June 11th, 2025
by Joseph Wyatt
by Joseph Wyatt
The Enemy in the Mirror: Overcoming Self-Sabotage
We often find ourselves crying out for breakthrough, asking God to work in our lives, yet we haven't fully submitted to the basic boundaries He's set in His Word. It's easy to post inspirational quotes and Bible verses on social media, but are we truly walking in obedience? The hard truth is that our greatest enemy isn't the devil, a demon, or external circumstances - it's ourselves.
Self-control is a crucial element in our spiritual growth, mentioned in 2 Peter 1 as part of the building blocks of faith. It's not just about behavior management, but about soul mastery. The Greek word used is "Entrata," meaning more than willpower or grit - it's Holy Spirit-governed mastery over our appetites.
Jesus said we can't serve two masters. We cannot serve both God and our fleshly desires. What we don't master will end up managing us, and what manages us will either steward what God has called us to do or sabotage it.
We are often our own greatest threat to our future. It's easy to blame our upbringing, pain, or circumstances, but the struggle really comes down to whether we're willing to get help and grow. We can't have freedom without formation, emotion without endurance.
Our minds are often not renewed, just loud. We convince ourselves that busyness is obedience, anxiety is discernment, and overthinking is wisdom. But Romans 8:6 tells us, "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."
We're not exhausted because we're doing too much for God; we're exhausted because we're doing everything except surrender.
We need to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This includes not just the obviously sinful thoughts, but even our "spiritual" thoughts need to come under Christ's authority. Our self-talk shapes our belief system and ultimately our actions. As Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."
Just like a house with poor airflow doesn't need to be torn down and rebuilt - it likely just needs a new filter - we don't need a new environment or another opportunity. We need to audit our thought patterns. Until our thinking bows, our behavior never will.
It's not about what we know, but what we believe long enough to obey. Knowledge without obedience is useless. The demons believe in Jesus, but they're not saved. We need to be sober-minded, as 1 Peter 1:13 instructs: "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
If we truly want God to work in our lives and in our churches, it starts with looking in the mirror. We're quick to think, "If only so-and-so would get right with God, everything would be better." But the hard truth is, we need to start with ourselves.
The solution isn't about trying harder. It's about getting lower and surrendering more to God. Maybe we don't need to pray harder - we just need to pray. Maybe we don't need to read the Bible more - we just need to read the Bible. It's about consistently taking up our cross daily, as Jesus instructed in Luke 9:23.
Real revival, real self-control in our lives, comes from a deeper yielding of our lives to God. This might look like practical steps such as deleting apps that distract us from spending time with God, finding accountability partners, or simply making fewer excuses and surrendering more.
We often struggle against God's conviction, feeling like our situation is closing in on us. But what God really wants is for us to give up control and surrender to Him. We're too busy blaming spiritual attacks when the real problem is our own lack of submission to God.
The invitation is simple: lay down self-sabotage, ego, and unchecked freedom. Pick up formation, obedience, and a Spirit-governed life. When we look in the mirror, we need to acknowledge that we are our own worst enemy, but through God's power and the Holy Spirit, we can allow Him to take control.
Watch what we say, what we post, how we talk, our tone. Maybe it's not the right time to say what we're thinking. Maybe we need to wait and pray a little more. We need to ask God to help us put the Spirit in control of our lives because we're really good at taking control ourselves.
The truth is, we can have it all - faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity. But the only way that happens is if we give it all to Him. We need to empty ourselves of the things that distract and detour us, the things that sabotage our lives, and ask God to fill us up with Jesus instead.
It's a daily process of surrender. Maybe you've done it before, a thousand times even. Do it a thousand and one. Come to God again with your life, acknowledging the things you've filled it with that you're not supposed to have. Ask Him to empty you so that you can be filled up with Jesus.
This journey of self-control and surrender isn't easy, but it's worth it. As we yield more of ourselves to God, we'll find that He is faithful to work in and through us in ways we never imagined. We'll discover that the enemy in the mirror becomes less formidable as we allow the Spirit to govern our lives.
So today, take a moment to look in the mirror. Acknowledge your struggles, your tendencies to self-sabotage. But don't stop there. Turn your gaze to the One who can transform you from the inside out. Surrender your control, your plans, your desires to Him. And watch as He begins to work in your life, bringing about the change and growth you've been longing for.
Remember, it's not about perfection, but progression. Each day is a new opportunity to yield more of yourself to God. As you do, you'll find that the person staring back at you in the mirror begins to look more and more like the person God created you to be.
