The Invisible Fight | Pastor Shane Johnston | Resonate Church

Devotional

Day 1: When the Enemy Wants to Knock Down Your Blocks of Faith

The enemy isn’t passive. Like a child fixated on toppling towers, he studies the structure of your faith, waiting to exploit weakness. His goal isn’t playful destruction but to leave you disoriented, questioning what once felt unshakable. Yet God calls believers to vigilance, not paranoia. Just as a parent anticipates a child’s next move, we stand alert, rooted in the truth that our foundation isn’t blocks but the Rock. Resistance begins by naming his tactics, not fearing them. [41:26]

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8, ESV)

Reflection: What “block” in your faith feels most targeted lately? How can you actively reinforce it with truth today?

Day 2: Three Questions That Deconstruct Faith’s Foundation

Doubt often begins subtly, like a stray cat circling a doorstep. The enemy whispers three corrosive questions: “Why am I suffering?” “Why can’t I have what I crave?” “Can I trust God’s people?” These aren’t honest inquiries but tools to erode trust. Like feeding a stray, entertaining these thoughts gives them power to move in. Yet God invites raw questions—not to strangers or screens, but to Himself. Healing starts when we bring shadows into His light. [44:23]

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5, ESV)

Reflection: Which of the three questions do you wrestle with most? How might you “capture” it and redirect it to Christ this week?

Day 3: Fixing Eyes on the Joy Set Before Us

Weariness comes when we fixate on battles, not the Victor. Jesus endured the cross for the “joy set before Him”—the joy of redeeming you. The enemy wants you to rehearse your pain; God invites you to rehearse His victory. This isn’t denial but defiance. Every step forward in faith declares that the joy of your salvation outweighs the weight of your struggle. Lift your gaze. The fight is real, but the war is won. [39:41]

“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2, ESV)

Reflection: What circumstance feels heaviest today? How does Jesus’ joy over you reframe that burden?

Day 4: When Stray Cats Become Pets in Your Heart

Hurt from God’s people can fester if untended. Like adopting a stray, bitterness moves in quietly, then claims territory. The enemy weaponizes isolation, whispering, “You’re better off alone.” Yet the church isn’t a club of the flawless but a hospital for the broken. Forgiving others isn’t excusing harm but evicting the lie that your pain has the final word. Release the offense to the One who bore all offenses. [48:34]

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:31–32, ESV)

Reflection: Is there a past hurt you’ve “fed” instead of releasing? What step can you take this week to entrust it to Christ?

Day 5: Praying with Frogs and Scalpels in Hand

Faith isn’t a theory to discuss but a muscle to flex. Like dissecting a frog in science class, prayer moves from observation to action. You don’t need a spiritual résumé to wield authority—the same power that raised Christ lives in you now. Hesitation often masks fear: “What if God doesn’t answer?” But prayer isn’t a transaction; it’s alignment with a King who’s already declared victory. Speak. Decree. Stand. [56:23]

“And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 1:19–20, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you hesitated to pray boldly? How can you step into your authority as God’s child today?

Sermon Summary

Spiritual warfare stands up in 1 Peter 5:8 and tells the church to be alert, not afraid. The text puts Satan in his right place as a created being, while God sits alone on the throne with all authority. The battle is real, but Christ shares that authority with his body, so believers do not cower; they engage. The series has traced how the enemy seeks to destroy, deceive, and today to deconstruct. Hebrews 12 answers deconstruction by fixing eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter, whose joy in saving his people keeps them from growing weary and losing heart. When attention stays on the crucified and risen Lord, tired seasons do not harden into abandonment.

A picture makes it plain. A stack of blocks invites one impulse in a child: knock it down. The enemy looks at the tower of a believer’s faith and chants the same thing. Paul will not have Christians outwitted. So the scheme gets exposed. Deconstruction often loops three questions: Why am I going through this, why can’t I have that, and can I trust God’s people. Scripture shows God welcomes honest questions, but directs them to him, not to Instagram or YouTube. A story about a friend named Chris shows what happens when a wound gets fed. A stray cat becomes a pet the moment it is fed. Lies do too. The deeper issue is not only what was done, but what was allowed to lodge in the heart. Deconstruction often offers an easier version of faith without people, without sacrifice, without the cross. The apostolic gospel refuses that. It says with clarity: humanity’s sin murdered Jesus, God raised him, and he wants to save and fill with his Spirit. The goal is not a wobbly tower, but roots like a tree that will not come up.

