The Crown Of Life

What is the Crown Of Life?

According to the Bible,  God will give the crown of life to those who overcome the trials and tribulations of being believers of the Lord.

As Christians, we will experience persecutions and oppressions whether they be physical, spiritual, or both.  This is the reality that we face as true Christians.

The underlying cause of our trials and tribulations is our adversary, the Devil. He does not want us to be free and have “life”. His main goal is to take us captive and subject us to spiritual slavery. He wants to put us under the dominion of death. He wants to own our souls. The Devil wants us to serve him and his demons instead of God.

Spiritual Life

But as believers, we know better than to give up our life. And I am not talking about our physical life but our spiritual life. This life is the Son Of God. He is our life.

John 1:4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

Our spiritual life is the spirit we received from God when we believed in him. He gave us the spirit of His Son.

Romans 8:15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”

We are supposed to fight for our spiritual life even if it means death to our physical bodies.

Therefore, we need to keep living our spiritual life that is in the Son Of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, our light. This is how we will receive the eternal crown of life.

The Son Of God

1 John 5:12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Moreover, the Devil knows the power of the life that is in the Son of God. He understands that this life is powerful, glorious, and eternal. It is God’s gift to the people who put their faith in him and love him. And, through this life, God wants to share his glory with us. He wants us to be His Sons and children.

Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”

Since God put the spirit of His Son in us, the Devil is always trying to separate us from the Son of God who is our life. He is continually deceiving people into giving up their life.

But as believers, we understand that if we endure the Devil’s deception and everything that he is trying to put us through, we will receive the crown of life that God has promised to give to those who persevere under trials and tribulations.

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

So we ought to hang on to the spirit of the Son of God. Even if meant having to go through spiritual or physical suffering. This is our chance to prove to God that we love him.

Revelation 2:10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The Sufferings Of Christ

So, how can a person really know that he’s been given the crown of life? You might ask.

Well, when a person tries to hang on to the Son Of God who is his spiritual life, that person will experience what the Bible refers to as the “sufferings of Christ”. After a person has shared in the sufferings of Christ and endured, then he will receive the crown of life.

The following verses are telling us about the sufferings of Christ that we can expect to share with the Son of God who is in us.

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad about exceeding joy. 14If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part, He is blasphemed, but on your part, He is glorified. 15But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. 16Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.

Whether we are experiencing these trials and tribulations spiritually or physically or both, we ought not to give up the Son of God, who is our life. We need to persevere as Bible admonishes us to do.

Hebrews 10:38 But My righteous one will live by faith; and if he shrinks back, I will take no pleasure in him.”

So, we gain our life by continually exercising our faith in God even in the face of extreme difficulties. We do not give up our life no matter what. By doing so, we are showing loyalty to God.

But if we become unfaithful and we shrink back, then he will deny us also.

Matthew 10:33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.

Therefore, let us continue to endure so that we can receive the crown of life that God promised to give to those who love him. We have this hope because we know that we have endured and shared in the sufferings of his Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:17 And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ–if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him.

But don’t be discouraged by these sufferings that we are experiencing brethren. Our Lord God almighty will make it bearable for us if we don’t give up.

1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.

Additionally, Apostle Paul said in the following verse:

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,

Live By Faith

Just as our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God had endured and received his crown, he wants to share with us everything he has received from the Father. He promised to help us get through our sufferings because he went through an even more difficult experience. Because of this, he can help us overcome just as he also overcame and became a triumphant king.

Our Lord Jesus Christ himself told us:

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

So let us continue to live our lives in the Son of God despite the trials and tribulations we are experiencing because of him.

The Devil will continue to play games with us and will attempt to exclude us from participating in the world where our physical bodies still reside. But we can take comfort in these verses:

1 Corinthians 9:25 Everyone who competes in the games trains with strict discipline. They do it for a crown that is perishable, but we do it for a crown that is imperishable.

And remember the verse below, if you encounter any spirit that is trying to exclude you from doing or participating in something.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Hang On To Your Crown

Even after we received this crown, we need to hang on to it because the Devil will continually try to take this crown from us.

Revelation 3:11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.

Once again, in the following verse, we are told to hang on to what we have received.

Revelation 2:25 Nevertheless, hold fast to what you have until I come.

Conclusion

The “crown of life” is given to those who persevere under trials and tribulations. It is a spiritual crown of life. It is the life that will live forever.  This life is found in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ our light.

Colossians 3:4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

I hope that the Holy Spirit has guided your understanding upon reading this blog. I will expand more on this topic of “life”. I will share my insight on how the “crown of life is also connected to the “bread of life”, the “book of life”, the “tree of life” as they are all part of the “eternal life” that is in Jesus Christ, our life.

Until then, may God bless you, brethren!