Category: Spiritual Warfare

Life Gets Harder After Following God: How God Develops You in the Dark

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You said yes to God, but doors closed and problems multiplied. When life gets harder after following God, you may wonder whether you missed His will. However, hardship does not always mean that God has rejected you or that His promise has failed.

Joseph received a dream from God, yet his path led through a pit, slavery, and prison before it reached the palace. Psalm 105:19 says, “Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” Therefore, the promise revealed Joseph’s future while the process prepared him for it.

For example, at 14, I received a prophetic word that God would use me to speak to my generation. At 16, I saw a vision of what the church could become. Then, for more than a decade, my circumstances moved in the opposite direction. Looking back, I can see that God was developing me in the dark.

Why Life Gets Harder After Following God

First, a calling can attract spiritual resistance. For example, Jesus spent about 30 years in Nazareth, but after His baptism, the Father publicly affirmed Him and the Spirit led Him into the wilderness. Mark 1:12-13 records that He faced Satan’s temptation there. Therefore, the declaration of His identity came before a season of direct confrontation.

Likewise, Moses obeyed God and told Pharaoh to release Israel. Instead, Pharaoh increased the people’s workload and forced them to make bricks without straw. As a result, obedience brought pressure before it brought deliverance.

Therefore, when life gets harder after following God, do not assume that every battle proves you are outside His will. In fact, your obedience threatens the plans of darkness. Let me challenge you here: do not allow resistance to make you retreat from what God told you to do.

Testing Reveals What Success Would Expose

Second, God uses testing to reveal what influence could later destroy. For example, Deuteronomy 8:2 says God led Israel through the wilderness to humble and test them. God knew their hearts, but the people needed to see what pressure uncovered.

A trial can uncover pride, insecurity, fear, jealousy, or a hunger for approval. In fact, 1 Peter 1:7 compares tested faith to gold refined by fire. Therefore, pressure reveals what your faith contains and burns away what cannot endure.

Saul looked impressive and received an anointing, but his character could not carry the crown. Under pressure, he became defensive and jealous. As a result, the throne exposed what the secret place had never settled.

If life gets harder after following God, ask what the pressure is revealing. Be honest with yourself. God may be dealing with something privately because He loves you too much to let it destroy you publicly.

God Removes What Cannot Enter Your Next Season

Third, preparation often includes separation. For example, Joseph lost his special coat when his brothers threw him into the pit. Their actions were evil, yet God used that painful departure to move Joseph toward Egypt, where his assignment would unfold. As a result, what felt like rejection became redirection in God’s hands.

God called Abraham to leave home before showing him the promised land. Likewise, Elijah obeyed God and later watched his brook dry up. However, that loss moved him toward provision in Zarephath.

Jesus said in John 15:2 that the Father prunes every fruitful branch so it can bear more fruit. In fact, pruning happens to living, productive branches. Therefore, a closed door, changed relationship, or lost position does not always mean the devil won. Sometimes the Gardener holds the shears.

This is where many people get stuck when life gets harder after following God. Do not chase every door that closes. Ask the Holy Spirit whether God is removing what cannot accompany you into your next season.

God Develops Your Calling in Hidden Seasons

Fourth, hidden seasons give God room to form you. Before digital photography, film carried an image from the moment the camera clicked, although nobody could see it yet. However, that film had to remain in a darkroom while the picture developed. Exposing it to light too early did not accelerate the process; it ruined the image.

When life gets harder after following God, the promise may be present while the evidence remains hidden. You see darkness, while God develops the character required to carry the calling. Premature exposure can damage what He intends to reveal.

For example, David was anointed as a teenager, but he did not move directly from the oil to the throne. He returned to the sheep and later hid in caves. Meanwhile, God formed a man whose roots could survive power, criticism, and success.

A seed also grows in darkness. Something breaks open underground before new life appears. Likewise, pride, selfish ambition, and dependence on applause may need to die before your calling can live with purity. Don’t ignore this: God cares about the person carrying the gift, not only the gift becoming visible.

The Test Has an Expiration Date

Finally, God’s process has an appointed end. Psalm 105:19 begins with “until.” Genesis 41 shows that after two more years in prison, Pharaoh had a dream, Joseph interpreted it, and one day moved him from confinement to leadership.

Joseph felt forgotten, but heaven had not lost track of him. Still, the cupbearer’s delay could not cancel God’s timing. When the appointed moment came, years of hidden preparation became visible within hours.

1 Peter 5:10 says that after suffering “a while,” the God of grace will perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. Likewise, Galatians 6:9 promises a harvest in due season to those who refuse to lose heart. So, when life gets harder after following God, do not treat a temporary test as a permanent address. Your trial has boundaries, even when you cannot see them.

