“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” — 1 Peter 4:12 NIV

Being a Christian and living a life that follows the lessons, principles, and teachings of Jesus does not mean that you will be free from adversity. There are natural problems in life this side of Heaven, like cars that break down and illness that strikes our bodies. These naturally occur to us humans because we live in a sinful fallen world.

There are also supernatural problems in life this side of Heaven, because the “enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV). So becoming a follower of Christ doesn’t make you automatically exempt from natural problems and it may make you a target for supernatural problems because “our struggle is…against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV).

The message from the Apostle Peter in this verse is simply don’t be surprised about having trials and troubles come your way, just because you are a Christian. You are still human, this is still a fallen world, and you are not yet in Heaven.