Spiritual Warfare Series — Devotional #9
Closed Doors
This week we continue exploring the question:
How does God’s enemy come after His people and His leaders for the sole purpose of distracting, disrupting, and derailing them from being involved in God’s great mission?
As we survey Pauline literature, we see fourteen tactical strategies that the enemy uses to oppose God’s people, along with biblical antidotes for each.
Tactic 9: Closed Doors
"Hearing God’s voice is indispensable to moving through or around closed doors." – Gary Rohrmayer
Biblical Foundation
1 Thessalonians 2:18 – “For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us.”
Paul’s desire to minister in Thessalonica was good, holy, and mission-driven. Yet he recognized that his path was being obstructed—not by God, but by the enemy. This text reminds us that not every closed door is divine guidance. Sometimes, the adversary actively resists our obedience and mission.
The Problem: Misinterpreting Closed Doors
J. Robert Clinton warns:
“Satan can block a believer’s guidance. So closed doors are not always clear guidance.”
Leaders often assume that when circumstances shut us out of opportunities, God must be redirecting us. While that can be true (see Acts 16:6–8), we must also discern whether resistance is spiritual opposition rather than divine redirection. Without discernment, leaders can grow discouraged, misinterpret God’s will, and abandon Kingdom opportunities prematurely.
The Antidote: Seeking Confirmed Guidance
Clinton offers this wisdom:
“Get certainty guidance. Let all of the major guidance elements give weight to your guidance: God’s Voice in the Word; God’s Voice in the Heart; God’s Voice in Circumstances; God’s Voice in the Church.”
Discernment requires a holistic listening posture:
The Word of God – Our primary compass, grounding us in God’s eternal purposes.
The Spirit’s witness in our hearts – The Spirit brings peace or unrest as confirmation.
Circumstances – God can both open and close opportunities to direct us.
The Church – Wise, Spirit-filled counsel brings clarity and protection from deception.
When all four align, leaders can move forward with greater confidence.
Reflective Questions
How can you tell when a closed door is from God versus the enemy? (See Acts 16:6–8)
How do you let the Word of God shape your decision-making as a church leader?
How do you slow down enough to hear God’s voice in leading the church? (See Acts 13:1–2)
How do you interpret God’s leading through both favorable and unfavorable circumstances?
How do you listen for God’s voice through the church community?
Prayer
Father in Heaven, give us ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church and through the church. May our lives be saturated with Your Word so that all our decisions align with Your revealed purposes and promises. Teach us to seek You in worship, fasting, and prayer as we lead Your people. Protect us from discouragement when we face opposition. Strengthen us to stand against the enemy’s schemes and to press forward with courageous faith in Your mission. We pray this in the great and mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