What to Do When Life Gets Harder After Following God

You cannot control the length of the process, but you can choose your response. Stay close to God in prayer and remain faithful in today’s assignment. Let correction change you, and refuse to build your identity on visible progress.

When life gets harder after following God, do not force yourself into the light or quit in the darkroom. Joseph’s pit did not cancel his dream, and prison did not erase God’s presence. The promise remained in process.

Maybe your circumstances contradict the promise. Hear this clearly: development does not mean disqualification. The word that called you can test you, shape you, and still come to pass.

Stay in God’s hands until the picture is ready.

Prayer

Heavenly Father,

I pray for the person reading this right now. You know what they have been carrying, the disappointments they have experienced, and the questions they have struggled to answer. You know the parts of their story that nobody else sees. Meet them in this moment and let them become aware of Your presence. Where their heart has been troubled, bring peace, and where disappointment has left them discouraged, restore their hope.

Heal every wound that has come from rejection, loss, unanswered prayer, or broken expectations. Keep their heart from becoming bitter because of what they have experienced. Help them release what they cannot change and forgive where forgiveness is needed. Remind them that what has happened to them does not determine who they are or what You can still do through their life.

Give them discernment for the season they are in. Show them what belongs in their future and what needs to be left behind. Give them wisdom to recognize the doors You are opening and the humility to walk away from what You are closing. Help them resist the temptation to compare their journey with someone else’s, and teach them to value what You are doing in their life without needing it to look like anyone else’s.

Lord, use the quiet places to shape something lasting within them. Develop their character, deepen their faith, and teach them to live from conviction rather than approval. When there is no recognition and nothing seems to be happening, let their private life with You become more precious than public visibility. May they become the kind of person who can carry what they have prayed for without being changed by the attention that comes with it.

When they feel discouraged, remind them that this chapter is not the conclusion. Give them wisdom for today and courage for the decision in front of them. Help them surrender their need to know exactly how everything will unfold, and teach them to place their future in Your hands.

Father, when they eventually look back on this season, let them recognize that You were present throughout it. Let them see how You used what they could not understand to shape, redirect, and prepare them. May they come through this chapter with greater depth, greater humility, and a heart that knows You more intimately.

Until then, keep their eyes fixed on You. Let their faith remain genuine when nobody is watching, let their hope remain alive when circumstances are slow to change, and let their lives continue to reflect Your goodness.

In Jesus’ name,
Amen 🙏

If you are walking through delay, disappointment, or a hidden season, explore Developed in the Dark for biblical encouragement to remain faithful while God prepares you.

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** By Vladimir Savchuk Ministries / Photo by Ron Lach at Pexels

Why Is There So Much Suffering in the World?

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Suffering is one of the most profound realities of life. Every person, at some point, experiences pain, loss, injustice, or heartbreak. Whether it comes from illness, natural disasters, the death of a loved one, or acts of human cruelty, suffering confronts us with questions that have echoed across time: Why does this happen? Is there any purpose to the pain we endure?

Suffering is not always the result of wrongdoing. Innocent children face disease, natural disasters devastate communities, and tragedies strike without warning. At the same time, human choices, including greed, pride, and cruelty, often magnify suffering. Wars, oppression, exploitation, and injustice are direct results of the freedom we have been given, yet sometimes misuse.

The Bible acknowledges these realities without minimizing them. The story of Job, a man righteous in every way, illustrates that suffering is not always punishment. He experienced immense pain as part of the larger complexities of life. In the midst of suffering, Job discovered that God’s purposes often extend far beyond human understanding.

“The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

Life’s Lessons Through Suffering

While suffering is painful, it can serve a higher purpose. Life’s trials challenge us to grow emotionally, spiritually, and morally. They reveal the fragility of existence, the value of compassion, and the importance of relationships. Difficult experiences can awaken empathy, motivate us to act justly, and deepen our reliance on God.

History and contemporary life are full of examples where suffering has produced resilience and courage. Communities rebuilt after disasters, individuals persevering through chronic illness, and movements for justice rising from oppression all testify that adversity can inspire profound human goodness.

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

Free Will and the Choices We Make

God gave humanity free will, the ability to choose, love, and obey. But this gift also allows for mistakes and harm. Much of the suffering in the world stems from human actions. Wars, violence, inequality, and exploitation all reflect the misuse of freedom.

Yet free will is not solely the source of suffering. It also enables heroism, sacrifice, and love. Acts of kindness, generosity, and courage often emerge in response to suffering. Free will creates a world where both tragedy and triumph coexist, reminding us that human responsibility carries immense consequences.

