How To Deal With Spiritual Attack

I observed that when I initially started writing, I was frequently attacked at various stages of the process–especially when I was starting something new. Since then, I've researched spiritual attack and realized that there are numerous things we may do to win spiritual battles.

We'll talk about those topics on today's episode of the Christian Habits Podcast, but in case you don't have time to listen, I've included the material below.

Examples of Spiritual Attack in the Bible

In the Bible, there are four different accounts of Satan influencing or engaging with individuals. We'll go over these in greater detail on the podcast, but I've included a list of Scripture texts below for you to read on your own.

Types of Spiritual Attack

A physical attack and a mental attack are two separate forms of spiritual attacks depicted in the Bible. Here are a couple of examples of each:

• Job's health, crops, animals, and family were all attacked physically by Satan.
• Mental: When it came to Eve, Satan made sin seem appealing, causing her to doubt God's goodness and reasonableness, as well as God's commands. Satan enticed Jesus to convert the stones into bread, to throw himself from the temple's roof, and to obtain all of the world's kingdoms and glory. Satan urged Peter to be concerned about what others would think of him and to concentrate on his own safety rather than being there for Jesus.

What can we learn from people who were attacked in the Bible?

• Satan frequently assaults in the commencement of a situation. At the beginning of time, Eve was attacked. Jesus was attacked at the start of his career, and Peter was attacked at the start of a new era of mission–one in which Jesus was not physically present. We, like the people in the Bible, are frequently attacked spiritually as we begin a new ministry, a new career, a new phase of a relationship (such as married life), or a new attempt to break free from a terrible habit or sin.
• When we are vulnerable, Satan is more likely to attack. “Your opponent, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour,” says 1 Peter 5:8-9. Lions on the prowl don't go after the strongest animal in the pack. They go after the weakest person. The one who is cut off from the rest of the group. The one is at risk of being attacked. So, at different points in our lives, when we're particularly disheartened, alone, unwell, or weak in some way, we're most vulnerable to assault. This is evident throughout the Bible. When Jesus was famished after 40 days of fasting, Satan attacked him. When Jesus was being trial, he attacked Peter, and it appeared that their ministry was going to hell.
• It's not a sign that you're a bad Christian if Satan assaults. When we're faced with temptation, we may say to ourselves, “Oh, I'm such a poor Christian,” but this isn't the case. We'll face hardships in this life, according to Jesus, and we're all sinners, according to Romans 3:23. The truth is that we will be tempted until we die, and we will succumb to temptation until we die. Yes, we must focus on our spiritual growth and victory in our areas of sin, but we must also recognize that we will not be complete until we see Jesus face to face.
• Satan frequently targets people who are steadfast in their religion. Satan is a one-trick pony when it comes to attacking people. He will attack us while we are weak, but he will also attack us when we are powerful because he wants strong people to weaken. Consider who Satan targeted in the Bible: Peter, Eve, Job, and even Jesus. Those were all persons who had a strong faith and a close relationship with God.
• As a weapon, Satan employs deception and condemnation. According to Revelations 12:10, Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He is the father of lies, according to John 8:44. As a weapon, he employs deception and denunciation. That's why it's so critical for us to rejuvenate our minds–to purge our minds of lies and condemnation!
• You may endure for a long period without feeling close to God.
• Job struggled for a long time when Satan attacked him. He got off to a good start, but soon faltered. When we are going through a trial that appears to continue forever, this frequently occurs. It may be easier to stay strong in the beginning, but as time passes, we begin to lose hope. That's when we need to continue and stay steadfast–even though it's difficult–keep going to God and His Word for support.
• You're not the only one who feels this way. Because we don't see our friends battling, we sometimes feel alone and believe we're the only ones going through challenges, temptations, and struggles. But 1 Peter 5:8-9 tells us to be firm in our faith and oppose Satan, knowing that our brotherhood (and sisters) around the world is going through the same things. So, even if we aren't aware of the suffering, it is occurring. People don't always talk about their problems, so don't feel alone if you think you're the only one.

