The saying “God gives the strongest battles to His toughest soldiers” is not found in the Bible. It is a sentimental cliché born out of secular motivational thinking, not Christian doctrine. It appeals to pride and human strength rather than humility and reliance on God’s grace.
The Bible teaches the opposite. God chooses the weak, not the “tough.” As St Paul writes:
“God chose that which was foolish in the world to shame those who are wise; God chose that which is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Corinthians 1:27).
Christ does not command us to boast in our strength. He commands us to take up the cross and follow Him (Luke 9:23). That is not a call to show how tough we are, but a call to self-denial, humility, and obedience unto suffering. The martyrs did not endure torture because they were the “toughest soldiers,” but because they were filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit and entrusted themselves to Christ without wavering.
This false quote shifts the focus from God’s providence to human endurance, as if trials are a badge of honour for the elite rather than a means of purification given by God’s mercy. It contradicts what St Paul himself experienced. “To keep me from becoming proud, God gave me a painful problem. I asked the Lord three times to take it away. But He said to me, ‘My grace is enough for you, because my power shows best in weakness.’ So I am happy to talk about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power can live in me.” (2 Corinthians 12:7–9, paraphrased)
We are not “God’s toughest soldiers.” We are weak vessels, clay jars (2 Corinthians 4:7), utterly dependent on divine grace. The Christian life is not an arena for pride but a path of humility, repentance, and sanctification through suffering in union with Christ.
That quote should be discarded. It leads souls astray.
— Fr. Charles.