The Spiritual Dimension

Suffering is rarely only physical or emotional. It touches the soul. Scripture reminds us that the world is engaged in a spiritual battle.

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness.” (Ephesians 6:12)

Recognizing this spiritual dimension helps us understand that the forces behind evil are real, but so is God’s presence. Prayer, faith, and spiritual community become tools not just for endurance but for hope, guidance, and alignment with God’s purposes.

Growth Through Trials

Pain can refine character. Enduring hardship teaches patience, fosters empathy, and cultivates trust in God. Individuals and communities shaped by suffering often develop greater resilience and a deeper appreciation for life’s blessings.

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

Real-World Reflections

Consider a child surviving a life-threatening illness, an entire city rebuilding after a hurricane, or individuals advocating for justice after oppression. These examples show that while suffering is real and often overwhelming, it can also spark hope, unity, and transformation.

Suffering invites us to act. It calls us to comfort, to serve, and to protect the vulnerable. It challenges us to live with courage and to witness love in action, transforming pain into purpose.

The Promise of Hope and Divine Presence

Amid life’s trials, one of the greatest sources of comfort is the assurance that we are not alone. God sent Jesus into the world as Savior to bring light into darkness, healing to the broken, and reconciliation between humanity and Himself. Jesus, as Lord, walks with us through our suffering, offering guidance, strength, and peace even when circumstances feel unbearable.

Life on earth is brief and often unpredictable, but the eternal perspective reminds us that our struggles are temporary. Scripture assures us that Jesus will ultimately restore all things, wipe away every tear, and bring justice and healing where it is needed most. While our earthly journey may be marked by pain, hope in Him, His presence, and the promise of eternity give our lives profound meaning beyond what we can see today.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)

Living with Hope

Knowing that suffering is temporary allows us to live courageously. While we cannot prevent all pain, we can respond with compassion, generosity, and faith. We can anchor our hope in Jesus, who overcame suffering and death, assuring us that ultimate victory belongs to God.

Life may be short, but eternity is long. The struggles we endure now are but a prelude to a life of restoration, joy, and peace in Christ. This eternal hope transforms our perspective, empowering us to face trials with courage, serve others with love, and walk faithfully even through darkness.

Conclusion

Suffering is an unavoidable aspect of human existence, arising from the imperfections of the world, human choice, and spiritual realities. Yet it is not meaningless. Through faith in Jesus, reflection, compassion, and resilience, our trials can shape character, deepen relationships, and inspire acts of love.

Life on earth may be fleeting, but in Christ, every tear, every struggle, and every hardship will ultimately find healing. Hope, guided by Jesus as Lord, ensures that suffering is temporary, and that eternal restoration, peace, and joy await all who trust in Him.

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*** Photo by Simon Hurry at Pexels

Staying Spiritually Alert

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Key Quotes

“For many young people, it may simply be mindless scrolling on Instagram, reels, shorts, videos, and feeds that waste our time and slowly drain our spiritual strength. These things may not look like a lion attacking us. But they may be the lion’s slow suffocation. They are the tares that choke the wheat the Lord has planted.”

“To pray at all times does not mean that we are constantly speaking words out loud. It means that the line of fellowship with God is open. Like a phone call or video call with a close friend that stays connected while you go about your work, you may not be speaking every second, but you are ready to listen when He speaks and ready to speak to Him at any moment.  That is the picture of spiritual alertness.”

“The greater danger is not the sin that tripped us up. The greater danger is the sin of discouragement that keeps us down.”Full Article

Jesus said in Matthew 24:13 – “The one who endures to the end, he will be saved.” There is a danger, especially when we are young and hear the Christian message, that we reduce the Christian life to simply this: “I want to get to heaven.” But eternal life is much more than that. It is a relationship with God our Heavenly Father that can begin right here on earth.  But this relationship requires us to be alert at all times so we don’t find ourselves drifting from God’s presence.  The Christian life is a fight to endure until the end. It is a battle to stay awake, stay alert, and preserve that restful relationship with God our Father.

Ephesians 6:18 says – “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance…”

This verse is right after the passage on the armor of God proving that we put on the armor primarily so  that we can stay alert in prayer. Spiritual alertness is not optional for a disciple of Jesus. It is the way we guard and nurture the life of God that He has planted in us.

The Devil Devours by Slowly Choking Our Faith

1 Peter 5:8 – Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

A lion often kills its prey not by tearing it apart instantly, but by grabbing its neck and slowly cutting off its air. It is a death by suffocation and not an instant death.

