Pushing Through Spiritual Resistance

One of the things that we can forget as believers, is that there is often a need to push through spiritual resistance in order to move forward with God. Whether it is an individual believer progressing in their walk with the Lord, a church body seeking to advance His kingdom, or an evangelistic ministry of reaching the lost, we have a real enemy who is at odds with the purposes of God.

Satan is a defeated foe, but the time for his final judgement has not yet come. The verdict has been reached–the devil is forever defeated–but the sentence has not yet been executed. In the meantime, our enemy and his dark kingdom are waging war against the kingdom of light.

Advancing in our walk with God is a lot like the children of Israel taking possession of the Promised Land. God had already given them the land, but they had to go in and take possession of it, fighting off the nations that were occupying it. This did not happen all at once, but little by little:

I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. Exodus 23:29-30

The children of Israel had to take the land piece by piece, and each time they had to push through resistance, fight battles, and possess the land.

As it was for them physically, so it is for us spiritually. Though God has already given us “the land” so to speak, we have to press through the enemy’s resistance to enforce the victory that Jesus has already purchased. Since we are in a spiritual battle, we need to use the spiritual weapons that God has given us.

Have you ever considered that, like Daniel, your prayers are being hindered by resistance in the spiritual realm? (See Daniel 10:12-14) Instead of giving up, we need to see things from a heavenly perspective, press through the opposition, and obtain the victory.

Don’t allow spiritual resistance to discourage you. We are called to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). We must press through into a new place so that we can take more territory for the King!