Ephesians 1 and Romans 8 then stand up and declare the same power that raised Jesus now lives in believers. Christ is over all rule and authority, and his body shares in that placement, so under their feet lies the enemy’s rule. Yet authority goes unused when prayer stays quiet. Fear that God might not act can muzzle a voice. Faith does not defend God; it asks big and leaves outcomes with him. Another lie says authority belongs to the long-timers. Jesus calls great faith in a Roman centurion and a Syrophoenician mother, showing authority rests in who he is, not in anyone’s tenure. So the church stands firm, speaks with Christ’s authority, wars for sons and daughters, prays healing over bodies, and pushes back chaos over a city. And to the one who knows he needs God, the call is simple and costly: surrender to Jesus by faith and follow.

Key Takeaways

1. Be alert to deconstruction’s loop The enemy does not usually topple faith in a day. He plants recurring questions that gnaw at trust and chip away at obedience. Spotting the loop is half the battle, because clarity breaks the spell of confusion and invites stubborn, prayerful resistance. Naming the questions brings them into the light where they lose leverage. [44:05]
2. Fix eyes on Jesus to endure Hebrews 12 anchors stamina not in grit but in a Person who endured the cross with joy. Attention fuels affection, and affection sustains perseverance. When the gaze shifts from outcomes to the One on the throne, weariness does not metastasize into quitting. His joy in saving becomes the believer’s joy in continuing. [39:07]
3. Stop feeding lies like strays A lie at the door looks small and needy, but once fed it lives inside and grows. Offense can become an identity, and suspicion can become a lens that distorts every relationship. Wisdom refuses to house what Christ died to remove, releasing hurts to the cross before they turn into pets that rule the home. [46:56]
4. Pray with resurrection-same power Ephesians 1 does not hand out pep talks; it hands out placement and power in Christ. Authority is not volume or bravado, it is alignment with the risen Lord’s will and word. Praying out loud in faith is not presumption, it is stewardship of what has been entrusted to the church for the good of people and the pushing back of darkness. [54:24]
5. Great faith is not tenure-based Jesus found great faith in outsiders who simply trusted his authority. That cuts the legs out from the lie that only seasoned believers can contend in prayer or confront darkness. Authority rests in Jesus, so the newest disciple who believes him can ask and see the atmosphere shift as surely as the oldest saint. [61:17]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:31] - Celebrating leaders and church planting
[34:58] - Invisible Fight: wake up to war
[36:14] - Be alert to the roaring lion
[38:46] - Fix your eyes on Jesus
[41:26] - Knock-it-down blocks and schemes
[42:47] - God welcomes honest questions
[44:05] - Three deconstruction questions
[46:56] - Stray cat metaphor for lies
[49:59] - Easier Christianity without people
[53:53] - Same power that raised Jesus
[56:45] - Why praying out loud is hard
[60:22] - Great faith beyond tenure
[67:55] - Warfare prayer for the city
[70:46] - Invitation to follow Jesus

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Observation Questions

What does 1 Peter 5:8 identify as the enemy’s primary tactic, and how does the sermon describe the believer’s posture in response?
The sermon uses a metaphor of feeding stray cats to describe lies. What happens when a lie is “fed” instead of rejected? [46:56]
According to Hebrews 12:1-2 (referenced in the sermon), what is the relationship between fixing our eyes on Jesus and enduring hardship? [39:07]
What two examples of “great faith” did Jesus highlight in outsiders (Matthew 8:10, 15:28), and how does this challenge assumptions about spiritual authority? [01:00:22]