That is a picture of how the devil seeks to choke our faith. Many times, he does not destroy a disciple in one dramatic moment. He gradually starves spiritual life. He slowly chokes the word of God until what was once alive begins to wither.

Jesus gives us another picture of this in Matthew 13.

Matt 13:24-28 – The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also…And he said to them, “An enemy has done this!”

The field can be a picture of our hearts. The Lord may have planted good seed in our hearts through His word, through our parents, through elders, through Sunday meetings, youth meetings, or personal devotion. But while we are spiritually sleeping, the enemy comes and sows tares among the wheat.

A tare is a toxic weed that looks like wheat. That is what makes it so dangerous. It may not look obviously sinful at first. It may not immediately alarm anyone around us. Our parents, friends, and brothers and sisters in the church may look at us and say, “He seems spiritual. She comes to the meetings. They know the right words.”

But if we examine our hearts honestly, we may find that the enemy has planted toxic weeds that are slowly choking the life of God within us.

It may be the songs and playlists we keep listening to that slowly dilute the word of God in our hearts. It may be what we are filling our eyes with on the internet. It may be websites and apps we keep returning to. It may be an addiction that we are hiding. It may be something that appears innocent, like shopping and coveting what we do not have. It may be gossip, destructive conversations, or worldly talk that we allow into our ears and then repeat with our mouths. For many young people, it may simply be mindless scrolling on Instagram, reels, shorts, videos, and feeds that waste our time and slowly drain our spiritual strength.

These things may not look like a lion attacking us. But they may be the lion’s slow suffocation. They are the tares that choke the wheat the Lord has planted..

Do Not Sell Your Birthright When You Are Famished

Genesis 25:29-34 tells us that Esau came in from the field famished. Jacob had cooked stew, and Esau said, “Please let me have a swallow of that red stuff there, for I am famished.” Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau ate, drank, rose, and went on his way.

Gen 25:34 – Thus Esau despised his birthright.

Hebrews 12:16 warns us not to be immoral or godless like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal.

What is the spiritual meaning for us?

The Lord has given us a birthright. He has called us to be sons and daughters of the King. He has called us to a royal life, a priestly calling, a life dedicated to Him. We are not called to dabble in trash. We are called to eat the King’s food.

But there are many evenings when we come home from school or work famished. We are tired, mentally worn down, emotionally exhausted, and hungry for some kind of satisfaction. That is often when the enemy comes.

He says, “Just tonight, are you willing to trade your birthright? Just satisfy your senses a little. Feed your eyes. Feed your ears. Feed your flesh. It is not that sinful. Just relax. Just escape. Just scroll. Just watch. Just listen. Just indulge.”  When we choose to indulge our senses instead of staying alert to God we are in effect despising our royal birthright in that moment.

In contrast, David chose to reject the voice of the enemy and be alert when he was famished. Psalms 119:148 – My eyes anticipate the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word. David knew that the night watches were dangerous. He knew that when he was tired, he needed to stay alert. So he disciplined himself to meditate on God’s word.

Anticipate that the devil and your flesh will come for you when you are tired, especially late in the evening when you are lying on your bed and your phone is within grabbing distance.  May we learn to replace the satisfaction of the senses with the satisfaction of meditating on the King’s word. Do not sell your spiritual birthright and the “fatted calf” God has for you for indulging your senses with “pigs’ food”

Wake Up Every Morning to Listen

Isaiah 50:4 – He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to listen as a disciple.

It is not your alarm clock that ultimately wakes you up. It is the Lord who gives you breath again each morning. And He does not wake you up merely so that you can rush into your day. He wakes you up so that you can listen to Him as a disciple.

This is why we must begin the day by saying, “Lord, I want to be spiritually alert today. I want to keep the phone line open with You. I want to listen. I want to put on the armor of God so that I can pray at all times in the Spirit.”

To pray at all times does not mean that we are constantly speaking words out loud. It means that the line of fellowship with God is open. Like a phone call or video call with a close friend that stays connected while you go about your work, you may not be speaking every second, but you are ready to listen when He speaks and ready to speak to Him at any moment.  That is the picture of spiritual alertness.

Make the Most of Your Time

Ephesians 5:14 – Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

This is the word of the Lord to anyone who has become spiritually drowsy. Wake up. Arise from spiritual depression. Christ will shine on you.

Ephesians 5:15-17 – Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Many young people ask, “What is God’s will for my life? Who will I marry? What job will I get? What should I do in the future?”

But God’s will for you today is very clear: Be careful how you walk. Do not be foolish.  Make the most of your time. Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 – And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.

