Spiritual Resistance: Why Progress Gets Harder When You're on the Right Pathಮಾದರಿ

One of my favorite childhood movies was The Lion King. Young Simba, the rightful heir to Pride Rock, flees his home after his uncle Scar convinces him he's responsible for his father's death. For years, Simba lives in exile, adopting a carefree "Hakuna Matata" lifestyle, forgetting his true identity.

The turning point comes when his childhood friend Nala finds him and the wise baboon Rafiki helps Simba remember who he truly is - not just any lion, but the son of King Mufasa and the rightful heir to the throne. With his identity restored, Simba returns home to reclaim his throne.

This storyline powerfully illustrates Peter's final insight about overcoming acedia. In 2 Peter 1:9, he explains that the person who lacks the qualities he's been describing is "blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins."

Spiritual stagnation often results from forgetting what God has done for us and who He has made us to be. Like Simba, we forget our true identity and settle for less than what we're called to be.

Acedia attacks our memory, causing a kind of spiritual amnesia. We forget that we're children of God, co-heirs with Christ, forgiven and beloved. When this amnesia takes hold, our spiritual motivation evaporates.

During a particularly difficult season of ministry, I found myself questioning everything – my calling, my purpose, my worth. Prayers felt hollow. Scripture seemed lifeless. Serving others became a burden rather than a joy.

What had changed? Not God's love for me. Not my position in Christ. What changed was my memory - I had forgotten who I was and whose I was.

Recovery began when I started intentionally remembering what God had done in my life. I returned to a list of "identity statements" based on Scripture – truths about who God says I am. Each morning, I would read these statements aloud:

• I am created in God's image (Genesis 1:27)
• I am adopted as God's child (Romans 8:15)
• I am a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• I am loved unconditionally (Romans 8:38-39)
• I am a God’s masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10)

As I remembered these truths, the fog of acedia began to lift slowly. My spiritual motivation didn't return all at once, but gradually, as my identity was repeatedly reaffirmed, my desire to pursue God was rekindled.

This practice of remembering is central to the Christian faith. As Revelation 12 reminds us, we overcome our Enemy "by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony."

When spiritual resistance feels overwhelming, when progress seems impossible, when acedia has drained your motivation - remember who you are! You are loved not because of what you've done, but because of what Christ has done for you.

As we conclude this devotional plan, I encourage you to allow God's truth to overcome spiritual amnesia. You are a child of God, and you have not been abandoned. He will finish what He started in you!

Want more help fighting spiritual resistance? I've created a complimentary resource called Overcoming Spiritual Resistance: 7 Biblical Strategies to Keep Moving Forward When You Feel Stuck, which includes 17 statements about who you are in Christ. I’d love to continue encouraging you as you follow Jesus.