I have watched the History Channel’s airing of Forged in Fire many times in the past year or two. Recently, while showering, thoughts concerning it started pouring through my mind. I believe it was the Holy Spirit. I considered what the show is about and how that directly relates, spiritually, to the lives of believers.

In the show, a pattern is presented by which the person must forge a weapon or sword in a short period of time. I thought about what happens next. Starting with raw material, the steel is beaten thoroughly, put in the fire, stretched, shaped, molded, conformed, and then tempered to harden and strengthen it.

The Harsh Process of Being Conformed to the Pattern

“Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-3

In 2 Corinthians 1:8-10, Paul wrote, “…we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.”

Romans 8:35 says “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?”

The Purpose of the Fire

The metal is passed through extreme fire and heated for considerable time. This makes it become more easily moldable and pure. Although it is heated, stretched, beaten, greatly rearranged and reshaped, it is not destroyed in the process, but rather made to look more and more like the original pattern.

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

Like the Old Testament children of Israel, God refines us with fire!

“And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’” Zechariah 13:9

As His royal sons and daughters, we are like gold and silver, which are very precious, but need purifying by fire. Hebrews 6:2 mentions baptisms, plural. The Bible speaks of water baptism, the baptism of the Spirit and a baptism of fire. John the Baptist said that Jesus would, “baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

“He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD.” Malachi 3:3

“Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.” Isaiah 48:10

None of us like or enjoy this process, but James said to count it all joy. Why? I believe it is because it is necessary. I suppose that the joy is in knowing that we are His and He is preparing us to be something useful and much greater in His kingdom.

Daniel 11:35a “and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white.”

In Colossians 1:24 Paul wrote, “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” His refining made him a more beneficial instrument to the church.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-11

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” Romans 5:3-4

There is a reason for the beating, stretching, tempering and fire. That reason is to be made to match the pattern. 

In the show, Forged in Fire, the master forger keeps working to make a sword that matches the perfect pattern. We are also being molded and conformed, not to this world, but to the image of Jesus Christ.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Romans 8:29

“But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’” Romans 9:20

God, the Master Forger, shapes us to Christ as He chooses. Pastor Wade Trimmer, calls it, “The University of Adversity”, or “The School of Hard Knocks.” Unlike earthly colleges, if you fail a course, you get to retake it again and again until you pass.  How do we get patience, a fruit of the Spirit? Usually it is developed by things happening that are pain in the posterior and thus require patience. When fruit is grown, it requires planting, watering, the heat of the sun, pruning, de-weeding, and the patience of waiting for quite some time. In the end, when the fruit is squeezed, juice has been produced and is released. God is after your spiritual juice.

Tempering the Metal

Once the sword is shaped, it is then tempered to make it tougher and stronger. How is it tempered? It is dipped in the oil. In the Bible oil represents the Holy Spirit. (see 1 Samuel 16:13) In Matthew 3 we see Jesus baptized and the Holy Spirit filling him (verse 16). Then in Matthew 4:1 “...Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” Notice the SPIRIT led him into nowhere in order to be tempted and thus tested by the devil! Immediately after this, in chapter 5, Jesus begins His ministry.

Someone has rightly said that “before God uses a man, He generally breaks him severely.” A horse must be broken before being useful. The same is true of us.

Ephesians 3:16 says, “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being”

Just like the sword we are strengthened by being dipped in oil—the Holy Spirit comes upon us in anointing.

The Filling or Anointing With Oil (The Holy Spirit)

Aaron (Leviticus 8:12), King Saul (1 Samuel 10:1 “Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head...” He calls him anointed. In verse 6 he says, “The Spirit of the LORD will rush upon you, and you will...be turned into another man.”  In verse 10 it happened! David (1 Samuel 16:13), Solomon (1 Kings 1:39), Jesus (Acts 10:38; Hebrews 1:9), the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:4), Samson (Judges 13:5), Elisha (1 Kings 19:16), and in the New Testament John the Baptist (Luke 1:15, 41), Zechariah (Luke 1:67), at Pentecost (Acts 2:2-4), Peter (Acts 4:8), Believers (Acts 4:31), Saul/Paul (Acts 9:17; 13:9); The disciples (again), “were filled...with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13:52).  In Ephesians 5:18 BELIEVERS are encouraged to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The anointing is mentioned in 1 John 2:27. In Isaiah 61:1, which Jesus quoted as His mission statement (Luke 4:18)—it is ours as well—it says, “The Spirit of the LORD God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me…” Even Satan was originally anointed as a guardian cherub (Ezekiel 28:14); Believers (2 Corinthians 1:21)

Progress and Conformity is Evaluated Along the Way

No sword is perfect, except the pattern. Even the apostle Paul wrote, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” Philippians 3:12

It is evaluated and if it does not closely match the pattern, more adjustments are required. This may mean more heat, fire, sanding, beating, etc.

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:6-7

In Jeremiah 9:7 God says, “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people?”

“For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.” Psalm 66:10

YOU HAVE TO TEST THE METAL

What is the next thing that happens when the master forgers have prepared their swords? They are severely tested and tried to reveal several things. So are we.

Sharpness

1.) Is it sharp? “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 Are you sharp? Do you know enough of God’s word to do battle? In Matthew 4 Jesus used the Bible as His weapon to defeat the enemy. You can’t be sharp if you do not know, study and learn the word.

Or are you dull? In Hebrews 5:11 the author speaks of people that are dull: “About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” Hebrews 5:11

Endurance and Perseverance

2.) Is it strong and will it endure?

Colossians 1:10 “…walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.”

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” 1 Peter 5:10

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Hebrews 10:36

Effectiveness/Lethality

3.) Is it lethal or effective? Are you a useful instrument in King Jesus’ kingdom? Are you an effective soldier in his army? Spiritually speaking, we are not talking about physical weapons. (see 2 Corinthians 10:4-5) Our weapon/sword is the word of God. Have you read it? All of it? Do you know it well enough to be able to use it in order to be lethal to the enemy, defeat him and lead those in his bondage to freedom in the King and His kingdom? 

“In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” Ephesians 6:16-17

2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

FINAL EVALUATION

At the end of Forged in Fire, all is evaluated and praise and recognition are given where due.  Christian, at the end of our lives our works will be evaluated to see if they are precious imperishable things, or only temporal useless things that do not make it into eternity.

“each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.  If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward.” 1 Corinthians 3:13-15

1 Cor 4:5 tells us that when things and motives are exposed, “…each one will receive his commendation from God.”

This is not about judgment. If you are now in Christ, the criminal court trial is already over, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1 You have already been found NOT GUILTY because of the righteousness of Christ and His payment for your sins. What will happen in the end is a judging of your works, the quality of them, and your motives.  Jesus will be looking for anything He can praise and burning up all that is worthless.

Conclusion

What is the purpose? It is to painstakingly, patiently, form something useful, that matches the pattern — a vessel through which to defeat the works of the enemy, extend the Kingdom and enlist more to be conformed to this excellent pattern—that is Christ.

Though none of us like or enjoy them, adversities, problems, suffering and heart ache come into our lives. In the end the Master Forger, forms us into something that looks like Jesus, is useful, effective, sharp and more than a conqueror.

“The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts.” Proverbs 17:3

“In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,” 1 Peter 1:6-7 

Encouragement During the Process

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18