The Uncomfortable Truth About Operating in Denial and Avoidance

It’s no secret that life is filled with challenges that can sometimes feel overwhelming. Amid stress, heartbreak, and fear, many people turn to coping mechanisms that the church often overlooks—mechanisms that may not seem sinful but can still hinder spiritual growth and well-being, and in fact is in direct opposition to God’s word and, thus, operating and bearing the fruits of darkness…
These being Denial and Avoidance.
While these may seem like minor issues for a believer to confront, the reality is that these mechanisms of operation that manifest in many a believer’s lives are influenced by spirits that seek to keep a believer trapped in a cycle, preventing them from experiencing the fullness of Christ’s provision. At their root, Denial and Avoidance stem from fear.

Fear God will not provide
Fear of being overcome by the situation
Fear of suffering
Fear of change
Fear of responsibility
Fear of condemnation
etc.

The dangerous thing about spirits of Denial and Avoidance, as someone who has experienced their snare firsthand, is they come with the false illusion that whatever it is that is causing the panic or fear or discomfort will just…go away if you ignore it. Where faith tells us to stand firm and declare the truth (face the battle head on and trust God to deliver you), Denial and Avoidance say to turn your back on the problem and let the battle rage on behind you. Don’t look, they whisper, it will go away soon. All the while knowing that while the armor of God is a powerful and effective tool, we all but relinquish the fullness of its effect by turning our back on the battle. When you do so, you are effectively declaring you do not trust God to deliver you from whatever rages on, and you have exposed the only part of you uncovered.

The part that was meant to face the Lord.

In this, you are laid vulnerable and an easy target for the fiery darts of Satan to hit. When we choose to believe and operate in a false sense of “being ok” / simply choosing not to acknowledge the problem, this passive stance against warfare opens the door for the Kingdom of Darkness to bring with it other Principalities, Powers, and Imaginations that are contrary to God’s word. It takes a person in fear and begins to bind them and ensconce a believer into what becomes their “everyday normal”. So then how are we to be free from the habitual and addictive false sense of “peace” Denial and Avoidance brings? How does one begin to break free and walk in faith?

John 17:17
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

We must be sanctified in truth. We must have our minds renewed and hearts pruned to be able to walk in a new way, and the only way to do so is not through our own strength, or through works, but through meditating on and receiving and declaring God’s word over your life, soul (mind, will, and emotions), and your circumstances.

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

God’s calls us to be sober minded, meaning clear headed and operating in truth…but when a believer is walking in Denial and Avoidance, in a sense they have become inebriated with a false sense reality. It robs a believer of the truth of their circumstances, and the ability to by faith rely on the Lord for provision, healing, and peace.
At SonRise Church & Ministries, we endeavor to help equip, guide, and encourage believers to begin to walk out in healing by helping believers to come to know, believe, and apply the fullness of the gospel message by faith. Below is a compilation of bible verses we believe will help to renew your mind and posture your heart before the Lord, a deliverance prayer over Denial and Avoidance, as well as a list of some of the sermons we believe will help guide you in truth and faith-based confidence in the Lord.

Check out our scripture led teachings, as well as our other blog posts below!