In the journey of the spiritual life, growing towards holiness, and in the work of evangelization, we will most certainly encounter continual obstacles. We may, for example, struggle to keep up the discipline of prayer or to avoid distractions. We may have difficulty overcoming some particular sin. We may continuously fail to help anyone to faith and conversion, or feel reluctant to undergo persecution for our evangelization efforts. We may experience illness or a death in the family, or stresses at home. In the face of these difficulties—big or small—we often experience strong feelings of self-doubt, discouragement, fear, unworthiness, or spiritual sadness; and this harms our ability to live in the joy of the Lord, and to serve Him faithfully and fruitfully.
Do not be afraid!
We can be encouraged because the Sacred Scriptures are filled with stories of faithful people who, like us, also encountered great obstacles. David relied upon prayer while he was being hunted down unjustly by King Saul (see 1 Sm 23:10-13). Susanna, falsely accused of committing adultery, “weeping, looked up toward heaven, for her heart trusted in the Lord” (Dn 13:35). Saint Paul, soon after having been battered with stones by an angry mob, preached to the Christian faithful “that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). The Psalms are filled with the cries of faithful, suffering children of Israel. Knowing the goodness of the Lord shining forth in the Cross of Jesus, we also know that if we remain faithful, like them, our own crosses will be redeemed. In fact, we are exhorted by the Scriptures: “Count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials” (Jas 1:2); “Rejoice in so far as you share in Christ’s sufferings” (1 Pt 4:13) — for “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us” (Rom 5:3-5). “The sufferings of this present time,” we are told, “are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18).
For these reasons, don’t let obstacles bring you down! Our faith tells us that “in everything God works for good with those who love him” (Rom 8:28). Jesus said, “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). We need not be overwhelmed by doubt, discouragement, fear, unworthiness, or sadness. There is no obstacle that can separate us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:31-39). With His help, we can overcome obstacles, rise above them, endure them, or move past them. They will not defeat us (see 2 Cor 8-10)!
Know your enemies
In Jesus, the battle is already won. But the battle must still be played out in our lives: obstacles will come. Expect them. But how do we prepare for them? First, we have to know our enemies. We need to know the things that make it especially hard to face and overcome obstacles. What are your weak spots, particular to you? What are the things that lead you to sin? What are the things that prevent you from growing in holiness and in intimacy with God? Is it television or junk food? Is it some false idea? Is it your tendency to anger, jealousy, or gossip? Knowing enemies, we can be more vigilant. Then we can better protect ourselves, and even fight back.
Whatever our particular enemies might be, they come from three possible directions: from the world, from the flesh, and from the devil. “The world” refers to sinful influence that comes from society and culture: from other people, from TV, movies, social media, laws, etc. Saint Paul teaches that we should become dead to these influences (see Gal 6:14). “The flesh” refers to the ungodly passions coming from our fallen nature: anger, lust, greed, pride, evil desire, etc. Saint Paul teaches that we ought not live by the flesh, but “put to death” the works it leads us to (see Rom 8:13). “The devil,” of course, refers to the devil — the evil spirit who with his wicked minions strives to lead us away from God through subtle temptations and interference, usually focusing on the areas we are most weak. Saint Paul teaches us to defend against the trickery of the devil by “put[ting] on the whole armor of God” — that is, persevering in prayer and righteous deeds, and feeding ourselves on the word of God (see Eph 6:10-18).
Take the offense
A second part of preparing for obstacles is simply to strive for holiness. When we’re not enduring heavy obstacles, it is usually easier to be faithful to prayer and to our duties in the midst of the day-to-day obstacles; so let’s not waste time! If we face the smaller obstacles with humility, trust, and perseverance, then when the bigger ones come we can make use of strength we’ve already built up. Be solid in the spiritual life.[1] Go on the offense and fight the battle for holiness. Face the day-to-day obstacles with courage. Seize the day; seek the Lord with zeal. Put in the effort. Be like the “wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock” (Mt 7:24-25).[2]
As you “take the offense” in this way, remember that the Lord alone can accomplish what you set out to do. No real progress is made unless it is by the grace of God: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Ps 127:1). Rely on the Lord constantly, humbling yourself before Him. Be as a child before Him (see Mt 18:3). It is very easy — without realizing it — to begin to feel as if you are the one accomplishing things. When that happens, a stumble or fall will not be far off. And when you do stumble or fall, don’t be surprised or discouraged. Just get up again quickly. Repent and fix your heart back upon the Lord. Humility, trust, and perseverance are key virtues to focus on.
