The BEST Question To Uncover The enemy’s Schemes…
We've talked a lot about the importance of being aware of the enemy’s schemes (2 Corinthians 2:11).
I was listening to a podcast recently when the host mentioned a question that stopped me in my tracks. I thought, “That’s the perfect question to expose the stunts the enemy tries to pull in your life.” And it was this:
If I were Satan, how would I take me out?
It’s a pretty uncomfortable question to sit with because it forces you to be ruthlessly honest about your weaknesses and brutally truthful about where God is probably inviting you to grow and trust Him more.
Yeah… I didn’t enjoy it either.
To help you narrow down where God might be prompting growth, I’ve identified five categories I’ve seen over and over again in my life and in the lives of the women I coach.
1. Identity and Inadequacy
As life changes and shifts, shame and comparison creep in and whisper accusations about what we have done and what we have not done.
You might not even realize the lies playing in the background.
Who am I now that my kids are grown?
Does my life matter?
Do I still have a purpose at this stage?
Getting us to believe we are insignificant is one of the enemy’s biggest tactics. If he can get us to shrink back, he does not have to fight us because we will not be fighting for God’s purposes.
Clearly God expects us to engage in a battle, otherwise He would not command us to put on the full armor of God. So do not believe the whispers that you do not matter. You matter enough for Jesus to give His very life to redeem you.
2. Paralysis Through Overwhelm
The enemy is a master at using overwhelm to shut us down.
In this stage of history with emails, texts, social media, and a million opinions on every hot topic, it is easy to be stretched thin. Add the transitions you are facing as one season ends and another begins, and you are exhausted.
You are constantly putting out fires and it becomes nearly impossible to pause long enough to hear God clearly.
The best plan of attack is to stop engaging with so many voices.
Turn the noise down or off so you can focus on what God wants you to focus on this year.
3. Fear and Worst-Case Imagination
The enemy often hijacks our God-given imagination and uses it for anxiety.
GOD NEVER INTENDED FOR US TO USE OUR IMAGINATIONS IN THIS WAY.
We spend far more mental energy on disastrous “what if” scenarios than on miraculous ones.
Think about it. When was the last time you said with hope and faith,
“What if God comes through?”
We rarely, if ever, think that way naturally. Instead we think:
What if I fail? What if it does not work? What if things get worse?
This type of fear keeps you stuck.
The antidote is to turn down that fearful voice and give more airtime to who God is and how He never fails His people.
4. Apathy Through Weariness
Waiting seasons wear us down.
It feels hard to stay consistent with the small things when you are praying for big results.
But do not let the enemy talk you out of miracles.
God often works in the mundane. I have seen it over and over again.
Stay faithful in the little things because God is never wasting the waiting.
5. Distraction Through Comfort and Convenience
Sometimes the enemy does not need to tempt us to do something wrong. He only needs to tempt us to do what is easy.
It is easier not to try.
It is easier to avoid what scares us.
It is easier to skip the hard conversation.
It is easier to scroll instead of study.
It is easier to stay busy than sit alone with uncomfortable thoughts.
Comfort can quietly suffocate calling. The Bible tells us to fan into flame our spiritual gifts, not to be so distracted that we aren't using them.
Which one resonated the most with you? Or did you discover a different category for you altogether?
How are you going to actively tear apart that scheme in your life?
2 Corinthians 10:5
We demolish arguments and every presumption set up against the knowledge of God; and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Make a plan. Demolish the lie. Replace it with truth.
God has given you the authority and the armor to stand firm. Keep moving forward!!! I’m praying for you!
In passionate purpose,
Dorothy