Beth-El Baptist Church

03/13/2011

Greg Tomlinson


How can one tell if he is being hindered by Satan or the Holy Spirit?


Faithful Christians are continually seeking to accomplish more for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Sometimes their well evaluated plans are hindered from being completed. It is right to question whether Satan is hindering the plan because the work will truly be fulfilling the call of God for the Kingdom of God or whether the Holy Spirit of God is hindering the plan because either the timing is not right or in some other way, the execution of the Christian's plan is outside the plan of God for the individual.


  1. Can Satan hinder the work of the Christian?

Luke 4:5-8 Mark 9:38-40 cmp Acts 4:18-21

Matthew 16:21-25 1 Thessalonians 2:14-18 cmp Matthew 13:18-23

Philippians 1:15-18 Acts 16:16-19


Satan tries, and is sometimes temporarily successful, at hindering the work of the people of God. It may be in the form of persecution to encourage the Christian to follow the path of least resistance. It could be the seduction of wealth, fame, power, or something else that results in the believer to get sidetracked with the things of the world rather than the things of the Kingdom of God. It could even be the work of someone “preaching” in order to bring damage to true believers. It could be in the form of the endorsement of someone who is well known to NOT be a follower of Jesus so that others will think twice about YOUR message. While for a time, Satan will seem to be stopping or slowing down the progress of the Kingdom of God, it is important to understand that no one, not even Satan, is capable of actually stopping the plan of God.


  1. Will the Holy Spirit hinder the work of the Christian?

Acts 16:6-7 Daniel 12:3-4, 8-9

Isaiah 6:8-11 Ezekiel 3:4-7


There are times when someone is seeking to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ but they are hindered, not by Satan but by the Spirit God. It could be that God has a different plan for the Christian and God needs to direct them into that plan. It could be that the God simply wants to limit the knowledge of the believer so He hinders the believer's goal of seeking to understand the things of God. It is not that the Christian is trying to do something that is ungodly but for reasons that may be known only to God, the Christian is stopped.


  1. What does one need to do to discover the source of the hindering?

Romans 8:26-28; 12:1-2; 16:17-18 Ephesians 6:5-8

1 Peter 3:12-17; 4:1-2 James 4:1-10

1 Timothy 1:8-10 Proverbs 15:22; 19:21; 20:18

2 Samuel 7:1-7


Discovering the precise will of God in a given circumstance can be difficult. When your plans are being hindered, it is first important to verify whether or not your goal or your method is contrary to the word of God. It could be that your end goal is good, but the way you seek to accomplish it would not be according to the will of God. For example, the construction of a church would be a good thing, but embezzling the money to build the church would be the wrong way to accomplish your goal. Furthermore, it is important to solicit the counsel of other believers, especially those who have a mature walk with the Lord. It is important to ask God himself. Perhaps the Lord will impress upon your heart and mind the answer you are looking for. Finally, draw continually closer to the Lord through the study of the scriptures, prayer, and assembling yourself with believers and learning to walk by faith. The Lord has promised to be found by those who seek Him will all their heart.