There is nothing more threatening to the kingdom of darkness than a woman who is arising into her God-given purpose. Hell responds because God’s purpose is about to be established!
In Part 1 of this series, we talked about the importance of arising into who God has called you to be and doing what He has called you to do. We also talked about leaving that cosy, comfortable place called the comfort zone. If you haven’t read that article yet, I encourage you to do so before moving on to Part 2.
In this article, we will look at some of the enemy’s devices and the ways he attempts to hinder your arising.
How He Moves
It is important to understand that the devil is your enemy. That may seem like a duh, obviously! moment, but I want you to understand that this enmity goes a long, long way.
In Genesis 3:15, after the serpent deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden, God declared that there would be enmity between the serpent and the woman. The enemy’s deception contributed to the fall of man, and we see throughout Scripture how he continues to oppose God’s purposes.
Because Satan is your adversary, he will use his devices to try to hinder you from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life.
The devil is a cunning creature. He uses what he knows to strategically target areas where he believes he can gain an advantage. He takes note of your patterns, your weaknesses and the things that make you vulnerable.
He studies your patterns. He knows what gets a reaction out of you and what makes you stumble.
And then he strikes!
So, don’t let him catch you unaware.
Think about it: is it fair when one party knows so much about the other while the other remains ignorant? You must also study your adversary and understand the weapons he uses. There are many, but in this article, we will focus on two.
Weapon 1: Deception
This goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, where Satan used the serpent to deceive Eve and lead her into disobedience to God’s instruction.
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
— Genesis 3:4–5 (NIV)
Notice how the enemy presented something that appeared desirable as a reason to disobey God. He made disobedience look as though it would bring an advantage.
His methods have not changed much today.
Think about it:
- The reward for sin: temporary pleasure.
- The reward for procrastination: comfort and the relief of avoiding what needs to be done.
- The reward for gossip and slander: a temporary sense of superiority over someone else, which can feed pride.
- The reward for compromise: the satisfaction of getting what you want without having to stand firm in your convictions.
These are just a few examples. You can probably think of others in your own life.
Deception is dangerous because it doesn’t always present itself as something obviously wrong. Sometimes, it comes disguised as an opportunity, a harmless compromise or something that feels good in the moment.
But we must learn to look beyond the immediate reward and consider where our choices are leading us.
The enemy’s ultimate goal is to lead us away from God’s will, just as he did in the Garden of Eden. This is why we must remain grounded in the Word of God. We cannot recognise a lie if we do not know the truth.
Weapon 2: A Weakened Spirit
Have you ever received a revelation about something God has laid on your heart? Perhaps you were excited, full of faith and ready to get started. You prayed about it, wrote down your ideas and began making plans.
Then came the actual work.
Suddenly, things became difficult. One problem followed another. Your excitement began to fade, your faith was tested, and what once seemed possible started to feel overwhelming.
Sometimes, the very thing you were once eager to do becomes the thing you keep putting off.
This is one of the ways discouragement can hinder your progress. When your spirit becomes weary, you may lose the zeal to continue, begin procrastinating or eventually abandon the assignment altogether.
Many important Kingdom assignments can be neglected when we allow discouragement and weariness to take over.
I almost fell victim to this when I started The Wholesome Space.
When the Lord placed the idea of creating a space for women in my heart, I was excited. I wrote down the ideas, plans and revelations I had received through the Holy Spirit. I could see what I wanted to build and the women I hoped it would bless.
Then came the building process!
I began encountering one issue after another while working on the website. Interestingly, it was during those moments of difficulty that my faith would begin to weaken. I would get frustrated, feel discouraged and sometimes want to give up.
But thank God, I did not give up! By the power and quickening of the Holy Spirit, I overcame those moments of discouragement, and today, The Wholesome Space is live, with the hope of blessing many women.
Looking back, I am reminded that having a God-given vision does not mean the journey will always be easy. There will be challenges, and there will be moments when you have to choose to keep going even when the excitement you started with is no longer there.
Do not allow a difficult season to make you abandon what God has placed in your heart.
You Can Overcome!
These are just two of the many devices the enemy may use to hinder your progress. Recognising them is important, but so is understanding how to stand firm against them.
First, study yourself and your patterns.
Just as you must be alert to the enemy’s devices, you must also become aware of your own vulnerabilities.
What repeatedly makes you angry or offended? What triggers an emotional response that you later regret? What situations tend to draw you into temptation? What causes you to lose focus or abandon the things you know you should be doing?
Self-awareness is important. When you understand your patterns, you can become more intentional about addressing them rather than repeatedly falling into the same traps.
Second, pray and depend on God for strength.
Jesus taught His disciples to pray:
“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
— Matthew 6:13 (NIV)
The provision for our victory is there, and God wants us to depend on Him. We must not approach the Christian walk as though we can overcome every temptation or fulfil every assignment through our own strength.
This brings me to something very important: your human strength alone is not enough to accomplish what God has called you to do.
That is why God has given us the Holy Spirit, our Helper. When you give your life to Christ, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in you. He strengthens, guides and helps you as you learn to walk with God.
If you haven’t yet given your life to Christ, I encourage you to visit our The Salvation Story page to learn more.
Remember, even Jesus told His disciples about the coming of the Helper. How much more should we recognise our need to depend on Him?
Do not try to fulfil a God-given assignment while neglecting the One who is able to strengthen and help you along the way. Engage with the Holy Spirit. Spend time in God’s Word, pray, fellowship with Him and learn to follow His leading.
And whenever challenges arise, remind yourself that the difficulty you are experiencing now does not have to determine the outcome of your story.
Before God formed you in your mother’s womb, He knew you (Jeremiah 1:5). Isn’t that amazing? The God who knew you before you were born is not unaware of the assignment He has placed before you or the challenges you may encounter along the way. You can trust Him to guide and strengthen you as you walk in obedience.
Keep Arising and Shining!
My prayer is that this series continues to bless you and encourage you to arise into all that God has called you to be.
Recognise the enemy’s devices, remain grounded in God’s truth, and learn to depend on the Holy Spirit. You do not have to be overcome by deception, discouragement or weariness.
God has given you everything you need to keep growing in Him and walking faithfully in your assignment.
Keep arising. Keep shining. And remember, you cannot do it without Him!
Look out for Part 3 of the Arise and Shine series, where we will talk about perseverance and the importance of consistency.
See you then!
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