Tribulation or trial means any event or situation that tempts you to sin, that causes sinful thoughts and temptations to rise up in you. In the tribulation or trial your will to serve God ”fights” with your desire to sin. Tribulations or trials also often mean difficult situations that test your ability to keep the faith – in the early church this often included persecution of Christians. (Romans 5:3; James 1:2-3; 1 Peter 4:12-13.)