(Revelation 2:8-11)

Jesus emphasized to John that He is the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last. On top of that He is also the author and finisher of our faith, and the creator and finalizer of this world. However, we have an adversary that has made this world what it is today in terms of hardships, difficulty, lies, murder, etc. The church in Smyrna would experience all sorts of difficulties, as Satan would like nothing more than to have the people of this church thrown in prison or worse. That said, why is Satan allowed to mess with believers? What can we learn from persecution, hardships, difficulties, lies, etc?