Dissipation means a slow wasting away. Many of us may not be tempted with wine, but we can be intoxicated with other things. We can be intoxicated with entertainment, social media, attention, music, shopping, romance, anxiety, self-pity, or the approval of friends. These things slowly cause the life of God to dissipate in us. Instead, the Lord says: Be filled with the Holy Spirit. That is God’s will for you today.

Do Not Sleep from Sorrow

In Luke 22, Jesus went to the Mount of Olives as was His custom. Prayer was not something He did only in a crisis. It was His custom.

Luke 22:40 – Pray that you may not enter into temptation.

This is the word of the Lord to us as well. Pray today that you may not enter into temptation tonight. Anticipate the night watches before they come.

Jesus withdrew about a stone’s throw away from His disciples and prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.” He was in agony, but He prayed fervently. And an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

God has pleasures for us in the strengthening of angels in His presence that are far greater than the pleasures our phone, our flesh, or our temptations can offer. Psalm 16:11 – In Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

In contrast to Jesus, the disciples disobeyed Him and were not alert in prayer. Luke 22:45 – When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow.

There is a spiritual sleep that comes from sorrow. Something may have happened at school, work, home, or in a relationship. Someone said something behind our back to put us down or to provoke us.  We feel discouraged, anxious, rejected, condemned, or full of self-pity. We begin to feel like victims. And that sorrow lulls us to sleep spiritually.

The greater danger is not the sin that tripped us up. The greater danger is the sin of discouragement that keeps us down. Do not succumb to sorrow. Do not remain in self-pity. Do not sleep from discouragement. Wake up and pray and run back to the Lord.

Jesus said to the church in Sardis: Rev 3:1-3 – I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die…remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent.

This is a warning for us. We may have a name that we are alive. We may attend meetings. We may say the right things. We may have an appearance of healthy wheat in the field. But the Lord sees what is actually happening inside. His word to us is not condemnation. It is mercy.

Wake up. Strengthen what remains. Remember what you have received and heard. Keep it in your heart. Repent.  If the Lord convicts us, may we never treat that conviction lightly. May we say, “Lord, I want to wake up. I want to repent. I want to stay alert.”

When the Light Strikes the Prison Cell

Acts 12:6 – Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.

This can be a picture of us spiritually. We may be asleep and bound by chains. We may feel unable to overcome a certain addiction, habit, thought pattern, or sin. We may feel chained on the right and chained on the left. But then the Lord’s light shines into our heart through His Word.

Acts 12:7 – And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.

Notice that when the light came, Peter was struck. The Lord’s correction may feel painful. It may come through a message, a parent, an elder brother, a spiritual brother or sister, or an event in our life. It may make us uncomfortable. But that painful strike is meant to wake us up. Do not be offended when the Lord corrects you. Say instead, “This is the light of God shining into my prison cell. This is my opportunity for the chains to fall off.”

Acts 12:8 – And the angel said to him, “Put on your belt and strap on your sandals”. That is a picture of equipping ourselves once more with the armor of God – the belt of Truth and the sandals of the gospel of peace with the assurance from God that we are His sons and daughters – much like how the father in the Prodigal Son story immediately girded his repentant son and put sandals on his feet. 

Acts 12:10 – Now when they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself

Many of us are praying, “Lord, open this gate. Open the door for marriage. Open the door for a job. Open the door for ministry. Open the door for fellowship. Open the door for the answer I am waiting for.” But the Lord may be saying, “First, I must wake you up. First, I must shine light into the prison cell. First, I must strike you with conviction. First, your chains must fall off. Then, as you follow Me, the gate will open by itself.”  Trust the Lord with the gate. Respond to the light He shines and His striking to wake you up today.

Seek Fellowship and Testify

After Peter was delivered, he immediately sought fellowship with the brothers and sisters. He went to the house of Mary, where many were gathered and praying. Then he described to them how the Lord had led him out of prison and said, “Report these things to the brethren.” (Acts 12:17)

This is how we must come to fellowship, midweek groups, and church meetings. Not merely with thoughts and theories, or just to consume, but with the testimony of the Lord’s working in our own life.

“The Lord convicted me; The Lord shone light into my heart; The Lord delivered me from a prison; The Lord helped me stay alert by equipping me;  Thhe Lord caused my chains to fall off;  Then the Lord opened a gate”

Isaiah 50:4 says the Lord gives us the tongue of disciples so that we may know how to sustain the weary one with a word.

Conclusion

May we stay spiritually alert at all times. May we put on the armor of God and pray at all times in the Spirit. May we anticipate the night watches when we are tired and famished. May we never sell our spiritual birthright for the temporary satisfaction of our senses. If the Lord has convicted us, may we not receive it as condemnation, but as an exciting invitation to come up higher. May we allow the light to shine into the prison cell. May we receive the strike that wakes us up. May we get up quickly, gird ourselves, and follow Him and then eagerly seek to encourage others.