We often find ourselves crying out for breakthrough, asking God to work in our lives, yet we haven't fully submitted to the basic boundaries He's set in His Word. It's easy to post inspirational quotes and Bible verses on social media, but are we truly walking in obedience? The hard truth is that our greatest enemy isn't the devil, a demon, or external circumstances - it's ourselves.
Self-control is a crucial element in our spiritual growth, mentioned in 2 Peter 1 as part of the building blocks of faith. It's not just about behavior management, but about soul mastery. The Greek word used is "Entrata," meaning more than willpower or grit - it's Holy Spirit-governed mastery over our appetites.
Jesus said we can't serve two masters. We cannot serve both God and our fleshly desires. What we don't master will end up managing us, and what manages us will either steward what God has called us to do or sabotage it.
We are often our own greatest threat to our future. It's easy to blame our upbringing, pain, or circumstances, but the struggle really comes down to whether we're willing to get help and grow. We can't have freedom without formation, emotion without endurance.
Our minds are often not renewed, just loud. We convince ourselves that busyness is obedience, anxiety is discernment, and overthinking is wisdom. But Romans 8:6 tells us, "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace."
We're not exhausted because we're doing too much for God; we're exhausted because we're doing everything except surrender.
We need to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). This includes not just the obviously sinful thoughts, but even our "spiritual" thoughts need to come under Christ's authority. Our self-talk shapes our belief system and ultimately our actions. As Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he."
Just like a house with poor airflow doesn't need to be torn down and rebuilt - it likely just needs a new filter - we don't need a new environment or another opportunity. We need to audit our thought patterns. Until our thinking bows, our behavior never will.
It's not about what we know, but what we believe long enough to obey. Knowledge without obedience is useless. The demons believe in Jesus, but they're not saved. We need to be sober-minded, as 1 Peter 1:13 instructs: "Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
If we truly want God to work in our lives and in our churches, it starts with looking in the mirror. We're quick to think, "If only so-and-so would get right with God, everything would be better." But the hard truth is, we need to start with ourselves.
The solution isn't about trying harder. It's about getting lower and surrendering more to God. Maybe we don't need to pray harder - we just need to pray. Maybe we don't need to read the Bible more - we just need to read the Bible. It's about consistently taking up our cross daily, as Jesus instructed in Luke 9:23.
Real revival, real self-control in our lives, comes from a deeper yielding of our lives to God. This might look like practical steps such as deleting apps that distract us from spending time with God, finding accountability partners, or simply making fewer excuses and surrendering more.
We often struggle against God's conviction, feeling like our situation is closing in on us. But what God really wants is for us to give up control and surrender to Him. We're too busy blaming spiritual attacks when the real problem is our own lack of submission to God.
The invitation is simple: lay down self-sabotage, ego, and unchecked freedom. Pick up formation, obedience, and a Spirit-governed life. When we look in the mirror, we need to acknowledge that we are our own worst enemy, but through God's power and the Holy Spirit, we can allow Him to take control.
Watch what we say, what we post, how we talk, our tone. Maybe it's not the right time to say what we're thinking. Maybe we need to wait and pray a little more. We need to ask God to help us put the Spirit in control of our lives because we're really good at taking control ourselves.
The truth is, we can have it all - faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity. But the only way that happens is if we give it all to Him. We need to empty ourselves of the things that distract and detour us, the things that sabotage our lives, and ask God to fill us up with Jesus instead.
It's a daily process of surrender. Maybe you've done it before, a thousand times even. Do it a thousand and one. Come to God again with your life, acknowledging the things you've filled it with that you're not supposed to have. Ask Him to empty you so that you can be filled up with Jesus.
This journey of self-control and surrender isn't easy, but it's worth it. As we yield more of ourselves to God, we'll find that He is faithful to work in and through us in ways we never imagined. We'll discover that the enemy in the mirror becomes less formidable as we allow the Spirit to govern our lives.
So today, take a moment to look in the mirror. Acknowledge your struggles, your tendencies to self-sabotage. But don't stop there. Turn your gaze to the One who can transform you from the inside out. Surrender your control, your plans, your desires to Him. And watch as He begins to work in your life, bringing about the change and growth you've been longing for.
Remember, it's not about perfection, but progression. Each day is a new opportunity to yield more of yourself to God. As you do, you'll find that the person staring back at you in the mirror begins to look more and more like the person God created you to be.
Posted in Self-Control
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