How to Fight Spiritual Attack

Although spiritual attack can be upsetting, it can also be a valuable learning experience. We must, however, struggle if we are to progress. Based on the four examples of spiritual attack in the Bible, here are some techniques to withstand spiritual attack:

• Make use of the Bible. That is exactly what Jesus accomplished. Jesus always responded to Satan's temptations with Scripture. So, whatever area you're being assaulted in, learn some Bible passages to assist you. That way, you may strike those thoughts with Bible scriptures whenever they arise.
• Try not to be too down on yourself. It's easy to feel sorry for ourselves when things aren't going our way, but consider Job. Job stated, “After the first wave of awful things came, “Blessed be the name of the Lord, for he has given and taken away.” Job didn't have a complete understanding of the situation (it was Satan, not God, who destroyed everything), but he had the correct attitude. Even when things went wrong, he continued to trust God and adore Him.
• Don't walk out of the church. After denying Christ, I believe it would have been simple for Peter to leave the church since he felt like a failure. Job could have easily left the church since his fellow Christians were so judgmental when they tried to rescue him (Job 4-23). But here's the truth: we're all in this together. Our only option is to associate with flawed Christians and to be a flawed Christian ourselves. There is no such thing as a flawless church, but we still need it. When wild animals leave their packs, they are susceptible to assault, just as we are when we are not in regular fellowship with other believers. It's crucial to have close ties with those with whom you can discuss anything.
• Don't berate yourself or accuse yourself of being a bad Christian. According to Revelations 12:10, Satan blames the saints. So don't be too hard on yourself if you succumb to temptation. That's what we mean when we say, “Oh, I can't believe how horrible of a Christian I am for doing that.” Simply confess your sins and move on, trusting Romans 8:1 that there is no condemnation in Christ and 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins, He will forgive us.
• Don't take everything your buddies tell you at face value. Do you recall Job's companions? They weren't speaking to him God's words. It's wonderful to seek advice and read Christian publications, but we must always check anything we hear (including whatever I say or write) against what we've heard in the Bible to see if it's true.
• Don't run away from God. When we're dealing with sin or doubt, it's natural to want to escape God. We reason, “First I'll get myself fixed up, then I'll go to God.” That is precisely what Satan wants us to do, because it prevents us from receiving the assistance we want from God. Jesus understands what we're going through since He's been through all of the same temptations, according to Hebrews 4:15-16. He wants us to seek aid from Him.
• Refresh your mind by confronting lies with the truth. The sooner we turn to God for guidance and perspective on our problems, the better. When I go to Him immediately away when I'm sad during the day, He helps me get over it quickly–but if I wait until the end of the day, when I'm fully disheartened, it's much more difficult to get over it because my mind has been bombarded with lies all day. If you're looking for ways to renew your mind, go to the tools for renewing the mind tab at the top of this page.
• When you're in a season where you need it, spend more time with God than normal. Throughout His mission, Jesus had numerous all-night prayer sessions with God. He probably needed the extra time with Him, in my opinion. If we're going through a particularly difficult trial or temptation, we'll need to spend more time with God than normal in order to stay near to Him and grow as Christians.
• Resist. I took a woman's self-defense class years ago. Most assailants will flee if a person fights back, according to the teacher (who also happened to be our pastor), but strangely, many people do not fight back. It's critical to fight back when we're spiritually attacked. According to James 4:7, if we resist the devil, he will flee. Even if it's much easier to go watch something on Netflix or grab a bite to eat, we must make an effort to resist.
• Follow Ephesians 6:10-20's advice. I was thinking about ideas I gained from witnessing Eve, Job, Jesus, and Peter during their spiritual attacks when I recorded this episode. However, Ephesians 6:10-20 is one of the best parts of Scripture for spiritual attack. Check out those hints for more information.