Interpretation Questions

Why might recurring questions like “Why am I going through this?” or “Can I trust God’s people?” erode faith over time if left unaddressed? [44:05]
How does the metaphor of a tree with deep roots (from the sermon) contrast with a “wobbly tower” of faith? What makes the difference? [52:36]
The sermon says, “Authority rests in Jesus, not in tenure.” Why might believers hesitate to pray boldly if they feel inexperienced or new to faith? [59:58]
What does it mean to “pray with resurrection-same power” (Ephesians 1:19-23), and how does this differ from treating prayer as a passive ritual? [54:24]

Application Questions

Identify a recurring question or doubt that has looped in your mind recently (e.g., “Why can’t I have that?”). How could you intentionally bring it to God instead of letting it fester? [44:05]
Is there a past hurt or offense you’ve “fed” like a stray cat, allowing it to shape your identity or relationships? What step could you take this week to release it to the cross? [46:56]
When have you hesitated to pray aloud or with authority because of fear that God might not act? How might Romans 8:11 (“the Spirit who raised Jesus lives in you”) change your approach? [56:45]
The sermon emphasizes praying for the next generation. Name one person in your life (a child, friend, or coworker) you could “war for” in prayer this week. What specific lie or stronghold will you confront? [01:03:57]
What practical habit could help you fix your eyes on Jesus daily (e.g., Scripture meditation, worship music) to prevent weariness from turning into discouragement? [39:07]
Have you ever felt unqualified to pray boldly because of your spiritual “inexperience”? How does the story of the Roman centurion (Matthew 8:5-13) redefine what faith looks like? [01:01:17]
Where in your life (home, work, relationships) does chaos feel overwhelming? How can you declare God’s authority over that area this week, even in a simple prayer? [01:07:55]

Sermon Clips

``And God placed all things all things under his feet, Jesus' feet, and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, because we're his body. If Jesus is over everything and we're his body, where does that make you and I? Over everything. Rule authority, power, dominion. Meaning that even though they were created stronger than you and I as human beings, they are now under our feet. Because we're standing in the kingdom of God as the body of Christ, in the body of Christ, exercising the authority of Christ, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. Do you see it, church? You've been entrusted with power. And it's the same power God used when he raised Christ up from the dead. You have the authority to pray and see a move of God. [00:54:46] (47 seconds) #KingdomAuthority

He said, know, in all the places in scripture, there's only two places in the New Testament where Jesus said somebody had great faith. And do you know neither time it was a religious person? Both times it was a religious outsider. It wasn't someone who'd spent a lot of time with Jesus. It wasn't someone who'd spent a lot of time in church. It was a Roman centurion and a Syrophoenician woman, like foreigners from, at this point, the kingdom of God. Matthew eight tells the story. Matthew 15 tells the story. Matthew eight was the centurion, and he said this to Jesus. He had a servant that needed healing, and he just said to Jesus, you don't even need to come to my house. Just say the word, my servant will be made well. And Jesus looks at this man and he's amazed. And he said to those following him, he said to the people that had been in church for a little bit, he said, truly I tell you, I've not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. [01:00:22] (55 seconds) #UnexpectedFaith

Now consider him. Keep your eyes fixed on him who endured such opposition from sinners. Why? So you don't grow weary and lose heart. See, the enemy wants to begin to deconstruct so you'll start to grow weary. Now the good news of that is when you fix your eyes on Jesus and you remember that it was a joy for him to rescue you through the cross, you're not gonna get weary. You might get a little tired from time to time, but not in a weariness that causes you to walk away. Well, not in a heaviness that causes you to abandon. Not in a way that I love the way it's said here. To lose heart. I just like, I'm kinda losing heart in this fight. No. The enemy wants to deconstruct, get you weary, get you losing heart. The good news is when you keep your eyes on Jesus, it it it's not gonna happen in Jesus' name. Come on. Give him a good amen? How many are thankful that you had a God that rescued you with joy in his heart? [00:39:19] (56 seconds) #EyesOnJesus

