Suffering’s Greatest Triumph: Living for Eternity Now

Suffering’s Greatest Triumph: Armed with Christ’s Mindset

Peter’s “therefore” connects directly to our last devotional on Christ’s suffering, death, and resurrection. Because Christ suffered in the flesh and triumphed through it, believers are also called to arm themselves with the same mindset. “Arm yourselves” is military language—put on this truth like armor, equip yourself with this perspective, make Christ’s mindset your defensive weapon against despair when trials come.

The mindset isn’t that suffering is good in itself or that we should seek it out. Rather, it’s the knowledge that suffering has purpose, produces transformation, and leads to triumph when endured faithfully. Christ’s suffering wasn’t meaningless—it accomplished redemption, defeated death, and secured our salvation. Similarly, our suffering isn’t random or pointless when we’re in Christ. God uses it to refine character, deepen faith, and conform us to Christ’s image (Romans 8:28-29).

This mental preparation matters because trials will come. We won’t avoid suffering by pretending it doesn’t exist or hoping we’ll somehow escape what Scripture promises believers will experience (2 Timothy 3:12). But we can face suffering equipped with the right perspective—viewing it through the lens of Christ’s triumph rather than through fear, confusion, or bitterness.

The Paradox of Suffering and Sin

Peter states what seems paradoxical: “he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.” This isn’t claiming sinless perfection in this life—Peter knows believers still struggle with sin (1 Peter 2:11). Rather, he’s pointing to suffering’s refining effect and its ultimate conclusion.

First, suffering often weakens sin’s hold on us. When trials strip away comfortable self-reliance, expose the emptiness of worldly pursuits, and force dependence on God, they burn away superficial attachments to sin. The believer undergoing intense suffering often finds that temptations which once gripped them lose their power. Suffering has a way of clarifying what truly matters and diminishing what doesn’t.

Second, Peter may be pointing to the ultimate reality: death itself ends the battle with sin. If the believer’s ultimate goal is the heavenly life free from sin, then he should live the rest of his earthly life pursuing the holy things of God and purging himself of any remaining fleshly desires. Physical death—the worst suffering this world can inflict—delivers believers permanently from sin’s presence. Those who have “suffered in the flesh” to the point of death have indeed “ceased from sin” completely and forever.

Living for God’s Will, Not Human Lusts

This is not possible on our own, but as this is God’s will for the believer, He will equip and strengthen the believer every day to continue the good fight. The contrast is stark: believers no longer live “for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.” Before salvation, we lived for ourselves—pursuing pleasure, following desires, serving appetites, chasing satisfaction in created things rather than the Creator. This self-centered existence defines the unregenerate life.

But transformation brings new priorities. Believers live for God’s will—what pleases Him, what advances His kingdom, what reflects His character, what accomplishes His purposes. This isn’t joyless duty but liberated purpose. We were designed to live for God’s glory; living for anything less leaves us empty and unfulfilled. When we align our lives with His will, we discover the satisfaction our souls were created for.

“The lusts of men” encompasses more than sexual sin—it’s any desire that centers on self rather than God. The lust for recognition, comfort, control, wealth, power, pleasure, or security. These aren’t necessarily evil in themselves, but when they become ultimate things—the driving forces of our lives, the sources we look to for satisfaction—they become functional idols that compete with God.

When we are feeling weak, His grace is all sufficient for our needs. Living for God’s will requires power we don’t possess naturally. This is why Peter’s statement that “this is God’s will for the believer” provides such comfort—because it’s His will, He provides the resources to accomplish it. His grace meets us in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). His Spirit enables what flesh cannot achieve. His strength perfects itself in our insufficiency.

The Rest of Your Earthly Life

Peter frames this with urgency: “the remaining time in the flesh.” Every believer has limited time left on earth—whether decades or days, the clock is running. This is meant to be realistic and motivating. How we use our remaining time matters eternally. Will we squander it chasing temporary pleasures and selfish desires? Or will we invest it pursuing what lasts forever?

This eternal perspective transforms daily decisions. When you remember you’re living “the remaining time in the flesh,” suddenly trivial pursuits lose their appeal and kingdom priorities gain urgency. Arguments over preference seem petty. Accumulating possessions seems pointless. Impressing people seems foolish. But making disciples, growing in holiness, serving sacrificially, loving genuinely, and displaying Christ’s character—these take on profound significance.

Purging Fleshly Desires

Pursuing the holy things of God requires active purging of remaining fleshly desires. This isn’t passive waiting for God to remove temptation but active cooperation with the Spirit to mortify sin (Romans 8:13). We don’t merely resist evil desires—we starve them through lack of indulgence while feeding spiritual appetites through disciplines that draw us closer to God.

Practically, this means identifying specific fleshly desires that still grip you and taking deliberate action against them. If lust enslaves you, implement radical measures to guard your eyes and mind. If greed controls you, practice generosity that breaks its hold. If pride dominates you, pursue humble service that contradicts self-exaltation.

This purging is lifelong work, not accomplished overnight. But Peter explains that suffering accelerates it. Trials expose hidden idols, strip away pretense, and clarify what we truly worship. When suffering comes, believers equipped with Christ’s mindset don’t waste it—they cooperate with God’s refining work, allowing trials to burn away dross and purify what remains.

Reflection Questions

1. How does viewing suffering through the lens of Christ’s triumph change your response to current trials? Does knowing suffering can produce the greatest triumph give you hope or just feel like an empty platitude?
2. Peter says suffering often weakens sin’s hold on believers. Have you experienced this? What temptations that once gripped you have lost power through trials you’ve endured?
3. Are you living “the remaining time in the flesh” for the lusts of men or for the will of God? What would need to change in your daily priorities to shift more fully toward living for His will?
4. What specific fleshly desires still need purging from your life? What practical steps will you take this week to starve these desires while feeding spiritual appetites?

Prayer

Consider how suffering, when armed with Christ’s mindset, becomes the refining fire for purging fleshly desires and redirects your remaining time toward what matters eternally—God’s will.

For further study on finding joy in trials and suffering, consider reading:

• Living Hope: The Anchor for Suffering Saints
• Joy in Trials: How Suffering Refines Genuine Faith