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

Have you ever noticed that when you decide to take a spiritual step forward, things suddenly become more challenging?

Perhaps you committed to reading your Bible daily, and immediately your schedule became overwhelmed with busyness. You may have decided to join a community group, only to find yourself doubting whether it's worth the effort to get to know people and open up. Or perhaps you finally took a courageous step of obedience, and life seemed to throw every obstacle your way.

There's a reason for this, and your enemy has ancient names: acedia or sloth.

Approximately 1700 years ago, a group of Jesus followers living in Egypt identified acedia, also known as sloth, as one of the seven deadly sins. Author and pastor Jon Tyson defines acedia (pronounced uh-SEE-dee-uh) as “spiritual resistance to spiritual progress.” (A message Tyson gave on acedia had a profound impact on me and significantly shaped this plan.)

While I doubt acedia is a word you commonly use today, the experience it describes is something many of us face. Author Steven Pressfield captured a universal truth when he wrote, "the more important a call or action is to our soul's evolution, the more resistance we will feel toward pursuing it."

Whenever I take a step of spiritual obedience, I am surprised by how challenging simple spiritual practices can be. Reading my Bible, which I had been doing regularly for years, suddenly felt like an impossible task. Prayer becomes awkward and dry. Attending church services feels more like a chore than a joy. I used to think I was being lazy. Now, I know the truth – this is an attack!

The Apostle Paul understood this struggle. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, he describes the plight of his missionary team. “We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself.” Paul wasn't weak-willed or uncommitted. He was experiencing spiritual resistance.

When acedia attacks us, we often misdiagnose it. We assume we're just tired, distracted, or unmotivated. We don't recognize it as resistance to the spiritual progress we're making. As a result, we either push ourselves harder, leading to burnout, or, worse, we give up entirely.

Here's the truth: spiritual resistance begins when we make spiritual progress. When you start taking steps that align with God's purposes for your life, resistance will appear. In military terms, "the flak is strongest above the target." Our enemy, Satan, doesn't waste ammunition on targets that pose no threat.

If you're feeling an unusual amount of resistance to spiritual growth right now, it might be a sign that you're on the right path, not the wrong one. The resistance is evidence that your spiritual steps matter.

In this plan, we will explore what spiritual resistance feels like in daily life. You might be surprised to discover you're not alone in experiencing these symptoms. Many faithful followers of Jesus throughout history have battled acedia, and understanding what it does to us is the first step toward overcoming it.

However, before moving on to the dangers of acedia on Day 2 of this plan, I would like to offer you a simple practice. When you feel resistance to something spiritually good, pause and say, "This resistance may be a sign that I'm moving in the right direction." Then take even a small step forward in faith.

Remember, resistance doesn't mean you're doing something wrong – it often means you're doing something right. I’ll see you on Day 2!