And can I trust God's people, the church? These are the questions the enemy wants to use. Now, most of us have had to battle with all three. If we're being honest, most of us would probably have to say we struggle with all three of those on a regular basis. Question number one, why am I going through this? I remember for for Rachel and myself, when we went through six years of infertility, that question came up every month. And every month, the enemy would run-in and say the same thing, slightly adjust the question. Hey. If god's good, why is this happening to you again? Why am I having to go to go through this? Or the why can't I have that question? How many have ever had that? You're like, god, if it's pleasurable, it must be good. Let's make a distinction. God is for your good. He's not always for your pleasure. He's always for your good, not always for your pleasure. [00:44:28] (61 seconds) #GodIsForYourGood

If we were over at Nemesis, good coffee at the Nemesis. If we were over at at Timber Train there at outpost, if we were at one of those places, and we were enjoying a coffee together, I'd say, hey, I know it happened, and I know it hurt. And with all the love in my heart, I'd say it's time to release it to the cross where Jesus took all the offenses we'd ever done against him and said, father, forgive them. They don't know what they do. I love the the earliest version of Christianity. You go through the book of Acts, you just see it on repeat. Apostle Peter would show up and say this. This is what was preached to people that didn't know Jesus. You murdered Jesus. God raised him from the dead. He wants to save you and fill you with his spirit. I mean, sometimes don't you see how the enemy wants you to have an easier version of Christianity than that? Like, the first big hurdle is like, I sinned, and it made God go to a cross for me. Like, the enemy wants you to have a simplified version that has no suffering and no sacrifice. Come on, somebody. We're building a tower that's better than that. [00:51:35] (62 seconds) #ReleaseToTheCross

A stray cat is no longer a stray cat the moment you bring it home and start to feed it. You feed a stray cat, you've got a pet. It's the same with the lies of the enemy. moment you let it in your house and you start to feed it, it will grow. I remember when Rachel and I were on our honeymoon, we were running away from a hurricane. Some of you heard different parts of this story. There was, I think, was hurricane Dennis back in the day, and it was coming up through the Gulf, and we were trying to get away from it. So we drove ten hours down through it to get because we had friends that lived in Miami. And we're like, this is gonna be our refuge from the storm will be when we get to Miami. We drove all the way there. We get there. We're exhausted. We pull into their place, and and they had rescued a stray cat that day. Now, you gotta understand, Rachel's deathly allergic to cats. [00:47:02] (58 seconds) #DontFeedTheLies

I wasn't sure if at the end of four weeks on spiritual warfare that anyone would still be here, to be honest with you. And look at you, you're all here, the house is full, God's moving. In fact, we've gotten so much feedback, positive feedback on this series, probably more than anything we've ever done before, which is kinda interesting. And it really speaks to the point that we've been making throughout the whole series that the enemy's greatest tactic is to try to convince you and I that there isn't a war going on every single day. Imagine being in a war zone but not really knowing you're in a war. And that's what a lot of Christians do. We we go through life kinda thinking, well, it's like if God wants it to happen, then it will happen. [00:34:58] (38 seconds) #RecognizeTheBattle

Today, we're gonna talk about one of the one of the other ways he wants to work against us. I had more that I wanted to talk about in this series than we could fit into four weeks, but I got room for one more way the enemy fights against you. And today, I wanna talk about how he deconstructs. See, it's a buzzword in modern Christianity of of a faith that's been lost, either completely thrown away or more often with a deconstruction, it's that little bits and pieces start to get thrown away over time. I'm not sure I really agree with the Bible on that one, or I'm not really sure I agree with God on that one. And I figure I know better than than God, so I'll just I'll take what I want. And we have and people will say, like, I'm a Christian, but there's parts of it that I don't really get with. And it's a deconstruction of our faith. And the the writer of Hebrews says says this in response, like, let's not let's run with perseverance. [00:38:04] (53 seconds) #GuardYourFaith

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The Invisible Fight | Pastor Shane Johnston | Resonate Church

Devotional

Day 1: When the Enemy Wants to Knock Down Your Blocks of Faith

Day 2: Three Questions That Deconstruct Faith’s Foundation

Day 3: Fixing Eyes on the Joy Set Before Us

Day 4: When Stray Cats Become Pets in Your Heart

Day 5: Praying with Frogs and Scalpels in Hand

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

The Invisible Fight | Pastor Shane Johnston | Resonate Church

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