Welcome
Welcome back, tribe!
For those of you who may be new to our newsletter, I am so glad that you are joining us for the first time.
Just so you know, this post is the final installment in a three-part series, so if you have not read Part I or Part II, you will want to do that first.
An Apology
I would like to begin by saying that I am so incredibly sorry that it has taken me this long to finish this three part series on recognizing and fighting a spirit of discouragement. I have really struggled with getting my thoughts written down.
I’ve been desperately trying to finish this final post of the series for more than three weeks now, and I must admit that I have been, well…quite discouraged. (Trust me, the irony of this situation is not lost on me.)
Perhaps it is because I have keenly felt the weight of this topic and how timely it is for the season the world is living in or maybe it is because my brain is scattered in a million directions right now.
Then again, it could be because once I started writing this final post, I realized that there was so much to say about this topic that I could easily write a book concerning how to fight back in the spirit and still feel as if I had not fully or effectively covered everything that the Bible has to say on this topic.
Whatever the reason, I have ultimately been paralyzed by a mixture of perfectionism, distraction, and discouragement. So much so that I had honestly felt that perhaps I wasn’t called to write a newsletter/blog after all. I began to question my commitment to and ability as a writer for the Lord and considered just calling it quits.
However, I was able to realize that once again, a spirit of discouragement was trying to bait me into giving up on what I know the Lord has called me to do for His kingdom and His name’s sake.
Needless to say, I am more determined than ever to finish this series because I feel that this is an important word that many need to hear right now, perhaps even this very moment.
Without further ado, for the final post of this three part series exploring a spirit of discouragement, I want to focus on equipping ourselves to fight back.
Let’s Recap
In Part I, I shared about my own household’s recent battle with such a spirit, and in Part II, I did a deep dive into scripture and what it had to say specifically about being discouraged. Let’s first recap what we have discussed so far by summarizing my observations regarding discouragement in scripture:
Discouragement is a universal human experience
Expressing emotions of discouragement is not a sign of weakness
Faith doesn’t exempt one from discouragement
One must have perseverance and resilience in the face of discouragement
Support and community are vital
Turning to faith and prayer in times of discouragement is key
In addition to prayer and studying God’s word on this topic, I also wanted to get my husband’s thoughts on this subject since we have both recently had a personal encounter with discouragement. After discussing the topic from a biblical perspective, we felt that there were six critical weapons needed to effectively battle this spirit:
Knowledge and Understanding of God’s Word
Prayer
Worship
Faith
Resilience and Tenacity
Encouragement
Knowledge and Understanding of God’s Word
I feel that one of the most important weapons for fighting any spiritual battle is a mature knowledge and understanding of God’s word.
The Apostle Paul plainly tells us that the Bible is meant to instruct us, fortify our endurance, and instill hope: “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Romans 15:4, NIV).
When we are consistently reading and studying God’s word, we are much more likely to be able to discern God’s voice, as well as more readily identify a spiritual attack.
And to fight a spiritual battle that aligns with God’s will, we need to grasp a fundamental truth: as God's children, our approach to conflict must diverge from worldly methods. God’s word says, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does” (2 Corinthians 10:3, NIV).
The Bible plainly warns us that we are not fighting flesh and blood. Not only does God’s word forewarn us that we will face spiritual battles in this world, but it also gives us clear instruction in Ephesians 6:10-18 on what the “Armor of God” looks like so that we are fully equipped for spiritual battle at any given moment.
Ultimately, studying and embracing God’s word is akin to possessing a comprehensive playbook for navigating life’s challenges.
Prayer
It’s funny, because when facing a dire situation, I often hear people say things like, Well, I guess all that is left to do is pray.
That kind of mentality is actually contradictory to what the Bible tells us. Our first reaction to any situation should be prayer, because that is our direct communication with our Almighty Father and God.
The Apostle Paul tells us “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6).
Therefore, when facing a spirit of discouragement, our first line of defense - and offense, truthfully - should be prayer.
So often, discouragement seems to be a battle of the mind and spirit, and that is why I think that it is critical that we pray for protection over our minds and thoughts when fighting discouragement.
2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (NIV).
Praying to God and asking Him for help and wisdom is one of the strongest ways to fight back in the spirit.
Worship
Genuine and pure worship of God is such a powerful weapon in the spiritual realm, and the Bible speaks frequently about the importance of worshiping God.
Why is this an important key for fighting against a spirit of discouragement? Because not only does worship invite God’s presence into our midst, but the Bible also says that God even seeks out the true worshippers:
“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” (John 4:23-24, NLT).
Psalm 22:3 says, “But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel” (KJV).
There are several instances in scripture where worship is directly related to warfare - both spiritual and physical - and/or bringing about some kind of breakthrough. Here are just a few of the many examples:
1 Samuel 16:14-23 - When David played his lyre, the evil spirits would leave Saul.
2 Kings 3:14-19 - Elisha specifically asked for a harpist, and once the music began, the Lord began to prophesy through him.