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**By Sunil Poonen © Copyright – Sunil Poonen. No changes whatsoever are to be made to the content of the article without written permission from the author at NCCF Church

When Something Feel Off… Signs of Witchcraft Activity Around You and How to Respond

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Signs of witchcraft activity are not always what people picture. Most people hear the word witchcraft and immediately think of cauldrons, black cats, Halloween costumes. But Galatians 5:20 lists sorcery right alongside hatred, jealousy, and fits of rage as works of the flesh. Scripture takes this seriously, and so do I. One thing needs to be said plainly before we go any further: discernment is not accusation. What the Bible calls us to is fruit inspection, pattern recognition, and honest assessment of the spiritual influence certain people carry in our lives.

Sign 1: They Crave Control and Use Manipulation to Get It

The first sign is a craving for control that goes well beyond a strong personality. Witchcraft at its root is control without consent. It attempts to dominate someone’s decisions through guilt, fear, intimidation, or pressure. God gave human beings self-control, but He never gave any person dominion over another human being, and that was not part of the original mandate in Genesis.

Jezebel in Scripture is the clearest picture of this. She did not simply influence Ahab — she owned him completely. The language sounds familiar in relationships today: “If you loved me, you would.” “You’ll regret saying no.” “I’ll turn everyone against you.” None of that is passion or a strong personality. A controlling spirit operates through someone who has surrendered ground to the flesh, and it uses every emotional lever available to keep people locked in place.

I learned from Derek Prince that witchcraft reveals itself in three ways: manipulation, intimidation, and domination. All three were present in Jezebel. All three show up today in people close to us, sometimes in ministry contexts, sometimes in marriages, sometimes in friendships that slowly became something else entirely.

Sign 2: They Use Spiritual Language to Manipulate You

This is probably the most dangerous sign because it hides behind the things of God. When someone says “God told me you must do this,” or “If you disobey me, you’re disobeying God,” that is not prophecy. Ezekiel 13 calls out false prophets who declare “Thus says the Lord” when God said nothing of the kind.

Real prophecy produces freedom. It points people to Jesus, aligns with Scripture, and leaves someone feeling encouraged and built up. What gets falsely called “prophetic” produces fear, confusion, and dependency instead. People walk away feeling spiritually hollowed out, not filled up, and you don’t always notice it at first because the language sounds so convincing.

I saw this firsthand in youth ministry. A teenage boy told a girl that God had revealed she was going to be his wife. She was terrified, and he was following her everywhere. The words sounded spiritual, but the fruit was control, not care. Borrowing God’s name to pressure another person is manipulation dressed in religious clothing, and Scripture is serious about how God responds to that.

Sign 3: They Get Angry or Punishing When You Set Boundaries

Healthy people can handle a no. Controlling spirits cannot. The moment you draw a boundary, everything shifts into silent treatment, sudden rage, smear campaigns, and emotional withdrawal designed to pull you back into compliance. These reactions are not random. They reveal a pattern, and the pattern tells you something important about what has actually been driving the relationship.

In Acts 16, when Paul cast the spirit of divination out of a slave girl, the men profiting from her immediately went to war against him. They had lost control, and they knew it. If your no consistently triggers warfare, consider what that tells you about your yes. It was the captivity talking, not genuine agreement.

Elijah is the model for how to respond. Unlike Ahab, who went passive, and unlike Jezebel, who turned aggressive, Elijah was simply assertive. He knew where his lines were, held them firmly, and that is exactly what drove Jezebel to threats. Learn the difference between those three postures, because passive people get run by witchcraft and aggressive people start mimicking it.

Sign 4: They Try to Isolate You from Godly Community

When someone works to cut you off from your pastor, your friends, or your family, pay close attention. Witchcraft functions like a net. Separation comes first, and domination follows. It starts with seeds of suspicion: “They’re jealous of you. They don’t really understand you the way I do. You don’t need them.” That is not loyalty. A trap is being laid, and most people don’t catch it until it has already cost them something significant.

First Peter 5:8 describes the enemy as a lion hunting prey that has wandered from the herd. Lions do not chase the pack. They wait for the one that got separated. No community is perfect, and no pastor is flawless, but do not let imperfection become the excuse that leaves you isolated and exposed. If someone is constantly sowing suspicion about the people who love you and cover you, that pattern deserves serious scrutiny.

