Slaing the Giant of Discouragement

Published: Wed, 08/13/25

Updated: Wed, 08/13/25

Discouragement is one of Satan’s favorite weapons.

Why? Because it’s quiet. It’s subtle. It doesn’t make a scene like anger or fear. But it’s deadly.

Discouragement is what makes you want to quit halfway through the project. It’s what convinces you that you’re not making a difference, that it’s not worth it, that you're not enough.

And just like the people rebuilding the wall in Nehemiah’s day, discouragement often hits hardest at the halfway point.

“The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” —Nehemiah 4:10

They were exhausted. The wall was only half done. The excitement had faded, and all they could see was rubble.
Sound familiar?

Discouragement Distorts Reality

It wasn’t that the wall couldn’t be rebuilt. It was that they felt like it couldn’t. Fatigue had clouded their faith. And in that moment, the enemy didn't need to destroy them. All he had to do was discourage them. Discouraged people often do the enemy’s work for him—they lay down their tools and walk off the job.

That’s the danger of discouragement: it turns momentary difficulty into permanent defeat.

What Causes Discouragement?

From Nehemiah 4, and from life, we can see at least four common sources:

Fatigue – "The strength of the laborers is giving out." Sometimes we’re not spiritually off track—we’re just tired. As Rick Warren once said, “Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is take a nap.”

Frustration – "There is so much rubble…" The mess feels overwhelming. And often, we start noticing the rubble after we’ve already been working in it for weeks.

Fear – "Our enemies will attack us…" (v. 11) Fear feeds discouragement and vice versa. That’s why discouragement often shows up in times of stress.

Failure – “We cannot rebuild the wall.” That’s a lie, of course. But it felt true. Discouragement whispers, “You tried. You failed. You should stop.”

So How Do You Slay It?

Nehemiah gives us a battle plan.

He prayed (v. 9)
Not just a quick, “Help me!” but a focused, dependent prayer. He reminded the people of God’s power and faithfulness.

He posted a guard (v. 9)
This is one of my favorite verses:

“We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night…”
Not either/or. Both/and. Nehemiah was deeply spiritual and profoundly practical.

He spoke hope (v. 14)

“Don’t be afraid… Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.”
Sometimes we just need someone to say, “Keep going. God’s not done.”

He helped them see the bigger picture

“Fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
When the “why” is big enough, we can endure almost any “how.”

Don’t Quit in the Dip

I call it “the dip.” The excitement of starting something new is gone. The finish line feels miles away. You’re tired, discouraged, and tempted to believe the lie that it won’t matter if you quit.

But listen carefully:
The dip is not the end of the story.
It’s just the middle. It’s where every meaningful work of God has a turning point. And it’s where the enemy most wants you to give up.

This Is Just One of the Giants

Discouragement is real—but it’s not final. In fact, it’s just one of the twelve giants we tackle in my new Bible study, Slaying the Giants in Your Life. Each lesson is built around honest questions, rich Scripture, and real conversation.