2 Chronicles 20:21-22 - Upon seeking counsel from the people, King Jehoshaphat chose specific men to go in front of the army, leading them in praise to the Lord. As soon as the worship began, the Lord caused the opposing armies to turn on each other, leading to their mutual destruction and miraculously sparing the Israelites from direct conflict.
Acts 16:25-26 - As Paul and Silas were singing and praying to God in prison, an earthquake occurred, causing the prison doors to open, freeing them from their chains.
Faith
Right before facing possibly the most discouraging situations of His entire life - His crucifixion - Jesus told His disciples, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me” (John 14:1, NLT).
I love how The Message paraphrases that same verse: “Don’t let this rattle you. You trust God, don’t you? Trust me” (John 14:1).
If someone facing His own brutal death could encourage others to not be troubled or rattled by the situation that He was facing, then how much more should we be able to stand firmly on our faith in the very same God?
Trust me, as someone who has struggled with anxiety nearly her entire life, I understand that this is often easier said than done. However, if we plan to ever conquer a spirit of discouragement, we need to dig deep to find strength in our faith, knowing that the God we serve is greater than any obstacle we might ever face.
Resilience and Tenacity
To pretend that this world is an easy place to reside in would be to deny the truth that we are faced with daily. After all, Jesus warned us that we would face trials and tribulations. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (NIV).
However, we can have peace because He has already overcome anything that we might face. So how do we keep going even in the midst of troubles and heartaches?
We have to be resilient and tenacious.
According to the American Psychological Association, resilience is defined as “the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences, especially through mental, emotional, and behavioral flexibility and adjustment to external and internal demands.”
We can be resilient, because we serve a God who has already conquered the most difficult or discouraging situations that will ever come our way. Resiliency is not denying that things are difficult, but instead, it is bouncing back after the difficulty.
And to continue to be resilient, we must be tenacious.
When I think of tenacity, I cannot help but to imagine a bulldog. A spiritual mentor of mine used to always tell me that when I felt my faith faltering, it was crucial that I find a “bulldog tenacity” to just keep holding on and fight in the spirit.
If you were to research bulldogs, you would find that they are among the top 20 breeds globally recognized for their powerful bite forces. Originally bred in “England for use in fighting bulls… [they are] characteristically powerful and courageous, often vicious, and to a great extent unaware of pain…” (brittanica.com).
In other words, they don’t give up easily.
A spirit of discouragement will often attack so intensely in hopes that you will simply give up out of fear, intimidation, or sheer exhaustion. However, we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:31-39) and it is critical that we were not given a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7).
When you find yourself beat down by a spirit of discouragement, we must do as the author of Hebrews compels us: “So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong” (NLT).
Encouragement
Finally, to battle a spirit of discouragement, we must surround ourselves with seasoned Christians who can be encouragers for us during the hardest seasons of life.
Paul exhorts us to “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11, NIV).
If you have ever faced a spirit of discouragement and come out the other side victorious, please be willing to pray for others as they face their own difficulties.
God is our biggest encourager and source of all comfort, and because of that, Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 that we should also encourage one another:
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God” (NIV).
Final Thoughts
Friend, I don’t know if you are facing a spirit of discouragement right now, but if you live very long in this world, you will inevitably face difficulties that will lead to discouragement. The good news is that we have been equipped by a loving and Almighty Father to fight back.
We were not called to curl up in the fetal position or to simply fold every time we face a challenge. (And I say that as someone who typically would like to do both of those things when I’m really discouraged.)
And so my prayer for you this evening is that you can hear the Lord’s voice right now louder than any of the other voices in this world who may be clamoring for your attention. I pray that above the whispers - or maybe the shouts - of the enemy, you can hear Papa God’s voice saying, Just keep your eyes on me. I’m right here by your side. Don’t give up.
I also desperately pray that the Lord cuts through my words and the muddiness of my feeble attempt to explain this topic to you and supernaturally highlights the information that you need to hear and know in this season of your life.
If it is okay with you, I would like to end by praying over you and your situation:
Dear Heavenly Father,
I stand in awe of you and all that you are. Sometimes I take for granted that I get to have a personal and intimate relationship with the Almighty God who created the universe, painstakingly placing each star in the sky. You are all that is good in this world and beyond. Your mercy is unending and your power is immeasurable.
Thank you for the gifts of your Word and your Holy Spirit to guide us daily. Even if you never did another thing for us, you still would have given us more than we deserve simply through the sacrifice of your Son.
Please give us supernatural discernment to see beyond what is in front of us. Help us to remember that we are not fighting flesh and blood but principalities of darkness. Please equip us to go into the battles that we will each face in this life, and remind us that we do not war as the world wars.
For anyone who may be struggling with discouragement, I pray that you would make your presence tangible in this very moment. Speak life into their hearts and minds and let a hope and encouragement rise up that transcends human understanding!
Finally, Papa God, I ask that you would bless each and every person reading this post. Give them a fresh anointing as they walk through this season, striving to be kingdom builders for your glory!
We humbly ask all of these things in your precious and holy name. Amen!
As always, I pray that the Lord blesses you greatly and that you forever look to Him as your personal guide and Savior as we all continue to travel between two worlds. 🤎