I once read that among those who run in marathon races, somewhere around the 18th mile to the 22nd mile of that 26-mile run, the runner hits “The Wall.”
(That’s about as close as I’ll ever get to a marathon, other than the three days I just hiked through the Disney jungle, but I digress…)
The Wall is a place so hard that the runner thinks he or she can’t possibly continue the race. It’s a little uncertain whether The Wall is physical or psychological, but it’s real. And the temptation to drop out of the race is greater at this point than at any time in the race. The runner feels he can’t make it. The lungs burn, the heart pounds, and the runner fights dizziness and nausea. A little voice begins to whisper (or scream), “Why torture yourself?”
You may not run 26-mile marathons, but if you are a follower of Christ, that fact alone means you are in an endurance race. And you can expect at times to encounter “The Wall.”
You will find The Wall when you have tried time after time to pray consistently, and have failed.
You will encounter The Wall when you have fallen over the same temptation for the umpteenth time.
You will find The Wall when your heart is divided between God’s best and Satan’s compromise.
You will find The Wall when you are buried by financial pressure. Loneliness. Job disappointments. Failures by your children. Betrayal by your closest friends. Rejection by people you love. Extended physical illness or pain. A climate of chronic fear and worry.
In her classic, The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life, Hannah Whitehall Smith talks about The Wall. She says that
one of the most fatal things in the life of faith is discouragement; one of the most helpful is confidence. A very wise man once said that in overcoming temptations confidence was the first thing, confidence the second, and confidence the third. We must expect to conquer. That is why the Lord said so often to Joshua, “Be strong and of a good courage;” “Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed;” “Only be thou strong and very courageous.” And it is also the reason He says to us, “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” THE POWER OF TEMPTATION IS IN THE FAINTING OF OUR OWN HEARTS” (emphasis mine).
Learn to recognize The Wall for what it is. It is a barrier, a fortress, a stronghold of Satan designed not only to stop us from advancing, but also to take back the ground we have already gained. That is why Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5,
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
If you have encountered The Wall and been defeated by it, it’s time for a counterattack. It’s time to thump the devil’s rump!
It’s time to wait on (attend to) the Lord, so He can renew your strength (Isaiah 40:31).
It’s time to put on the whole armor of God so that you can stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:10).
It’s time to get some help from some other believers who love you and don’t want to see you quit.
It’s time to get your eyes back on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Hang in there! It ain’t over yet!