To finish strong and be fully committed to Christ Jesus we must overcome the following hindrances…

• Excuses (not enough time, money, etc.)
• The opinions of others
• The flesh
• Lack of discipline
• The desire for convenience
• Distractions
• Fear (We must obey, even if fear is present. Face the first fear. Then keep practicing. Eventually, we will overcome.)

Discipline protects commitment. Without discipline we can’t follow rules or experience the benefit of sustained effort. We must be disciplined to obey God so that we receive all that God has promised us. Rules are meant to be followed. But, the flesh wants to figure out how it can break the rules. Rule breakers will be judged–eventually. No one gets away with sin forever.

• 2 Peter 3:9 New King James Version – The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

We must learn to recognize problems and correct them before they become bigger problems. God wants us to walk in authority. Are you dealing with a problem that you should have dealt with, but now you are dealing with it because you didn’t use your authority?

God will deal with us on timing. When God says it’s time to move, we need to move immediately. Sometimes we need to say no. We must seek the Lord first, before making any other commitments.

• Mark 8:31 New King James Version –  And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

We will be tested to see how fully committed we are to God. When we are fully committed, we have to be proactive and aggressive; not passive.

• Mark 8:32-33 New King James Version – ³² He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. ³³ But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

We must be able to recognize when the enemy shows up. When we become aware of it, we must rebuke the enemy. The first thing we should go to when under spiritual attack is prayer. Don’t attack the problem in your own strength, PRAY FIRST. Answers to prayer takes time. We also must be prepared to keep praying until the answer manifests.

The enemy will sow a seed of a thought in our mind that is a lie. If we don’t reject it immediately, that seed will become a plant and sprout up. Lying thoughts steal our peace. We must confront the lies from the enemy with truth from God’s Word and from God’s promises. Don’t get side-tracked by F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real). Instead of focusing on fear, cast every care on the Lord in prayer.

Use these tools to overcome FEAR:

PRAY.

• Mark 11:24 New King James Version –  Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

ASK FOR HELP.

• Galatians 6:2 New King James Version – Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
• Hebrews 6:10 New King James Version – For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 New King James Version – Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD.

• Ephesians 6:14-18 New King James Version – ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—