Affliction in the Life of the Christian: Causes, Implications and the Cure

Affliction is defined as “something that causes persistent pain, distress, great suffering or ill health”, according to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary. Some synonyms to affliction are hardship, adversity, misery, torment and tribulation. Because a person’s understanding of the causes and source of affliction determine the course of action taken to deal with it, it is essential to Biblically evaluate and prayerfully consider the cause of affliction in a believer’s life. Affliction’s relation to sin, effects/symptoms of affliction, the purpose of affliction as well as its cure will be examined through looking at both examples of affliction within the life of men of the Bible as well as doing an expository study of what the Bible says about the subject. The goal of the paper is not simply to objectively assess the Biblical view of affliction, but to bring applicable and practical solutions to believers who are seeking reprieve from affliction in their lives.

The Causes of Affliction

God’s Role in Affliction

The Bible tells us in Lamentations 3:32-33 that “Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.” The Lord does not desire to see us walking in a state of affliction, but rather wants to see us living victoriously in health, healing and wholeness. It grieves God to watch His children go through affliction. In 2 Samuel 24, David committed a sin before the Lord. In verse 14 David says, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.” David understood that, although the Lord would afflict and discipline him, it was from a place of love and restoration. When God saw the affliction of the people brought on by David’s sin, verse 16 says, “The Lord was grieved”. God withdrew the affliction when He saw the time was right, and He had compassion on His people.

God cares deeply for those going through distressing circumstances, no matter what the cause is. Psalm 10:14 says, “But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless.” Isaiah 54:7-8 says, “For a brief moment I abandoned you, but with deep compassion I will bring you back. In a surge of anger I hid my face from you for a moment, but with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you.” God’s role in affliction is to restore us. He is not silent, according to Job 36:15, “But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction.” He has not abandoned His child who is going through affliction. His promise is that He will provide a way out, according to Isaiah 30:20-21 which says, “Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction... Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it’.” God is determined to see His afflicted children come to the point of restoration and victory.

Affliction’s Relation to Sin

According to the Bible, affliction is not a sin. However, it is usually the result of sin, and through it, God is calling His children back to Himself. It is meant to be a “wake-up call” for the believer, for the purpose of causing His children to repent, turn from their evil ways and be restored to Him. Affliction and sin go hand-in-hand, which is shown throughout Scriptures. Almost everywhere that affliction is discussed, sin is mentioned as the cause. For example, Psalm 25:16-18 says, “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.” Similarly, Psalm 107:17 says, “Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.” And again, in the list of curses for disobedience to the Lord, verse 28 says, “The Lord will afflict you with madness, blindness and confusion of mind” (Deuteronomy28:28). Solomon acknowledges the relation of affliction to sin in 1 Kings 8:38-39; “And when a prayer or plea is made by any of your people Israel – each one aware of the afflictions of his own heart... then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Forgive and act; deal with each man according to all he does, since you know his heart.”

It is essential, however, to keep in mind that God’s intent is restoration and He always provides a way out. Job 36:8-9 says, “But if men are bound in chains, held fast by cords of affliction, he tells them what they have done – that they have sinned arrogantly.”

The Effects/Symptoms of Affliction

There are many descriptions of affliction in the Bible. Words such as anguish, failing strength, weakness (Ps. 31:7-10), loneliness, multiplied troubles, distress (Ps. 25:16-18), suffering terrors, despair (Ps. 88:15), frustration and anger (Ecc. 5:17) all describe the experience of one being afflicted. Isaiah 51:20 describes affliction as being drunk, but not from wine. When a person is drunk, they lack clarity, judgment and common sense and do not have an accurate sense of their situation. Other symptoms that can be indicative of affliction is confusion, shame and embarrassment, as described in Job 10:15 where Job laments, “If I am guilty – woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head, for I am full of shame and drowned in my affliction.” Job seems to be confused about the source of his affliction – but either way, he feels humiliation. Uzziah was also embarrassed when he was afflicted with leprosy after being prideful, unfaithful to God, and angry at the priests. When he became leprous, he was “eager to leave, because the Lord had afflicted him” and hurried away from the priests, who he was trying to angrily exert authority over just moments before (2 Chr. 26:20).

