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The concept of Struggle in Christianity

In Christianity, struggle encompasses a persistent effort against internal and external challenges, highlighting the continuous battle humans face with temptation and adversity. This struggle is evident in prayer, where the act itself requires determination and symbolizes the conflict in seeking God. It also represents the ongoing warfare in every believer's spirit between good and evil. Early Christianity emphasizes this struggle, portraying it as a conflict that reflects both the trials faced by believers and the hope of regaining glory amidst adversity.1
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Synonyms: Battle, Fight, Conflict, Effort, Challenge, Toil, Exertion, Hardship, Strive, Strain, Tussle

The below excerpts are indicatory and do represent direct quotations or translations. It is your responsibility to fact check each reference.

Christian concept of 'Struggle'

Christianity Books

Significance in Christianity (general):

From: Expositions of Holy Scripture

(1) The process that goes on in every Christian soul, between God and Satan, and the warfare with sin and temptation, and is the path to deepened peace.[1] (2) A persistent effort or challenge, characterizing the human experience as a continuous battle against internal and external temptations, requiring vigilance and self-control to overcome adversity.[2] (3) The conflict experienced in prayer and seeking God, symbolized by Jacob's wrestling match, representing persistence in faith.[3]

From: Bible cyclopedia, critical and expository

(1) The struggle for life is referenced in the context of natural selection, and the disadvantage man has in it, in comparison to other creatures, as described in the text.[4]

From: A Dictionary of the Bible (Hastings)

(1) Prayer is a 'struggle', showing the effort and determination involved in the practice, emphasizing the intensity of the spiritual pursuit.[5]

Significance in Early Christian church and writers:
Early Christianity Books

From: Ante-nicene Fathers

(1) The text mentions being armed for the struggle, suggesting a challenging period where individuals were made conquerors, implying a battle or difficult situation.[6] (2) This term refers to the difficult situation or conflict, and the text mentions that a violent enemy will soon rise up against us.[7] (3) The struggle refers to the conflict that the brethren engaged in, and the possibility that they could regain their glory, which Cyprian believes in.[8]

Early Christianity (also known as Early Church) refers to the period starting roughly in the 6th century BC up until 325 A.D. during which year the first council of Nicaea was convened. Popular literature includes the writings by the early Church Fathers which forms the basis of later Christian theology.