Seeing the Kingdom Through Spiritual Adversity (Part 1)

Part 1 of a seven-part series on Seeing the Kingdom — Adversity, Joy, and the Reward of Faithful Ministry - This is a series is taken from a Missions Class at Vision School of Missions led by Missionary Dallas Brown. The book by Don Mingo, "The Cross-Cultural Worker's Spiritual Survival Guide 14 Tips to Help You Thrive in Your Calling," was used as textbook and resource material for discussion.

One of the most common misconceptions about ministry is that difficulty means something has gone wrong. When doors close, opposition rises, or discouragement sets in, we often assume we’ve missed God’s will.

History tells a very different story.

Throughout Scripture—and throughout missionary history—spiritual adversity is not the exception; it is the expectation. If God is truly at work, resistance will follow. Hudson Taylor famously wrote, “If it is a real work for God, it will be a real conflict with Satan.”

That truth reframes how we interpret hardship. Opposition does not mean God has abandoned the work. Often, it means the work matters.

The Apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:12 that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces. Ministry does not unfold on neutral ground. Every step forward presses against territory that does not yield easily.

Understanding this changes everything:

• It keeps us from being surprised by difficulty.
• It protects us from discouragement.
• It helps us see resistance as confirmation, not contradiction.

If everything is easy, comfortable, and uncontested, it may be worth asking whether anything eternal is actually happening.

Seeing the kingdom clearly means recognizing that adversity is often the context in which God does His deepest work.

Reflection Questions

• How do you usually interpret hardship in ministry?
• What changes if you expect opposition rather than fear it?
• Where might God be using resistance to deepen your dependence on Him?