The Purpose of Affliction – Biblical Examples

The purpose of affliction is to move a believer forward, to bring them to repentance and to mature them. The key to coming out of affliction victoriously is to learn from it. Leviticus 21:21 says that if you refuse to listen and learn during afflictions, they will multiply. Isaiah 1:5 asks why a person would persistently remain in rebellion despite their afflictions. It is important to learn and move on from your affliction unless you want it to get worse.

There are good and bad examples of reactions to affliction in the Bible. King Asa relied on man rather than on God to fight his battles and when corrected on this matter, he became enraged rather than repentant. He became an oppressive king and did not live a godly life. As a result, he was afflicted with a severe disease, but again, sought help from men rather than from God and did not repent. He died in his sins (2 Chr. 16). Likewise, King Jehoram, who “did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (2 Chr. 21:6), was inflicted with an incurable and horrendous disease, dying a horrible death in unrepentance.

We must remember that we are never without hope. Although King Jehoram had an “incurable disease”, there is nothing that is incurable for the Lord. Jeremiah 30:12, 13 and 15 says, “This is what the Lord says: Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing, There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you. Why do you cry out over your wound, your pain that has no cure? Because of your great guilt and many sins I have done these things to you.” Two verses later, in Jeremiah 30:17, the Lord says, “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds”! What is impossible for man is possible for God.

Take, for example, King Hezekiah. He was afflicted with a lethal illness, but when he called to the Lord, he was restored to health, and was delivered from his enemies, as found in Isaiah 38. David was also afflicted, as evidenced by the book of Psalms being the book that speaks most of affliction. But we know that David was confident in the fact that when he repented of his sins, the Lord would restore him fully.

The Cure

The cure for affliction is to accept the work that Jesus did on our behalf. Isaiah 53:4-7 says, “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” We need to accept the fact that Jesus carried our afflictions on the cross. There is no need to hang on to them when they have already been fully paid for! Lamentations 3:19-24 is a passage that we can always look to with hope for full restoration: “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him’”.

Continuous praise and seeking the Lord is a cure for affliction, according to Psalm 34:1-5 which says, “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the Lord; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the Lord with me; let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” One who is afflicted also needs to stay closely connected with the Word of God. Psalm 119:92 says, “If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.”

I Kings 8:35-36 provides a model for the process of wholeness and healing from affliction. “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and confess your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, then hear from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Teach them the right way to live.” We can see that sin brings affliction, and confession brings restoration. It is also important to note that we need to be taught the right way to live, which can come through personal time in prayer and reading the Scriptures, as well as through mentorship from mature believers, God-inspired books, and godly teaching/preaching.

In order to be delivered from affliction, one must remain in prayer. It is essential to cry out to the Lord for deliverance. Psalm 72:4 and 12 tells us that God defends and delivers those who cry out to Him. Similarly, Psalm 9:12 says, “He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.” Even when we can’t ‘feel’ God’s presence, we need to know that He is still near. Psalm 31:21-22 says, “In my alarm I said, ‘I am cut off from your sight!’ Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.” Psalm 34:18 assures us that, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Conclusion

Our response to affliction determines the outcome. We need to remember that it is God’s desire and delight to see us walking in wholeness, healing and restoration. We also need to have an eternal perspective. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

God loves us and His sole desire is to see us walking in victory. He is our Father, who loves us and says in Isaiah 49:15-16, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.” Isaiah 49:13 says, “The Lord comforts and has compassion on his afflicted one.” When we come to an understanding that our God is a compassionate Father who cares deeply, loves intensely and desires the best for us, we can trust Him to restore us no matter how our circumstances appear.