Last but not least, not all temptations and problems are caused by Satan. I cover a variety of explanations for hardships and temptations in my Bible study Rally. That said, we don't need to know the source of the conflict because the remedy is the same regardless. Seek assistance from God. That is something that we can all contribute to. You can find some helpful Bible studies in the resources below the following image, as well as on the Bible study link at the top of this blog for printable Bible studies.

How do you pray against the enemy?

I command the storm of destruction to gather upon every satanic power that is against my health IN THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS! I decree and declare great casualty upon witches and wizards operating in my neighborhood, the judgment of God shall torment the powers of darkness working against me both at night and in the morning, the night shall carry terror and anger against all satanic powers that are standing against me, the night shall carry terror and anger against all satanic powers that

RIGHT NOW, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, my prayers have become earthquakes and storms in the devil's camp that is against my life; the Lord shall gather his armor against powers that are against my intellectual growth; all sickness in my life, known or unknown, receives heavenly storm; all conspiracy against any part of my body receives destruction now!

I order the deep wells inside me to be freed and broken forth in the name of JESUS!

What is a spiritual conflict?

• Over the last 30 years, psychological study on a number of spiritual issues has been done. Spiritual problems are one spiritual issue that has garnered a lot of attention.
• People are affected not only psychologically, socially, and physically by major life challenges, but also spiritually.
• Natural disasters, accidents, sicknesses, and other stressful circumstances can put people's spiritual lives in jeopardy or cause them to struggle spiritually.
• Spiritual coping problems are attempts to protect or transform people's relationships with whatever they consider precious, such as their connection to God/Higher Power, spiritual identity, and religious community connections.
• Terminology. Many studies on spiritual difficulty use the phrase “negative religious coping,” but we and other researchers have started to use the term “spiritual/religious problems.” Why?
• Spiritual conflicts can be watershed moments in human development or “forks in the path.”
• According to several research, persons who are able to resolve spiritual conflicts over time gain and grow from them.
• Others may choose to temporarily or permanently withdraw from spiritual challenges.
• Others who are stuck in their troubles emotionally and physically deteriorate.
• Even atheists and non-religious people may deal with spiritual issues such as feeling distanced from, unhappy with, angry with, or abandoned by God.
• See Constructs/Our Measures for more broad background information on spiritual problems.
• Spiritual conflicts refer to disagreements with God/Higher Power, oneself, and others over spiritual topics. Distressing feelings and doubts about one's spiritual journey in life arise as a result of these tensions.
• Internal/intrapsychic spiritual conflicts—inner conflict about spirituality or religion
• Spiritual conflicts with other family members, friends, clergy, community members, or the greater culture concerning spirituality or religion are interpersonal/communal spiritual challenges.
• The 7-item Negative Religious Coping subscale from the Brief RCOPE is most typically used to assess spiritual problems (Pargament, Feuille, & Burdzy, 2011). For the entire Brief RCOPE and lengthier scales to more fully examine spiritual problems, go to Constructs/Our Measures.
• For additional information on how we define these two overlapping concepts, see Defining Religion & Spirituality.

What comprehensive empirical research on Spiritual Struggles in Coping with Marital Problems has been conducted?

• Despite substantial research on spiritual issues in other areas, there has been essentially no systematic research on spiritual struggles in marriage. Nonetheless, the Relational Spirituality Framework emphasizes that serious or persistent marital issues, such as infidelity, can lead to private or communal spiritual challenges with God.
• Prior research on spirituality and marital problems has relied on indirect indicators to determine if people feel spiritual struggles as a result of marital problems, such as frequency of religious attendance or overall value of religion in everyday life. We employ definitions and measurements of spiritual challenges established in past research on non-marital stressors to stimulate more in-depth study on spiritual struggles with marital problems (e.g., natural diasters, health problems).
• In practice, we have concentrated our research on Divine Spiritual Struggles rather than Internal or Interpersonal Spiritual Struggles in relation to marital issues.
• When it comes to interpreting and reacting to marital problems, we characterize Divine Spiritual Struggles with Marital Problems as having a confrontation with God. It's helpful to define conflict before delving into this definition. We define conflict as an individual's internal or external conflicts over his or her life goals and/or paths to achieving those goals. When troubles emerge, humans can be in conflict with God, just as they might have internal or interpersonal conflict. Problems in marriage can jeopardize life ambitions. An individual may have a disagreement with God about why marital difficulties have arisen and what should be done to resolve them. These conflicts with God might lead to negative feelings and thoughts regarding one's relationship with God.

