1 Thessalonians 3:4-6

v4: Those who follow Christ must "count on times of testing and trouble." These times do "not come about by chance, merely by the wrath and hatred of the enemies of religion," but "according to what God has determined" for our good, in order to test or to grow our faith.

v5: "The Devil is a subtle and tireless tempter, who seeks an opportunity to deceive and destroy us, and he uses every opportunity to take advantage of us, both in times of prosperity and in times of adversity."  He also seeks to stop the gospel bearing fruit, by hindering those who preach and teach from being able to, or if he is unable to do that, by hindering "the effectiveness of their labour."

v6: How encouraging it is when we hear of believers standing firm in the faith and not turning aside from their profession when trials come upon them.