Self-Sabotage: The Other EnemySample

 Make Him Do His Own Dirty Work 

You give the enemy too much credit. 

The first time I had that revelation, I sat there shocked and wondering how many seemingly bad things in my life I had mistakenly credited him for. For too long, I blamed the devil for every terrible thing that happened. After all, he is a big ferocious roaring lion who came to kill, steal, and destroy. Imagine Scar from Lion King, Joker from Batman, and Cruella De Ville, combined in one form. That was the embodiment of the devil in my mind—just meaner, leaner, more sinister, and ready to use me as his punching bag. 

The truth is he is all those things and worst. Ephesians 6:12 and John 10:10 makes it clear that he is evil, and his agenda is destruction. However, the story of Job reminds us that his abilities are limited, and his activities are restricted by God's kindness and sovereignty. He is God's subordinate—defeated, confined, and unable to do much without permission. He does, however, have one signature trick that always seems to work successfully against believers. 

The trick is called self-sabotage. It starts in the mind and will cause you to doubt the word that God gave and confirmed to you. It will cause you to talk yourself out of a blessing spoken over your life. It will cause you to self-inflict pain and create obstacles where there were none. And when you realize you have stood in your own way, it will cause you to blame everyone else for the results. 

But, be encouraged. Our gracious Father has left us a blueprint to overcome self-sabotage and to become victorious against the schemes of the evil one. Over the next few days, we will go over some of the strategies in that blueprint. Buckle up, and prayerfully get ready to call out some of the patterns that may be holding you back from the good things God has for you. 

Reflection Questions: 

1. If I am honest with myself, are there areas of my life that I am guilty of self-sabotage? 

2. What is a recent example of me standing in my own way?