Why Spiritual Highs Often Trigger Spiritual Attacks

Day 1: Rethinking the Wilderness

Scripture “Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” — Matthew 4:1

The Challenge When we find ourselves in a season of isolation, frustration, or silence, our first instinct is usually to complain. We look around at the dry, barren landscape of our lives and assume we’ve done something wrong. We treat the wilderness like it’s a punishment—a cosmic timeout for not being good enough.

But look closely at Matthew 4:1. Jesus didn't wander into the wilderness by accident, and He wasn't sent there as a penalty. He was led there by the Spirit. From Adam and Eve to Moses, Elijah, and David, the wilderness shows up constantly in Scripture. It’s not an accident; it’s a training ground. The wilderness is the primary place where God works on you. It strips away the noise of the city, the comfort of your routine, and the illusions of your self-reliance. It forces you to rely entirely on Him. If you are in the wilderness right now, stop looking for the emergency exit. God has you there on purpose.

Action Step Write down one area of your life that currently feels like a "wilderness." Instead of asking God to immediately take it away, pray this: “Lord, show me what You are trying to grow in me through this season.”

Day 2: The Target on Your Back

Scripture “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’ The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” — Mark 1:11-12

The Challenge We often assume that once we finally make a firm decision to follow Jesus, read our Bible, or fight our flesh, life will get easier. It’s the exact opposite. When do you think the devil is most likely to attack? When you're sitting on the couch, mindlessly distracted and complacent? No. You aren't a threat to the kingdom of darkness then.

The devil attacks when you get momentum. Look at Jesus: He comes out of the baptismal waters, hears the audible voice of the Father, and immediately gets driven into the wilderness to be tempted. Look at Elijah: He calls down fire from heaven to defeat 450 prophets of Baal, and the next day he is running for his life, begging God to let him die. When you put a stake in the ground and decide to bring light to the darkness, you put a target on your back. The resistance you are feeling isn't a sign that you are failing; it's a sign that the enemy is terrified of what you're about to do.

Action Step Identify where you have recently faced spiritual pushback or sudden distractions after making a good decision. Recognize it for what it is—an attack meant to derail your momentum. Stand firm today and refuse to give up ground.

Day 3: The 30-Minute Margin

Scripture “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” — Exodus 20:8

The Challenge The average person spends nine hours a day working or commuting, and seven and a half hours sleeping. That leaves about seven and a half hours left. Shockingly, the average American spends seven of those remaining hours staring at a screen. That leaves roughly 30 minutes of non-distracted time a day to eat, shower, decompress, and spend time with Jesus.

No wonder we are an anxious, exhausted, and scattered generation. We have practically erased silence from the human experience. We can't even go to the bathroom without bringing a supercomputer with us because we are terrified of being bored. But your brain cannot properly function—let alone defrag and connect with the Holy Spirit—with 23.5 hours of constant input. This is why getting into the wilderness (literally and figuratively) is vital. You have to put the screens down. You have to let yourself be bored. If your phone commands more of your attention and devotion than your Creator, you don't just have a distraction problem; you have an idolatry problem.

Action Step For 30 minutes today, leave your phone in another room. Do not turn on the TV. Do not play music. Just sit in silence, go for a walk, or read the Word. Let your mind breathe.

Day 4: Falling to Your Lowest Level of Training

Scripture “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” — James 1:2-3

The Challenge When everything is calm and peaceful, it's easy to believe we are spiritually strong. But as any veteran of the Army or law enforcement will tell you, when the bullets start flying, you do not magically rise to the occasion. You revert to your lowest level of training. When your brain is stressed and the adrenaline hits, muscle memory takes over.

The same is true spiritually. When your marriage hits a wall, when you lose your job, or when a massive temptation drops into your lap, you will default to your daily habits. If your daily habit is scrolling social media and avoiding conflict, you will panic and crumble. If your daily habit is picking up your cross, praying, and staying in the Word, you will stand. God allows trials in our lives because growth only happens through discomfort. If you never fall, you’ll never learn how to catch yourself and walk. The trials reveal what your muscle memory actually is.

Action Step Audit your "spiritual muscle memory." If a crisis hit your life today, what are the daily habits your brain would automatically fall back on? Pick one spiritual discipline to train today so you are ready for tomorrow's trial.

Day 5: Don't Bleed Out Alone

Scripture “Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.” — Matthew 4:11

The Challenge When an animal takes a bad hit in the woods, it doesn't stay out in the open. Its instinct is to run into the thickest, nastiest, darkest brush it can find so it can lay down and suffer in isolation. Humans do the exact same thing. When the devil hits us hard, when we fail, or when the wilderness feels too heavy, our pride tells us to isolate. We pull back from church, we stop texting our friends, and we try to fight the battle entirely in our own heads.

But God didn't design us for isolation. The first time God ever said something was "not good" was when He saw man alone. After Jesus endured His grueling temptation in the wilderness, angels came and ministered to Him. We need that same ministry. We need people to push us off the high dive when we are scared, and we need people to bandage us up when we get hit.

Action Step Reach out to someone today. If you are currently in the wilderness, send a text or make a phone call and ask for prayer—drag your struggle into the light. If you are out of the wilderness, reach out to someone else to encourage them. Be the ministering angel they need today.