If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men (NIV)

I've been recently confronted again with the idea of what we might call "Christian triumphalism" - that is, the idea that in some way, Christians should triumph in this world. I would agree with this statement - Christians should triumph in this world - in some sense. But the question is this, "in what sense should we expect to be triumphant?" Or more importantly, "in what ways does God promise that we will be triumphant?"
If you listen, you'll hear lots of different answers to these questions. From more charismatic quarters of the church, there are answers like:

• we should expect to triumph over sickness. Ongoing sickness has no place in the life of a Christian who prays in faith. Passages quoted to support this view might include Isaiah 53.4 and James 5.15
  
• we should expect to triumph over sin rather than struggle with it
  
• we should expect to be strong rather than weak ("the weaknesses I see in me will be stripped away by the power of Your love")
  
• if God has put all things under Christ's feet and he has seated us with Christ, then surely all things are under our feet too.

I'd like to come back to this and carefully examine what the Bible has to say on each of these sometime soon. But for now, may it suffice to say that any view of Christian triumphalism that makes it better to be a Christian even if there is no resurrection is not in keeping with the teaching of the Bible:

If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. (1Cor 15.19 NIV)

Christianity without hope for the future makes this life harder, not easier, according to Paul. Not only that but one of the most wonderful promises at the climax of the Bible makes no sense if this life is not a life of tears and pain:

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away. (Rev 21.4)

May God strengthen us to conquer by holding fast to our hope in Christ until he appears.