furnace of affliction.
Now, in this third episode, we turn to a vital question every believer must face: What should I do when I’m going through trials? How can I stay joyful during hard times?
It’s one thing to understand why trials come — it’s another to know how to handle trials. Our attitude, choices, and faith during adversity can either open the door to God’s deeper work in us — or shut it.
This episode offers clear, biblical direction for walking through affliction without losing heart. Because what you do in the trial will determine what you become after it.
Biblical Ways to Respond to Trials: A Subtle Reminder
You are worried and upset about many things. Your business is not doing well, your family is not doing well, and you are facing challenges in your health.
Citing the book of John 16:33, TB Joshua reminded us “that you are on God’s agenda, you depend on God — total dependence upon God does not mean you will not be touched.”
Sickness will test you. Hardship and tribulation will test you. But they cannot destroy you.
According to John 16:33, “In this world, there will be tribulation. Cheer up.” ‘Cheer up’ means to have confidence and hope. “Cheer up — I have overcome the world.” Everyone has limitations.
Whatever situation you are going through is the soil on which faith grows. Has your faith been tested now, or have you been tested in the past? Cool down and relax. The answer to your test is in the Word of God — the Bible.
The Believer’s Joy is not the World’s Happiness
In this episode, we will look at the essence of joy to a believer, especially in relation to what you need to do when going through trials. What is the best Christian response to trials?
Listen to TB Joshua on this revelation— the importance of never compromising joy, in spite of undeniably difficult situations.
John 15:11 – I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
Citing John 15:11, TB Joshua taught that without God’s joy, we don’t have true joy. The joy of God makes our joy complete.
Don’t forget John 16:33 — it means peace is synonymous with joy. Another word for peace is joy. It is a fruit of faith — joy!
It is a fruit that comes from the recreated spirit — love, peace, and joy. It means: without faith, there is no joy.
This is why joy is something only believers have. If you are not a believer, you are without joy. It’s not something you can manufacture or create by yourself. The world may have happiness — found in the environment and surroundings — but joy is something only believers possess.
Keep Your Joy; Overcome Your Situation
In whatever situation you find yourself, there is one simple truth you need to know: You need to protect your joy to overcome that situation.
Are you a believer? Joy is our conquering power. If you don’t have joy, you don’t have conquering power.
The power to overcome sickness, hardship, isolation, and affliction is joy. If you don’t have joy, you cannot overcome these trials.
Whenever our joy seeps out and leaves us barren and empty, it proves that we are out of fellowship — out of contact with God.
As a Christian, trials may test you — but they cannot destroy you or rob you of your joy. Satan wants us to lose our joy, because he knows that when we lose joy, we become worried and unable to differentiate between God’s supply and Satan’s bait.
When you’re not a believer, trials can destroy you, overthrow you, and take you out of alignment with God. That’s what we see happening today. Satan uses these trials to rob you of your joy and your relationship with God.
Temptation, affliction, poverty, or hardship may test you as a person of faith — but they cannot destroy you, because of the joy within.
Biblical Ways to Respond to Trials: Your Joy — An Expensive Price
In his sermon “Don’t Trade Your Joy,” TB Joshua strongly warns us not to trade our joy for our situation. How do we trade our joy for our situation?
We often talk about our battle instead of talking about the One who is fighting for us — Jesus. Our battle is just the challenge or situation we face. But we focus on it too much:“I have a headache.” “I am not happy.”
Instead of talking about Jesus, we talk about our pain. How does this appeal to you? Jesus is fighting for you — so you should be talking about Jesus!
If you observe your life, you may notice you mention Satan more than Jesus. When the Word is not dominating your life, you will end up talking about your battle all the time — instead of the One who is fighting for you.
Once you keep talking about the battle, it leads to doubt. Talking about doubt instead of faith draws your focus to warfare instead of the promise of victory.
When you mention battle, you are magnifying the enemy, not the Comforter. When the Word dominates your mouth, it will also dominate your heart.
In summary, how can we talk about God and not satan? when you talk about your situation and lose joy, you are magnifying Satan. But when you talk about the promises of God, you magnify God above your situation.
Biblical Ways to Respond to Trials: Conclusion
Trials are not meant to destroy us — they are meant to define us. But the outcome depends on how we respond.
In this episode, we’ve seen one of the Biblical ways to respond to trials. When faced with trials, a believer is not called to complain or retreat, but to stand firm in faith, stay rooted in God’s Word, and submit to the refining work of the Holy Spirit.
These are not easy things to do — but they are necessary if we are to grow through what we go through.
And yet, this is only the beginning.
👉 In Episode 4, we’ll continue unpacking what believers need to do in times of trial — with a deeper focus on how to maintain peace, joy, and spiritual strength even when the storm doesn’t stop.
You won’t want to miss it.