“Do not be afraid of the things you will suffer. Behold, the devil will cast some of you into prison, that you may be tempted; and you will have a tribulation of ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.'' Rev 2:10

This passage is very important and is included in a biblical study on the 7 letters sent to the 7 churches in Asia that are found in the book of Revelation. This letter from this passage is addressed to the church in the Smyrna region. Jesus was warning those Christians in that region about a period of trial they would face. The Devil was not pleased with their conduct at all and would throw some of them into prison so that they would lose faith and become discouraged.

The truth is that the Devil does not accept in any way those who live Christian principles and preach the gospel. He is always looking for a way to stop them. They became his target.

For 10 days they would go through an "ordeal by fire". Some would be arrested since at that time there was no religious freedom like there is today. This concept only emerged many centuries later and even so it still happens depending on the region and situation.

In contrast, God is always two or more steps ahead of Satan. All these persecutions against Christians in the first centuries served to spread the message of Christ. This testimony from Christians (of facing arrests and risking their lives because of their faith) caught people's attention.

The expression "be faithful until death" means that Christ wants us to persevere in faith in him until the last day of our lives. In this way, we will receive the crown of life, that is, eternal life. We will also receive rewards from God in this life and the next. The Christian life is a mix of trials and blessings. If we remain faithful in difficulty, whatever it may be, we will later receive some type of divine reward.

May God grant you strength in these days of struggle.