99. Battles against evils, which is what temptations or trials are, is the subject in many places in the Word. They are meant by these words of the Lord:

...I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. (John 12:24) And by these:

Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ...whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. (Mark 8:34-35) The cross means temptation or trial, as it does also in Matthew 10:38, 16:24, Mark 10:21, and Luke 14:27. Life means the life of a person’s inherent character, as it does also in Matthew 10:39, 16:25, Luke 9:24, and especially John 12:25. It is also the life of the flesh which profits nothing (John 6:63).

The Lord speaks to all the churches in the book of Revelation regarding battles against evils and victories over them. To the church in Ephesus:

To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God. (Revelation 2:7) To the church in Smyrna:

He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. (Revelation 2:11) To the church in Pergamum:

To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the hidden manna. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows except him who receives it. (Revelation 2:17) To the church in Thyatira:

He who overcomes, and keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations...and...the morning star. (Revelation 2:26, 28) To the church in Sardis:

He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. (Revelation 3:5) To the church in Philadelphia:

He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God.... And I will write on him the name of...God and the name of the city of...God, the New Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from...God. Also My new name. (Revelation 3:12) To the church in Laodicea:

To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne.... (Revelation 3:21)