What's Stopping You?

1 Thessalonians 2:18 …Satan hindered us.

Satan hinders people. It’s always been that way. Satan doesn’t want you to believe, and get saved. He is against you. He is your adversary. He will oppose all that God wants for you.

We can expect attack. Hindrances. Satan wants to slow you, block you, and throw obstacles across your path. The devil wants to attack you and take away blessing.

Don't be ignorant of his schemes; 2 Cor 2:11. Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil. Don’t give ground. Take the brakes off.

So, what are some of the tactics of our enemy?

Unbelief. The devil most of all does not want you to believe, and get saved, for a start. The devil wants to keep people from seeing the truth.

By faith, we can trust in God and grow stronger in our faith.

Unbelief can cloak itself in the guise of Religion. People at the door will resist the Gospel, and say, “I have my own religion”.

People can be a hindrance. When Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem sought to scheme and hinder the work of God.

1 Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Satan will try and hinder your fellowship, but he will give you other friendships that will hinder you from growing in your faith.

Sometimes we blame the devil - we actually give him more credit than he is due. The fault is with us.

Disobeying the Word is another hindrance. We know what the Bible says we should do, but we disobey it. Some maybe give partial submission to God. The devil wants you to hold back, so that you don’t have a full surrender to God.

You were running so well, who hindered you? How is your running going? Will you, so run, that you will obtain?

The Word says that God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). The Bible says we should store up wisdom. That happens as we study God’s Word. Proverbs 10:14 Wise men lay up knowledge…

The devil hates Christians going to Bible study. He wants to hinder you from knowing the Bible.

Discouragement is another tactic to hinder you. In one day, satan took away all of Job’s wealth and children, and Job responded with great grief, but he held fast to God.

Satan will try and discourage you through life’s trials, and persecution. It was not long before satan also took away Job’s health, but left his wife to be a discouragement to him. Yet Job still held fast to his integrity.

Temptation is another tactic satan will use to hinder you. Achan tried to hide his sin. It won’t work. Let go of sin. Let go of any hurts and bitterness. Any unforgiveness. They will hold you back and hinder you.

Fear. The devil will try and hinder you by your own fears. He will try and stop you from stepping out and serving God. Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

We will never step out for God if we listen to our own feelings and fears. Don’t be hindered from growing and advancing and maturing as believer.

We can simply get busy with other things. Mary was one who was cumbered, too busy… Distracted with care… Matthew 6:33 …seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness…

Satan wants to block your praise, your glorifying of God. He will use anything he can put in the way of that. Satan hates you worshipping God, so he will use lots of hindrances to stop you from assembling with God’s people.

We can be a hindrance to our own selves by our pride and carnality. Because we do not yield to God in humility.

Satan loves to hinder God’s people… That they will neglect prayer and communion with God.

What’s Stopping Me? How is my running going? Am I still running well? or have I gotten side-tracked?

Has satan hindered me? Is it me that’s the problem? I have grown careless and cumbered. Carnal? Our very faith can be hindered and our spiritual life held back.

Colossians 4:17 …Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it. God wants for you to fulfil your ministry. To serve. To be used of God.

There is so much untapped potential - where God’s people can do so much more, but something is holding them back. Some believers maybe limit God working in their life. God will make a way. We have to take the brakes off.

Here’s some ways as to how to overcome hindrances.

PRAY. Wait on the Lord. Maybe our prayerlessness is holding back the blessing of God on our life. Do not neglect to pray.

Unleash the POWER of faith. Luke 18:27 And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Faith means being willing to trust God. Take a risk and trust God.

God is able. And He will make us able. 1 Peter 4:11 …if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth. Do what you are able, as God enables you. Like Booth: “God has every bit of me”. The power is of God. Not of us. We often limit God.

Ephesians 6:10 ...be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. God has a mission and a purpose for you.