Defeating Discouragement

Symptoms to know you are under attack of the spirit of discouragement and how to overcome and have victory

"When God gives a promise, the enemy has a plot to destroy us."  
no promise is fulfilled without opposition, hindrances, obstacles to discourage us from fulfilling our purpose
(1 Peter 5:8) 
the devil roams around seeking whom he may devour

3 symptoms that we are under the enemy’s attack 

• Fatigue
  
• Frustration
  
• Failure

Our reaction to these symptoms is often to succumb to DOUBT, ANGER, LUST, JEALOUSY, etc.  The enemy entices with the same types of attacks, leading to   GUILT and  CONDEMNATION
When God gives you a promise, it is not a guarantee that you will actually receive it, you must fight and overcome the hinderances
I will do a new thing...shall ye not know it?  (Isaiah 43:19)  

 Numbers 13:2
-God already gave the assurance of a good land and his strength to be with them 
2. Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel:


Israel's examples to us:
The case of the Red Sea and the Promised Land: 
God gave them a promise: - promised land flowing with milk and honey, (Exodus 33:1-3 )
Exodus 33:1-3 
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants.' ²I will send an angel before you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. ³Go up to the land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you, because you are a stiff-necked people and I might destroy you on the way.

How were they discouraged?
Numbers 13:28
They focused on the problem instead - the threat of the enemy, allowed it to become greater than then truth of God's word
Numbers 13:31-33
31 But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.
32 And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.
33 And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.


The Case of Rebuilding the Wall:  
God’s promise: Nehemiah 4:4,

How were they discouraged? 

Discouragement and despair follow God's judgement on Israel through Nebuchadnezzar 
Nehemiah and his peers set out to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and the temple of God. ( It had been considered one of the 8 wonders of the world.)
while looking at the rubbish of the once great temple, they remembered the great glory of the former temple and became discouraged at the prospect of rebuilding,  
(Neh. 4:10)   the strength of the bearers of burden is decayed, we are not able to build the walls!

behold the word of God, keep your ears tuned to it  
those who have ears to hear, discouragement comes when distractions and deceptions come - leading to unbelief

(1Tim 4:1-2, 1Tim 4:8,  2Tim 3) Beware brethren ...departing from the faith

Lessons from Nehemiah and Haggai:  
unbelief is not going to please God!
keep ourselves encouraged
remembering how things used to be in the past always seems like things were better then
faced with challenges they'd never seen before
We don't want to go back into bondage as they did!
your past is behind you


HOW DID THEY RECOVER?
God brought encouragement and direction through his prophets,  Haggai and Nehemiah, Ezra and Levites
(Haggai 2:4,6,9) 4 "yet now be strong...all ye people of the land...and work; for I am with you, saith the Lord, and work; for I am with you, saith the Lord of hosts: 6yet once it is a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea,  and the dry land..9for the  glory of the latter house greater than the former, and in this place will I give peace."
(Nehemiah 4:14)  Be not afraid of them; remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."
(Nehemiah 8:10) the joy of the lord is your strength


What about us?  

How to know when you are under the attack of the enemy
3 symptoms that we are under attack 
fatigue, frustration, failure

Once we give way to these “symptoms”, they often give way to DOUBT, ANGER, LUST, JEALOUSY, etc.   The enemy can then entice us with the same tools he used to control us before salvation came to us.   GUILT and CONDEMNATION follow.
you may find yourself looking at the things around, the report of the world,
the enemy uses special weapons/attacks of sin in the same areas where you experienced weakness and sinfulness before your salvation

feelings of self-condemnation, regret, inability, weakness, apathy, unworthiness, etc.
the enemy tries to take away your will to fight and fulfill the blessings and calling of God.



,
HOW CAN YOU  OVERCOME AND HAVE VICTORY?
(Galatians 5:1) be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage
(Heb.l:2) run the race with patience
(1Tim. 2:3-5) endure hardness as a good soldier
(Hebrews 12:1)   lay aside every weight and sin that so easily besets us

**how to lay aside, how to deal with the "enemy within me" giants within us
(Romans 8:1) there is therefore now no condemnation
(2Cor 5:17) If any man be in Christ - new creature
(Ephesians 6:10) be strong in the lord and the power of HIs might  
by HIs spirit authority of His name, power of the blood, know who He is and who You are

KEEP YOUR FOCUS ON JESUS
  be on guard concerning what you give ear to what you allow your eye to see and ears to hear, distractions  - 
(Hebrews 12:2) Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith
set your eyes upon Him, seek first the kingdom 

