How to Fight Discouragement and Win
I wonder if you’re feeling it too.
The enemy seems to be working overtime to discourage and disable the work of God’s children.
I shared with a small group of friends last week that I was feeling discouraged and sad and I didn’t know why. My life is good but I had the blahs.
Now, I know these girls and several of them are going through hard seasons.
So, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that my confession was met with “me too(s)!”
When I read and pray through the list of prayers on the Blessing Counters Pray page, scroll my social media feeds, or watch the news…
It’s clear, God’s children are under attack.
Now what?
We could wring our hands, admit it’s awful, and go into hiding or we can fight back. I for one am ready to fight.
I’m tired of feeling discouraged. I’m definitely tired of all the negative banter and arguing. And I’m done being passive.
How to Fight Discouragement and Win
1. Admit that you’re in a battle.
I’m so thankful God included the Book of Job and David’s cries of desperation in the Bible. They weren’t afraid to admit despair or discouragement and they knew where to take it.
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God! Psalm 42:11
2. Get ready to fight.
Too often I try to fight alone. My head starts spinning with things to do to change my mood or my circumstances. AND … it’s too easy to end up in worse shape than I was before. But God gave us a plan to prepare for the battles He knows we will face.
Put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle, you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:13–17
3. Go to your war room and pray.
Some people find a closet, others just have a corner. Some use their cars and others sit in a comfortable chair or at the kitchen table. Wherever you go … PRAY! Praise God we don’t have to know what to pray. We just need to pray and trust the Holy Spirit for His help.
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8:26
4. Tell the devil whose you are.
I need to remind myself every day that I don’t have to listen to Satan’s lies. I can turn off the news, limit my time on social media, and tell the enemy to back off by reminding him that — I am a child of the One who has already defeated him. He has no power in my life.
“Submit yourselves to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7
5. Thank and praise God.
There is something about replacing negative thoughts with thanks and praise that defeats discouragement every time. It’s true, it may not last long but it always lasts as long as I keep thanking a praising. Remembering all God has done for me in the past gives me courage and hope that I will get through this current moment, too.
Why am I discouraged?
Why is my heart so sad?
I will put my hope in God!
I will praise Him again—
my Savior and my God!
Psalm 42:11
6. Celebrate!
The truth is when I remember it … God has given me (and you) everything needed to defeat discouragement. With His help, I can do better. I don’t want to just struggle through and survive – I want to THRIVE! And by God’s grace, I will!
For everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is intended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen. Romans 11:36
The rest of the story…
Telling my friends about my feelings of discouragement was only part of the story.
You see…
Earlier that day, I was in my car running an errand when I finally admitted I felt down. Rather than wallowing in my mood, I decided I wanted to do better; so, I decided to fight.
I turned my car into my war room and started praying.
Father, I feel so discouraged and I don’t know why. I have no reason to feel sad. I am so blessed. I’m sorry. Please help me. I need You. By the power of Your Spirit, fill me with Your truth and defeat the enemy’s lies that are dragging me down.
Before I finished praying, Old Church Choir by Zach Williams started playing on the radio.
And I started thanking and praising God!
It’s becoming my current theme song.
I’m celebrating! Because with the Spirit’s help, “There ain’t nothin’ gonna steal my joy!”
And when discouragement tries to drag me down – who knows it could happen later today – I will:
- Admit that I’m discouraged and in a battle.
- Get ready to fight.
- Go to my war room and pray.
- Tell the enemy whose I am.
- Thank and praise God.
- Celebrate!
Are you ready to fight discouragement and with God’s help – WIN?
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and pray over the list left by our friends.
I’m always looking for stories that will encourage and inspire readers to live in faith, stay faithful in hope, and find joy in loving Jesus and others. If you’re interested in sharing your story here at Counting My Blessings – check out my Contributor Guidelines page.
Remember – I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Your words here gave me such hope and encouragement today, Deb. I’ve been feeling somewhat down, too, but I’m not going to stay there! With you, I’m going to God in praise, prayer and thanksgiving.
Blessings!
I am so thankful for the way the Lord is able to turn around my surrendered mood and fill my heart with praise that leads to joy! Now to just refuse to focus on the negative and give my discouragement to Jesus right away! His grace really is sufficient! Amen?!
To be able to encourage others when you are discouraged is a beautiful and Godly thing. As I get older, I see how much we need to encourage one another in the Lord. Thanks for sharing your heart!
This was me yesterday! I felt spiritual attack and was able to acknowledge it for what it was. I talked with my husband and allowed him to pray over me as well. I took the time to focus on truth through God’s word and His unconditional love for me. This post just reinforces my ability to fight! Thank you and God bless!
Thank you, Melissa! It is a battle, isn’t it? I am so thankful God has given us the tools to fight and people to help us in the fight. Praising God for His Word and Spirit! God bless you!
At some point, everyone experiences discouragement to some degree. It can be a disabling condition that overwhelms an individual and zaps mental, emotional, and physical strength. A discouraged person suffers from a feeling of despair and a complete loss of enthusiasm. Accepting the fact that becoming discouraged is a natural state of the human condition is the first step in overcoming it. Frustration, criticism, and rejection all contribute to feelings of discouragement. The key to avoiding discouragement in the first place is to set realistic expectations and to find your passion. Think of failure as a learning experience and focus on overcoming the obstacles that led to an unsuccessful event.
You’re right, Yale, about setting realistic goals and pursuing the things about which we’re passionate. I also believe there is a spiritual battle going on and many of us focused on sharing our faith have found ourselves feeling an extra measure of heaviness that we can’t really explain. I think we are pursuing our passion and are balanced in many ways – but there is a truth that discouragement challenges us in this desire to share our faith and glorify God. Fighting this battle with God’s help trusting He will always help us achieve a victory. Thanks so much for joining the conversation! God bless you!
Thank you! This message was very timely- and helped more than you know!
Thank you, Mary! So glad it blessed you! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! God bless you!
Deb,
Thank you for sharing this reminder of how we can fight discouragement.
Blessings,
Kim
Very disappointed
Needed this so much