For psychological research, how do we measure Divine Struggles in Coping with Marital Problems?

• We used the following three sub-scales (three items each) from Pargament's R-COPE to assess divine spiritual struggles with marital troubles in our transition to parenting study. These nine items were mixed in with R-COPE sub-scale items from other sub-scales. For additional information on the history and development of the R-COPE and Spiritual Struggles Sub-scales, see Constructs/Our Measures.
• Instructions for dealing with marital troubles include the following: The sentences that follow outline particular ways that people might manage with the inevitable marital problems that arise from time to time. When you think about the challenges you've had in your marriage, how much do you use each of the following to deal with them? When I'm having marital issues, I…

How might Divine Spiritual Struggles in Coping with Marital Problems benefit or hinder a marriage or couple relationship?

• To the best of our knowledge, our study on the transition to parenthood is the first attempt to investigate how much married couples experience spiritual struggles as a result of marital difficulties, and what impact these divine spiritual struggles have on the marriage and each spouse's psychological or spiritual well-being. We are presently doing analyses and will report back when we have more information.

What is a good prayer for protection?

As I begin this day, I pray for Your protection. You are my safe haven, and I can always find sanctuary under Your wings. Keep me safe from harm wherever I go, and keep evil at bay. I shall look to You as my Protector, the one who battles for me every day, no matter where I am.

Your love and constancy, as well as Your goodness and mercy, surround me on a daily basis, so I will not be afraid of anything. God, I put my trust in You and thank You for Your kindness and protection.

How do you deal with enemies according to the Bible?

Should we handle an adversary with compassion, love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and kindness, or with hatred, demonization, repulsion, revenge, rage, and suspicion?

Should we rejoice and rejoice when the enemy is harmed? Should we pray for our adversary's well-being? Should we try to destroy the adversary or should we ignore it?

We posed the following question to our panel of religious leaders: What does your faith teach you about dealing with the enemy?

“Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you,” Jesus says in Matthew's Gospel, which is the greatest and simplest Christian teaching on how to treat enemies. 5:44 (Matthew) Hatred or vengeance are never acceptable in Catholic Christian teaching. It does, however, preserve a person's right to self-defense as well as the right to defend others against an unfair attacker. It does not, however, undermine the gospel's teaching in the process. They live side by side, frequently in conflict. On the one hand, loving the enemy does not imply permitting that enemy to kill another; on the other hand, loving the enemy does not imply viewing the opponent's life as less valuable than another's. Perhaps Jesus' words as he died on the cross, as Luke tells it, provide the final answer: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) If you're looking for a unique way to express yourself, try

According to Buddha, “Only love is capable of dispelling hatred. This is the law, which is both ancient and unbreakable.” (Byrom). Loving-kindness leads to the maximum human potential, according to Buddhist social teachings. Peace will come as a result of loving kindness in actions, speech, and intentions. Intense self-interested actions, statements, and intentions may “win” in the short term, but they will “lose” any long-term peace. My friend Jerry, a “medic,” became Buddhist after witnessing Vietnamese Buddhist monks strolling peacefully through major “firefights” with loving kindness. Every person has been our relative in previous lifetimes, according to the Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh. In attitudes of loving kindness toward people who forced them out of Tibet and Vietnam, both represent this fact. On Earth, we are essentially one family. When there are hostilities, Buddhism is difficult to “live by,” but with loving compassion as our “light,” we can eventually consider “enemies” as friends in peace.