The battle plans: 5 tips
What about when serious obstacles finally come? What should we do? Here are some helpful tips:
- Again, know your enemies. Whatever the situation in which you find yourself, identify the sources of temptation to waver in your faithfulness to the Lord.
Does Netflix or YouTube lead you to stumble? Does envy pull you down? What about despair? Red wine? The harsh words of a relative? The behavior of certain friends? Pornography? Gambling websites? Keep in mind that the devil too may (or may not) be involved as well. Identify your enemies and treat them as such. Do not be deceived into treating enemies as friends.
- Prayerfully read the Book of Sirach, chapter 2.[3]
- Pour out your heart to the Lord.
Pray. Entrust your difficulties to Jesus. Ask Him for help. Ask Him especially for the Holy Spirit, and the virtues that you need to overcome the obstacle: trust, courage, perseverance, faith, etc.
Reading the Psalms prayerfully is a great way to do this. Another great way to pray in difficulty is meditative prayer, like the rosary, divine mercy chaplet, or Jesus prayer. As Moses said to the people of Israel, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be still” (Ex 14:14). Meditative prayers help us find calm and reorient ourselves towards the God who loves us. These prayers can sometimes lead to meditative silence and contemplation, where you maintain loving attention on the Lord in silence. These moments are healing.
- Go beyond identifying your enemies and define what the precise temptation is. Whatever that is, reject it and do the opposite.
What does the world, the flesh, or the devil want you to do (or not do)? Temptation develops according to 3 steps: (1) an evil deed is presented to your mind, (2) you consider it, (3) you do it.[4] What is the immoral thing being presented to your mind? If you have identified the precise temptation— to give in to feelings of despair, for example—then it is easier to reject it before you give in, committing sin. If you are being tempted to give in to a feeling of despair, reject it and do the opposite. Verbally reject it in the Name of Jesus, and then make prayers of hope: “I reject despair, in the Name of Jesus! Jesus, you are my hope!” Pray an appropriate Psalm, like 42, 88, or 143. Do something proactive that expresses your hope. Like taking a walk, doing work around the house, calling a friend, making plans for the weekend. Something that expresses the conviction that life is worth living.
- Turn to trusted friends—faithful fellow Catholics—and tell them your troubles.
Ask them for advice, encouragement, and prayer. “If two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven” (Mt 18:19). “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter” (Sir 6:14).
Depending on what the obstacles are, there may be other important actions that should be taken.
[1] Part IV of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, on Christian Prayer, has a wonderful little section on “The Battle of Prayer” (CCC sec. 2725-2745).
[2] Another important part of taking the offense, in preparation for life’s difficulties, is to have healthy habits in the natural realm as well as the spiritual: take care of yourself physically, mentally and spiritually. Get enough sleep, exercise, and eat well. Take care of the logistics in life so things run smoothly … be disciplined with your time and don’t waste it; don’t over commit — let your yes mean yes and your no mean no (Mt 5:37). Cultivate healthy relationships.
[3] It begins with the words, “My son, if you come forward to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for temptation.”
[4] In many cases, it is helpful to split the third step into two: “you decide to do it,” and “you do it.” This can be useful when you are talking about immoral deeds that involve external actions. For example, if you are tempted to refrain from praying at a time that you are committed to pray, for the sake of watching YouTube videos, then the sin comes in even before you do it—at the moment that you decide to do it. But in the case of sins of the heart, like giving in to the feeling of despair, “deciding to do it” and “doing it” are the same thing.