Take heed to what your hear most news is not good news the nature of a man is to be drawn to bad news  earthquakes, fires, etc. 
 there is little media about revival, good news, healings

Encourage yourself in the LORD!
(Jeremiah 17:16-26, John 15:19, 1John 2:15-17) Remember we are in this world, but not of it
(Proverbs 4:20-) incline your ear to God's Word
(Isaiah 53) Who hath believed the report of the Lord
(2 Cor 5:17) you are born again, the future is better than the past
wages and consequences of sin
(Psalm 27:13) I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living
the past is behind you

(1Tim 4:1-2, 1Tim 4:8, 2Tim 3) Beware brethren ...in departing from the faith

How can we be strong in the lord?

(I Cor. 10:13) there is no temptation that is not common
He knows how to give you strength
(Phil. 3:14) This one thing I do, press toward the mark
there will be trials in this life
____but through it all, Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11
He has plans for you, strength and preparation
make sure your ear is on Him
you can start over, change is a part of life
God is faithful to bring you through the transition



BE ENCOURAGED, "THERE IS LIFTING UP!" 
(Psalm 121, Psalm 24:9)  lift up your eyes...King of glory shall come in
GOD IS IN CONTROL 
 I am doing a new thing, "God"

There is a better day ahead
Kingdom age, out of the church age
not the name of a pastor, building
bringing people out of darkness
(Matt 9:36) look out on the multitudes, see them lost, without God and without a savior, heart deeply oved with compassion
it's time for us to give them hope!
We are the church, this is a new day!
don't get discouraged!

pick up the pieces
Nehemiah rebuilt the walls after destruction

3 SYMPTOMS OF DISCOURAGEMENT 
complaining, negative proclamations
Ie:  Neh. 4:10   "strength of the bearers of burden is decayed, we are not able to build the walls!"
tired, fed up, decree 

1) fatigue - tired
physical and mental
procrastination, delay when tired
2) frustration - too much to do, too hard, can't see progress, etc.
causes you to get angry, hot tempered, responding out of anger, not love, where is your smile,   encouragement
3) failure
failure is not an option in your life
"I didn't fail, I just came to realize that I have to attack it a different way."
take charge, take authority, seek the Lord for a strategy.


HOW TO RECOVER

GOD ALWAYS GIVES US THE VICTORY
Rejoice in Him!  He is your strength to go forth,  stand, fight, go forth
cannot give in!

THINK OF THE GOODNESS OF JESUS, THINK ON THESE THINGS...
"He Did Save, He Is Saving, He Will Save!"
renew my strength
Psalm 51
God will remove discouragement, anxiety, fear

(Neh 4)  Hear and know we are discouraged, "they have provoked thee"
 (4:9)  we make our prayer - Sanballad, Tobias, etc. were trying to keep them from doing the work of God
(4:4) Sanballad, etc. were angry will they build, etc.
the enemy is angry when he sees you try to rebuild, you must watch as well as pray, be on guard against evil 
set up to rebuild, take sword, spears and bows
you must increase your prayer life!  

KNOW THAT THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S
Fight for the relationship with God that He has established, 

SEE THE BIG PICTURE:  one problem or desire in your life can make you lose focus on God's blessings and benefits made available to you, one situation can blind you 
(Genesis 3:1, 2:17) God said, of all the trees, don't eat of this one tree
Gen 3:4
Satan casts doubt.  Ye shall not surely die, the tree is good for food, etc. The devil told her that God was hiding something from them
Gen 3:6
When she saw: it the tree was  good for food and pleasing to the eyes, and that it was desirable for obtaining wisdom, she took the fruit and ate it
 
Galatians 6:2
Bear one another's burdens, encourage.
Discouragement is contagious.   
One wrong look,
Attitude can easily spread negative feelings
Pass on the word of God & stand together

Galatians 6:14 
Stand together, encourage one another
Pray for one another (I Samuel 12:23)  I will not sin against God in ceasing to pray for you
exhort one another daily  (Hebrews 313)
Neh 4:14
(Deut. 31:6, Jer. 1:8, Neh. 4)    be not afraid of them, remember the Lord - I fight for your families

Rejoice and fight having on the whole armor of God!
returned everyone to his work
Nehemiah split half the people to work on the wall, the other half to fight - 1/2 and fighters- shields, harbingers, 1/2 builders- bearers, workers 
“The Joy of the lord is your strength”


Be encouraged, you shall fulfill your call!