Sign 5: They Have Supernatural Gifting Without the Fruit of the Spirit

This one catches people off guard because accuracy feels like confirmation. Someone describes your situation with precision, gives a word that lands exactly right, operates in something that looks supernatural, and suddenly it becomes easy to assume God must be behind it. But the slave girl in Acts 16 had accuracy too. She was speaking truth. Paul still cast out the spirit.

Matthew 7 says you will know them by their fruit, not by their gifts. A miracle does not prove God is pleased with the person who performed it. Moses struck the rock and water came out, yet God was displeased enough with him in that moment to bar him from the promised land. God can use a person and simultaneously be unhappy with that person. Gifts without holiness, humility, and the fruit of the Spirit are a warning sign, not a green light.

Sign 6: You Notice Occultic Objects or Practices in Their Life

Sometimes the signs of witchcraft activity are not hidden at all. You walk into someone’s space and see tarot cards, crystals being used for spiritual power, manifestation rituals, or books tied to occult systems. Deuteronomy 18:10-12 is not ambiguous about any of this, and it does not leave room for a middle ground.

When believers in Acts 19 had a genuine encounter with Jesus, they burned their occultic materials publicly. They did not keep them as decor or nostalgic souvenirs. Objects like these are points of contact with a kingdom that is not God’s, and people who hold onto them stay connected to darkness whether they realize it or not.

Sign 7: You Experience Spiritual Oppression After Being Around Them

After consistent interaction with certain people, a pattern develops: sudden heaviness, confusion, nightmares, prayer feeling impossible, and your connection to Scripture going completely dry. Not every hard week traces back to a person, but a consistent spiritual residue tied to a specific relationship deserves honest evaluation, not dismissal.

When a distressing spirit came upon Saul, the atmosphere around him changed. Spears were thrown. David had to leave. When David played his harp, the atmosphere shifted again because spiritual influence moves in both directions. You are allowed to pay attention to what changes in you after spending time with certain people, and you are allowed to take that seriously.

What to Do If You’re Seeing These Signs

First, do not panic. Ask God for wisdom and discernment before anything else. Most people jump straight to action when they should be getting on their knees first. Get before God and ask Him to show you what is real and what to do about it.

Second, close your own doors. Before examining anyone else, examine yourself. Repent of anything that has given the enemy access, remove what needs removing, and get your own house clean. Too many people want to address the witchcraft around them while ignoring the open doors within them.

Third, set limits. You do not always need a confrontation. Sometimes you need distance, less personal information shared, less emotional dependency, and less access. David did it with Saul. Elijah did it with Jezebel. Both survived because they created space rather than trying to fix what only God could deal with.

Fourth, break agreement in prayer. Renounce every form of witchcraft, manipulation, and control over your mind, your family, and your calling. Cancel every assignment. Break every ungodly soul tie in Jesus’ name. And if the oppression is serious, do not fight it alone. Reach out to your pastor or a trusted deliverance ministry and get help. You can also anchor yourself in what Scripture actually says about sorcery and divination so you are standing on the Word, not just on feelings.

Witchcraft is real. So is the authority of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit will expose what you cannot see, protect what you cannot control, and deliver what you cannot fix on your own. The question is whether you will take it seriously before it costs you more than it already has.

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*** By Vladimir Savchuk Ministries / Picture by Coppertist Wu at Pexels

5 Mind Games the Enemy Uses When You are at Your Lowest

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There are days when nothing dramatic happens on the outside, yet inside everything feels unsettled. You go through your normal routine, but your thoughts feel heavy, anxious, and scattered. Before you even realize it, your mind is filled with fear, confusion, and pressure that does not seem to match your actual circumstances. If you have ever had a day like that, you know how real it feels, even though nothing visibly went wrong.

What is happening in those moments is not random. There is a battle taking place in your mind. The enemy is not only after what you do, he is after how you think, what you believe, and how you see yourself. Many of his tactics are not based on truth, they are built on distortion and suggestion, and if you are not careful, they begin to shape your inner world quietly.

Scripture tells us that Satan is a liar and the father of lies, and it also calls us to take our thoughts captive and renew our minds. That means the battlefield is not only around us, it is within us. And if we learn to recognize the patterns, we can begin to break them.

Let’s walk through five common mind games the enemy uses, especially when you are already feeling low.

1. The “What If” Trap

One of the most familiar attacks comes through “what if” thoughts. What if everything falls apart. What if I fail. What if God does not come through. What if something happens to me or the people I love. It can start quietly, but before long your imagination is running ahead of you, creating scenarios that fill you with fear.

You do not always notice when it begins, but it can quickly take over your peace. What is happening is anxiety, and at its core, it is placing faith in the worst possible outcome instead of trusting God with the future.

