Tribulations or trials refer to any event or situation that comes your way that tempts you to sin; that gives opportunity for sinful thoughts and temptations to rise up in you. The tribulation or trial arises when your mind to serve God struggles against your lusts to sin. It also often refers to difficult situations that test your ability to endure in the faith – in the early church this often included persecution of Christians. (Romans 5:3; James 1:2-3; 1 Peter 4:12-13)