When the Enemy Gets Personal
Recently, I had an interaction that stirred something deep in me - layers of old pain, broken understanding, and unresolved history. It came from someone who knew a version of me a long time ago. Their words carried both hurt and a kind of protective fire - but beneath it all, I recognized something deeper.
This wasn’t just about human emotion. It was the enemy, doing what he does best: using accusation, division, and doubt - right in the middle of obedience.
When you step out into what God has called you to do; especially when you do it publicly, the attacks can hit different. They feel personal. And that’s not random.
The enemy doesn’t go after what doesn’t threaten him. He shows up because you’re not just growing - you’re gaining ground. So if you’ve felt misunderstood, accused, or criticized at the exact moment you’ve chosen to follow God more boldly... you’re not off course. You’re right where you’re supposed to be.
Spiritual Attacks Aren’t Always Obvious
I used to think resistance would come from “the world” - people who don’t believe like I do or who stand against the church. But what’s harder to face is when the pushback comes from familiar places.
From people who should know you. From those who once supported you, or from the echo of a past life you thought was behind you. It stings in a way that only familiarity can.
The thing is, those attacks don’t just come for your mission, they come for your identity. That’s the enemy’s goal: to get you questioning who you are, and whether you’re really called to do what God has asked of you.
The Strategy of the Enemy: Subtle, Personal, and Wounding
The enemy isn’t creative, he’s just consistent. He’s been using the same tactics since the Garden, and they still work:
He plants doubt: Did God really call you? Are you even qualified?
He brings shame: Look at your past. Who do you think you are to speak, to lead, to serve?
He fosters confusion: Twisting conversations. Stirring misunderstandings. Making you second-guess what you know is true.
He stirs division: Right when unity is most needed, he isolates. He offends. He divides.
Often, it’s not even the words that hit the hardest: it’s the tone, the timing, the implication. That’s how spiritual warfare works. It doesn’t always come with flashing lights. Sometimes it comes wrapped in real relationships, hard conversations, or old wounds.
Why It Happens When You're Walking in Purpose
Answering God’s call isn’t convenient. It shakes comfort. It challenges old patterns. It requires sacrifice.
And not everyone will get it.
That’s okay. Not everyone is supposed to.
But the enemy will try to convince you otherwise - that you need to be validated by every voice from your past or every person watching. That you need their understanding or their applause. You don’t.
Sometimes, obedience highlights pain in others. Sometimes it surfaces insecurity, jealousy, or memories they haven’t dealt with. You can be compassionate toward their journey, but you don’t have to carry it.
When Familiar Voices Cut Deep, Do This:
Stay rooted in truth. Go back to the Word. Let God tell you who you are.
Respond in love, but hold boundaries. Grace does not equal unlimited access.
Stop explaining your calling to those who were never meant to carry it.
Ask for discernment. Not every comment requires your reply. Not every voice deserves space in your spirit.
Release the weight. You don’t have to be the hero or the villain in someone else’s unresolved story.
Keep Going
If the warfare has intensified lately, it might just mean you’re stepping into something sacred.
Jesus was misunderstood. Paul was criticized. Moses was questioned - by his own people. And yet, they all kept walking. Not perfectly. But faithfully.
So can you.
You’re not alone.
You’re not disqualified.
You’re not done.
“The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.” -1 Thessalonians 5:24
To anyone pressing forward through the confusion, the pushback, or the ache of being misunderstood - don’t lose heart.
Heaven sees you.
-Calen
