Navigating Spiritual Trials: Strength in Prayer and Companionship

"That often in the wake of one fierce battle where you have emerged victorious, the temptation is then to rest and to rest on your laurels. And perhaps to leave off the reigns of perseverance, and perhaps to grow a little presumptuous about the nature of the victory that you've just won. So in the wake of that, another trial now follows immediately on the heels of Christian's battle with Apollyon." [00:01:41]

"Now, trials sometimes arise because of the narrowness of the way. They had looked into the valley, and what they saw, what Christian saw in Valley were hob-goblins, satyrs and dragons, as well as a continual howling and yelling as of people under unutterable misery and it keeps them from going any further. This is why these two men are telling Christian to go home." [00:02:54]

"One the most damaging trials of all is the loss of assurance, and it's clear that in Bunyan, the place described as the Valley of the Shadow of Death is not I think to be understood as a reference to death itself or bereavement, but rather to the circumstances and situations that produce a kind of spiritual death within us. And he's thinking of the loss of assurance." [00:06:03]

"This land of darkness into which our Pilgrim now entered seems to represent the dark and unhappy frame of mind into which a true believer may fall, the absence of all sensible comfort, the trouble that is caused by the hiding of the Lord's face, the inability to find any spiritual communion with God in the use of ordinances, a dark and desponding feeling pervading the mind, bodily languor and Satan's temptations may all unite to make this region a darkness." [00:06:27]

"The wicked one's crept up behind him and, quote, 'Whisperingly suggested many grievous blasphemies to him, which he verily thought had proceeded from his own mind.' Now, I don't know whether you've ever experienced that. Some of the Lord's people have experienced that, that they have these blasphemous thoughts that seem to come from nowhere. They don't want these thoughts." [00:07:52]

"There's one weapon which is more important than any other in overcoming such trials as these, and that weapon is the weapon of all prayer. When Christian left the Palace Beautiful, he was given certain armor, a sword and a shield and so on, and a helmet. But these are of no use here. They were of use to battle Apollyon, but they're of no use to battle these inner thoughts in his mind." [00:10:07]

"Now, the noises around him in the valley are mingled now with the ceaseless prayers that Christian is now offering to God, and as he prays, a company of fiends meet him. And he cried out, 'I will walk in the strength of the Lord God,' and so they went back. It's interesting point, isn't it, that prayer is the only weapon capable of fortifying Christian in this valley." [00:11:02]

"Now, Christian was comforted by what he thought to be the voice of a man saying 'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.' This is Faithful. This is one of the most beautiful characters, extraordinary characters in all the book, and we'll catch up with him in our next the lecture. He appears for a little season and glows like the evening star and then disappears and is taken from us again." [00:13:11]

"One, because he realized that others had passed through this valley. You know, Bunyan's a pastor. He had been ordained as the Baptist pastor of the church. Once John Gifford had died, the church elected him to be the pastor. He was in prison. All right? He couldn't be their pastor; he was in prison. But they elected him as their pastor." [00:14:20]

"And Bunyan is engaging here in some pastoral theology, and he's saying that sometimes we need to remind ourselves in the fellowship of God's people in Palace Beautiful, in the church of Christ. We share our stories and we realize we're not alone. Others have been here before. There is this man and he has been in the Valley of the Shadow of Death." [00:14:46]

"Thirdly, because if he overtook them, he might enjoy their company and fellowship. He hears this voice, right? It happens to be Faithful, and he says to himself 'You know, if can catch up with him, I can learn from him. I can have his help. I can have his support. I can have his companionship.' You know, I really do think in Bunyan, Bunyan teaches us in Pilgrim's Progress over and over again, the importance of friendship, of Christian friendship, of close Christian friendship, of Faithful and Christian." [00:17:09]

"And what I think we ought to see is, you know, Bunyan is writing this alone in prison. He misses his family. I've no idea what the death of his daughter would have done to him while he was in prison. But he misses close friendship and companionship and I think he introduces that into the story. What a wonderful blessing it is." [00:18:21]