Sharla S. Hales is the local public affairs director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The basis of the gospel of Jesus Christ is how we treat others. Love, compassion, forgiveness, and long-suffering are central to his message. These abilities enable us to treat people, including our foes, with kindness. Christ cautioned:

• “Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who dislike you, and pray for those who use you and persecute you despitefully.” 5 (Matthew)

Our foes may become our friends if we love them enough. Such love necessitates faith in God: “Pray with all your heart's might to the Father, that ye may be filled with this love, which he has given upon those who are faithful disciples of his Son, Jesus Christ.” 7:48 (Moroni)

We must change our perspective when dealing with a “enemy” who is nasty or mean rather than one who physically tries to hurt us. It will return to us if we face hate with hate, react with fury, and demand punishment. Avoid using a “reactive” tongue, waging a self-justification battle, and seeking vengeance. Protect oneself and fight only if absolutely essential to prevent the opponent from incurring a significant “spiritual debt.” We are to assist our opponents in their times of need in order to help us grow as people. (Exodus 23:5, “You Are What You Hate: A Spiritually Productive Approach to Enemies,” Bava Metza 32b)

Ego-transcendence is a common theme on spiritual paths. As a result, our goal would be to figure out how our adversaries see the world and why they see it and us the way they do. Each successive step removes a new layer. Humility is an indication that we passed the exam.

“Recognize your foes as allies, and think of those who want you harm as those who desire you well.” – Abdu'l-Baha, the founder of the Baha'i faith.

Jesus argued for a revolutionary approach to dealing with our foes. “If someone hits you on the right cheek, turn the other cheek to them as well. You've probably heard the phrase, “Love your neighbor and hate your adversary.” However, I advise you to love your opponents and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:39; 5:43; 5:44) Christians are called to love and forgive those who hate and persecute them. To walk in the footsteps of Christ is to travel in the path of love.

These are some of the things the Apostle Peter said about Jesus. “He did not retaliate when they threw obscenities at him, and he made no threats when he was hurt. He instead entrusted himself to the righteous judge.” (1 Peter 2:23; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 2:25; 1 This is a powerful example of how Christians should respond to their foes.

The moral dilemma of how one should treat opponents is inextricably linked to the moral question of how one should treat other people in general. Traditional religions share a similar perspective on how to treat others, which is summed up in the golden rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” The silver rule is an earlier Confucius rule that states, “Do not do unto others what you would not do unto yourself.” Although these two rules appear to be the same, they are not logically comparable. Let's say you're self-destructive and want to terminate your life but don't want to commit suicide. He's looking for someone to assassinate him. According to the golden rule, he is permitted to murder others. Surely, that is unethical. That is not a problem with Confucius' silver rule. So, when it comes to how to handle one's enemies, the solution is simple: don't do to them what you wouldn't want done to you.

Allah, as Creator and Knower of Human Nature, expects Muslims to protect themselves and, if feasible, encourages forgiveness, but demands justice at all times, especially when dealing with their enemies. In the Quran, Allah says: “And those who defend themselves when tyranny strikes, the retribution of evil is punishment similar to it, but whoever forgives and reconciles – he will receive his reward from Allah. And anyone seeks retribution after being harmed bears no responsibility. Only those who harm the people and tyrannize on the Earth without due process are targeted. Those who do so will be punished severely.” Moreover, “Believers, rejoice! Stand steady as witnesses to fair dealings for Allah, and do not let the hate of others cause you to swerve to error and withdraw from justice. Next to piety, it's important to be just.”

The Bible, which is the foundation for Christian doctrine and practice, offers the following advice on dealing with individuals who are considered enemies: “You've heard the law that says, “Love your neighbor as yourself” and “Hate your adversary as yourself.” But, in my opinion, you should love your foes!” (Matthew 5:43-44; Mark 10:43-44) Do we love our foes? We should extend the same grace to our opponents as God has extended to everyone of us. How? In Romans 12:20, we are told: “Feed your enemies if they are hungry. Give them something to drink if they're thirsty.” Contact is maintained by the use of compassion, and there is still a possibility to strengthen the connection. We believe that everyone, including our enemies, can change and be reconciled with God in Christendom; however, the “plank” (Matthew 7:4) in our eye may need to be removed in order to commence transformation. What lengths are you willing to go to in order to get to your adversaries?

