Obstacles and hindrances to the call of God

Because the call of God is heaven bound, Satan opposes it with all the weapons in his arsenal. And because man is so strategic to the advancement of the kingdom of God, Satan uses all kinds of strategies to distract and frustrate him from answering the call.

The Enemy’s Tactics
Satan fights those who are called of God in different ways. He uses fear of the unknown to discourage men from answering the call of God. Men are afraid to suffer in the ministry. But the saying, “No cross no crown” is a truism we cannot change. Suffering, sacrifice and challenges are inevitable experiences of growth and life. Whether you serve God or not, you are bound to face challenges, pressure, and some kind of suffering. As long as we are in the world, problems are inevitable in life.

Satan uses ignorance to intimidate many from answering the call. Come to think of it, how can the sovereign Lord call a puny man to serve Him and he will resist? Can the clay resist being used by the Potter? At times, the enemy afflicts our bodies with sickness so that we may not answer the call of God.

Satan uses the weapons of distraction and discouragement. Distraction is one of the most potent weapons Satan uses to hinder many from answering the call of God. These days, there are many distractions that militate the call of God – the deceitfulness of riches, the so-called glamour of the world, the lust of the flesh and the love of the world.

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses
Satan is a master at it; he uses the age-old tactics of excuses to mislead many from answering the call of God. He makes us give all kinds of excuses why God should call someone else other than us. Satan used this tactic against Moses and Jeremiah. One of the excuses we give is to hide under the cover of our family. Who will take care of my children? The elders in Israel used their children as an excuse they could not go and possess Canaan. Eventually, they fell in the wilderness, but their children made it to the Promised Land (Num.14: 31-33). We also complain about our incompetence. God does not need our competence to serve or answer the call. All he needs is our availability.

When he calls us, he equips us with his own power and wisdom.
Another strategy Satan uses is to make men delay the call of God. He makes people waste their youthful years in frivolous ventures than answer the call of God. Some are waiting for the Pauline experience on the way to Damascus before they will respond to the call.

The Bible says, “Lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.” You need faith and determination to answer the call of God. We must shun all the excuses of the devil and make up our minds to answer the call of God. Destiny beckons on some of us today, who will boldly respond to the call of God by faith.

The Rewards And Blessings Of The Call
Those who are willing to pay the price and answer the call of God receive a handsome reward. All those who diligently serve God have one testimony or the other about the faithfulness of God in rewarding his children. The Bible says, “God is a Rewarder of those that diligently seek Him.” Contact: pastoracukachi@gmail.com