Distraction: Could it be Spiritual Warfare?

If he can’t destroy you, he’ll distract you. If he can’t convince you to give up, he’ll divert your attention. If he can’t lead you to moral failure, he’ll get your focus misaligned. Distraction is one of the most effective tools of our enemy.

Jesus said the thief has come to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10). If the enemy cannot kill or destroy your walk with God, he will certainly do his best to “steal” your focus. He will try to divert your attention away from the main thing and get you consumed with things that aren’t really that important.
Distraction is such a formidable weapon of the enemy because often we don’t even realize he’s using it against us. Our lives get saturated with more stuff and we get more and more focused on the wrong things and don’t even realize we are in a spiritual battle.

I’m not talking about trivial distractions that gnaw at our focus when we’re trying to do our homework or Bible study. We all know what that’s like. We deal with it everyday in our digital world. We sit down to do some work and immediately we feel compelled to refresh our email, check how many likes our Facebook post has or reply to a text. In a world filled with noise, we must fight against daily distractions. But I’m writing of something more sinister than the clatter of our digital society.

The enemy of our souls, who is bent on our total destruction, will pull from his arsenal the weapon of distraction. I’m not talking about the temptation to browse YouTube or check Instagram while trying finish a project. I’m talking about something hell sends into your life for the sole purpose of distracting you from your ministry and destiny.

I’ve identified 3 “Ps” the enemy will use to distract us from our purpose:

Problems: Life is filled with problems, but there are some problems sent from the enemy solely to distract us.

People: As Christians, we are in the people business. We are called to love and lead people. But sometimes the enemy will send people into our lives to divert our attention away from doing God’s Will.

Pursuits: What God has planned for us is the best for us! He has an amazing purpose for our lives. How many times have good opportunities knocked on our door, which were actually sent by the enemy, in hopes of keeping us from pursuing what is best?

How do you war against the hellish darts of distraction?

1. Recognize distraction is often Spiritual Warfare. Life is full of distraction, but oftentimes what we’re facing is actually spiritual warfare. The problems, people and pursuits that are hindering us from fulfilling what God has called us to do are pawns of the enemy. Half the battle is understanding what really going on. Ask yourself the question, “Is this just life, or is this from the enemy?”

2. Pray. Pray against the devil’s darts of distraction. Pray and ask God to help you stay focused on His plan and will for your life.

3. Stay in the Word. The Word of God is our foremost spiritual weapon. Don’t let anything distract you from your personal Bible study and devotion.

4. Deal with the 3 “Ps.” You’ll always have problems. That’s life. Don’t let your problems prevent you from moving forward toward your destiny. Always love and be kind to people, but sometimes you must detach and distance yourself from people who the enemy is using as a distraction. Every good opportunity is not from God. The enemy would love for you to pursue things that move you in a direction away from God’s divine purpose.

You have a rendezvous with destiny! God has an incredible purpose for your life. Don’t let anything or anyone distract you from fulfilling that heavenly calling!

~Matthew Ball

Distraction: (noun) a thing that prevents someone from giving full attention to something else.