Can you pray for something bad to happen to someone?

If you wish for something awful to happen to someone because they've wronged you, be aware that it could come back to haunt you in unexpected ways. When conspiring against someone, keep in mind that the Almighty is watching. Never pray for people with a bad intention or a terrible prayer!

What is spiritual decline?

Then we looked to see if spiritual growth, spiritual decline, and meaning-making could moderate the link between religious difficulty, anxiety, and life satisfaction. People who try to understand their struggle and whose difficulty is a source of positive changes in their world view, relationships, and aspirations or sense of self are more satisfied with life and have less anxiety, according to the theory (spiritual growth). Anxiety rises and life satisfaction falls when struggle leads to unfavorable changes in an individual's world view, connections with others, or life goals (spiritual decline).

For four types of struggle, we discovered that the mediation impact was significant: demonic, moral, interpersonal, and theological doubt. Spiritual progress and spiritual decline were important mediators in demonic and moral conflict. As we expected, demonic and moral problems can lead to increased life satisfaction, but spiritual decline can lead to increased anxiety. Spiritual decline was found to be a key factor in the link between interpersonal conflict, anxiety, and life happiness.

We conclude that the impact of moral conflict on anxiety and life satisfaction is determined by how moral pressures are addressed. When people are confronted with moral defects and personality weaknesses (religious struggle), noticing good changes in self-perception, viewing the world, and perceiving others increases their contentment with life. Moral conflicts, on the other hand, cause anxiety since they lead to unfavorable alterations in self-image and view of the world. Some psychological theories (e.g., Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development or Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development) emphasize the role of moral conflicts as a transitional stage that can lead to both regression and maturation, as well as a higher quality of life (e.g., Erikson 1968; Kohlberg 1976).

Strengths and Limitations of the Study

The study's primary flaw is its cross-sectional design, which precludes any inferences on cause–effect relationships. The interpretation strategy used in this work is based on theoretical assumptions. Longitudinal research are needed to determine the health and well-being effects of religious conflicts. Because the study relied on people's self-reports, there was no way to control for response bias. It's possible that the findings are influenced by social desirability. However, the fact that respondents completed the measures anonymously and were questioned about positive and negative results may mitigate this potential. They wouldn't have supported negative outcomes if they were aiming to present themselves in a favorable way, right? Regardless, studies in the future should include scales that assess social desirability, and if required, control for it. We also assumed that the survey instruments' performance characteristics were unaffected by their translation into Polish.

How do you solve spiritual problems?

When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, he discovered a slew of issues. While most people remember Nehemiah for his leadership in repairing the walls of Jerusalem, he also demonstrated spiritual leadership. Nehemiah recalls the myriad spiritual challenges the people still faced—and how he handled them—in the last chapter of his record, drawing on the good will and esteem he had earned previously. While we may not face the same problems today, today's problem solvers require the same talents as Nehemiah.