Jesus spoke clearly about this when He told us not to worry about tomorrow. The way forward is not to pretend those thoughts are not there, but to replace them. Instead of “what if,” begin to anchor yourself in “even if.” Even if things do not go as planned, God will carry me. Even if I stumble, He will lift me. Even if I do not understand, He is still faithful.

This shift may feel simple, but it changes the direction of your faith.

2. Condemnation After You Fall

Another common pattern shows up after you make a mistake. The moment you fall short, a voice begins to speak. It tells you that you are a hypocrite, that God is tired of you, that there is no point in trying again. If you are honest, those thoughts can feel very convincing in the moment.

It is important to recognize the difference between conviction and condemnation. Conviction draws you back to God. It invites you to repent and return. Condemnation pushes you away and makes you feel like you do not belong anymore.

Many people stay stuck not because they sinned, but because they believed the lie that they cannot come back. Scripture tells us clearly that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. That truth does not change based on how you feel.

The way out is not to withdraw, but to move toward God again. Confess, receive forgiveness, and take a step forward. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but grace meets you there.

3. Comparison and Insecurity

Comparison is one of the quiet ways the enemy drains your confidence. You look at someone else’s life, their calling, their progress, and before you realize it, you begin to measure yourself against them. It is easy to forget that you are often comparing your real life to someone else’s highlight.

This can leave you feeling behind, overlooked, or unqualified. Thoughts begin to form that maybe God is using others more, or that you missed your moment. I have had to check my own heart in moments like this, because it can subtly shift your focus away from what God is doing in your life.

Comparison does not motivate you, it distracts you. It pulls you out of your lane and into someone else’s. But calling is not a competition. Grace is not handed out based on comparison. God works with each person individually, and your assignment is tied to your journey.

One of the ways to break this cycle is to learn to celebrate others while remaining faithful in your own season. Gratitude helps realign your perspective. Even when your season feels slow or hidden, God is still working.

4. When Delay Feels Like Denial

There are seasons when you are believing for something, praying, trusting, and yet nothing seems to move. Over time, it can begin to feel like God has said no, even if He never did. That thought can quietly weaken your faith if you are not careful.

The enemy often whispers that if God was going to act, He would have done it already. That nothing is changing, and this is just how things will be. You might not say it out loud, but internally it can start to settle in.

But delay is not the same as denial. God does not operate on our timelines, and there are seasons where He is working beneath the surface in ways we cannot see. Many times, He is forming something in us before He releases something to us.

Faith learns to hold onto God’s promise even when the timing feels unclear. It does not rely on the clock, it rests on God’s character. When you stay anchored in that, you remain steady even in waiting.

5. Isolation and Mental Fog

Another strategy the enemy uses is to bring confusion and then push you into isolation. Your thoughts feel heavy, unclear, and scattered. You feel tired, distracted, maybe even numb, and at the same time there is a pull to withdraw from people.

It can feel easier to stay to yourself, but that is exactly where the struggle deepens. Isolation gives those thoughts more space to grow. I have noticed that when things stay hidden, they tend to become heavier over time.

Clarity often comes when things are brought into the light. First, bring it to God honestly. Then bring it to someone you trust. A mature believer, a leader, someone who can help you process what you are going through.

At the same time, do not neglect the simple things that help stabilize your mind. Rest, movement, time outside, and worship all play a role. Worship especially has a way of lifting your perspective. The situation may not change immediately, but how you see it begins to shift.

How to Break the Cycle

If you recognize yourself in any of these patterns, it does not mean you are weak. It means you are in a battle, and you are learning how to fight.

Start by identifying the thought for what it is. Name it clearly. Then replace it with truth from Scripture. Speak it out if you need to. Truth has a way of cutting through confusion when it is applied consistently.

Do not agree with thoughts that do not align with God’s word. You cannot always stop them from coming, but you can choose whether they stay. Refocus your attention on God, especially through worship, because it changes how you see everything else.

And finally, stand your ground. Scripture tells us to resist the enemy, and when we do, he must flee. That means you are not powerless in this process.

A Final Thought

If this reflects what you have been walking through, you are not alone. And you are not stuck. Sometimes the battle feels intense because it is happening where no one else can see it, but that does not make it any less real.

God has already given you what you need to overcome. One of the strongest tools you have is truth. When you begin to renew your mind with it, things start to shift from the inside out.

And it does not happen all at once, but over time you will notice that the same thoughts that once controlled you no longer have the same power.

If this blessed you, I share more on this in my book Change Your Mind, where I go deeper into how to renew your mind and overcome these struggles.

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** By Lana Savchuk / Photo by Liza Summer at Pexels