Self Destruction

Self destruction is an act of war on the part of the evil one where he attempts to destroy the individual Christian in the body of Christ. “Me” development of self destruction has many aspects. I would like to discuss several foundations on which it is created.

Self destruction has several foundations. One is formed when we attempt to control our lives. This decision puts us in charge of our lives and causes us to manipulate our circumstances, we are deceived into thinking that our lives would be better if could determine what happens to us. This may be a logical idea but it will get us little or nowhere in grasping what God has for our lives. Our reasoning and the mind of God do not mix.

 Another foundation of self destruction is when others sin against us and when sin against ourselves. The injustice of sin causes anger against others who hurt us and hardens our hearts to God and to receiving His help.

Pride and our need to be right is another foundation of self destruction. If we are right, we can claim to be superior to others. Superiority leads to our fall because we are so concerned about being right that we take our eyes off God. The fear of being wrong or incompetent is a powerful one. When we are afraid to admit that we make mistakes, we further isolate ourselves from others. People who are self destructive may feel very vulnerable but are very afraid to admit their vulnerability to themselves or to others.

Humiliation is a common foundation of self destruction. While on this earth we are bombarded by those who expose our mistakes and our weaknesses for their own advantage.  This is much different from the person who will point out our mistakes to help us grow. Power and superiority games produce worthlessness, fear, and other self-destructive behaviors in those who have low self esteem. The evil one is always trying to inflate or deflate our self esteem to achieve his goal of destroying us. Those who fall prey to his plan spend their lives glorifying themselves rather than God.

Hopelessness is another common foundation of self destruction. “What do I have to live for her is a frequent cry. This way of thinking says that the rewards of life are very small compared to the trials of life.

Frustration is a main element in the foundation of self destruction. Our best efforts may lead to little or no perceived results. When this happens, it is easy to say what good is it anyway. No matter what I do or try, it means nothing. This deception occurs when we look at life through only the natural eye and not a spirit-filled one.

Recent studies have shown the need to be recognized and feel important is very important to all of us. There is a big difference, though, on who or whom gives us that recognition. Trusting in people to give that to us will be frustrating and unfruitful. Trusting in the faithful memory of God is our only sure reward.

One can see that the formation of self-destruction is a many headed beast. Let us remember that the goal of our enemy satan is to destroy us. Self destruction is an extremely serious offense against God. When we think about destroying ourselves, we mock the mercy and grace of God. Self destruction is an act of rebellion and self pity that tells God that we do not trust Him or agree to His plan for our lives. Self destruction ignores the love that God has for us and grieves the Holy Spirit because we refuse to accept the love God has for us. It is a most fearful thing to use acts of self destruction as a means of expressing our anger against God. Self destruction is also incredibly painful to those who love and need us.

Destruction appears in our lives in many ways. It comes in how we think about ourselves and what we believe about ourselves and God. It appears when we do not take reasonable efforts to care for ourselves. It reveals itself in habits of addiction and excesses. It is seen in how we drive our cars and provoke others with our actions and our speech. It lives in our depressive and angry lifestyles. It is the struggle between death and life that burns within us.

Here are some very helpful things that we can do to defeat self­ destruction. God allows us to struggle with self-destruction so that we might be closer to Him and produce life in others.

1. Know the Word of God. The scriptures contain many words of power to fight evil. The words we read should produce power. The words we speak to ourselves and others should give life.
2. Invest our time and energy in others and not just yourself. Self­ centeredness develops self-destruction. It places the meaning of our lives on our accomplishments and not the grace, love and mercy of God.
3. Learn to say no to negative thoughts and actions. Negative thoughts produce negative actions. Learn to express anger and frustration by doing something positive. Take time to practice positive thoughts and responses before they happen. Preparation provides power. Practice running to the ways of God and not men.
4. Let the Holy Spirit teach you about solutions to your problems. Trust and believe that the Holy Spirit has an answer and a way out for you. God will give answers but we are often unwilling to listen to them.
5. Let others help you. So often we feel alone in dealing with our problems. Pray for God to send you help and share your difficulties with others when you can.
6. Know who you serve. Are we serving God or ourselves in what we do? Serving God will lead to the most fruit and satisfaction in our lives.
7. Choose life. We get what we choose in life. Do not make your life just a series of solving your problems. Enjoy what you can and serve when God gives you the strength to do so. Help others to be happy and your own happiness will increase. Our God loves a cheerful giver and He will always give His best to you.
(Michael Carr, August 2025)