• Problem solvers build their solutions on the foundation of God's Word (Neh. 13:1-3). People who are solution-oriented foster a culture that values the truth of God's Word, establishing the standard by which all problems will be appraised and all solutions will be derived. Instead of resorting to either the expectations of the congregation or their own past practice, problem solvers make God's Word the consistent judge by which they assess all things, rather than bringing it up when it's convenient or using it to justify a personal perspective.
• Sinful situations are not tolerated by problem solvers; they are addressed and changed (Neh. 13:4-9). The first step is to preach about a sin or a doctrinal issue. Solutions-oriented thinking exposes people who are to blame and offers spiritual alternatives to harmful practices. It'll probably take some time and a lot of knowledge, but focusing on the long-term godly solution makes the effort and patience worthwhile. A leader, on the other hand, who fails to rectify erroneous behaviors out of fear of receiving complaints or losing numbers isn't really leading at all.
• Problem solvers pick up on minor details that point to greater concerns (Neh. 13:10). Problem solutions does not always entail identifying flaws. Recognizing when something or someone is absent is a big part of it. People that are solution-oriented look for ways to include people who have previously been disregarded. They pick up on leadership inconsistencies immediately, which create a distrustful environment. They are aware of the ramifications of minor details, allowing them to work in principle to correct critical errors.
• When the leadership is in the wrong, problem solvers stand up to them (Neh. 13:11). In many congregations of the Lord's church today, we have come to accept an incorrect concept of authority. While people accept the Bible as the ultimate authority in theory, they frequently defer to the leadership in practice—even when those leaders are behaving in direct opposition to the Bible. Instead of sitting on their hands as if they can do nothing, solution-oriented people take a stand against leadership when the leaders themselves are sinning.
• Problem solvers look for people who are willing to rise to the occasion to meet the issues that God's people confront (Neh. 13:12-13). People who value solutions over the status quo are always on the hunt for others who share their values. True solutions, on the other hand, necessitate consistency rather than change. As a result, issue solvers must not only discover people who are open to change, but also those who are devoted to doing what is better and right.
• Problem solvers work for the glory of God, for the good of God's people, and for the future of God's people (Neh. 13:14). The American corporate culture has had an adverse impact on how many Christians see church work and those who work especially with the church. A preacher who sees himself as the congregation's stooge will be unable to assist them in resolving their issues. Only by looking at his work from a divine viewpoint and with eternity in mind will a man be able to rise above the employee mindset and accomplish what is best for people, even if those impacted are unaware of it right away.
• People who commit sin are chastised by problem solvers (Neh. 13:15-18). If you refuse to acknowledge a problem, you will not be able to solve it. You must first eliminate the problem before you can find a solution. Unfortunately, the most common response to difficulties these days is to try to wait them out, talk them out, or ignore them entirely. People that are solution-oriented see that these aren't exactly solutions, but rather attempts to shift the problem down the road. We cannot be spiritual leaders unless we are strong enough to correct others who are in sin.
• Problem solvers come up with ways to keep the same problems from recurring (Neh. 13:19-22). Some people act as if yelling and whining about an issue, pointing fingers at people, and bullying them until they give in is the same as problem solving. It isn't the case. People who are solution-oriented not only address the issue, but they also have the vision to devise a feasible solution that incorporates people in a positive way and includes safeguards to avoid the problem from recurring.
• Because they realize that personal and congregational concerns are intertwined, problem solvers handle both (Neh. 13:23-28). A congregation's spiritual health is only as good as its members' daily lives. Leaders who assess the health of a congregation only on the basis of Sunday attendance and sermons are not shepherding sheep; they are monitoring the congregation. Because the problems that most affect people are personal, solution-oriented persons must be prepared to offer personal solutions to people both inside and beyond the congregation.
• Problem solvers do not make concessions. They purify, correct, and implore (Neh. 13:29-31). You can't fix a problem unless you're ready to handle every aspect of it, eliminate the factors that contribute to the problem, and put forth all of the necessary steps to find a solution. Unfortunately, many people are satisfied with doing merely a portion of each. This is not a viable option. It's a half-hearted attempt to persuade others (and possibly ourselves) that we're doing anything, in the hopes of being judged on our effort rather than our output.

We live in a world that is full of issues. We know from personal experience that we all confront a variety of issues. As a result, we must accept that congregations will face difficulties. Accepting the reality of problems, on the other hand, is only the first step. We must prepare ourselves to address the problem, remedy the problem, and then move on from it, or we will not be able to truly solve the situation. This is something that solution-oriented individuals are aware of, which is why more preachers and elders need to become solution-oriented.