The Bible tells us that when God shows you your enemies and gives them over to you, then you must utterly “destroy them”.  (See Deuteronomy 7:1-2)  But I have found that it is important to realize that we cannot triumph over and destroy our spiritual enemies such as anger, bitterness, lack of self- control, gluttony, selfishness, bitterness, and many others all at the same time, or instantly. 

God deals with issues in our lives one at a time.  He plants in us the awareness of the need for change and the desire to change, (see Phil. 2:13) and then gives us the power to change.  However, God works in us as we allow Him to work at His own pace.  This requires patience on our part.  If you try to get ahead of God, you will become frustrated and confused.  Trying to do the work that only God can do in us is doomed to failure.  Without God initiating and doing the work it is impossible to triumph, no matter how good our intentions. 

Whatever spiritual enemy you are facing today, know this:  you are only even aware of this enemy because God has brought it to your attention and given you the desire to overcome it.  He has faithfully promised that He will enable you to overcome and that He will finish the work that He has begun in you.  (See Phil. 1:6).  Don’t rush ahead of God and try to do it in your own strength.  Pray, listen, and wait on God.  Do your part to cooperate with God’s work in you by being obedient to Him.  He will give you victory over any bad habit, any sin, or any addiction in your life in His time.  I have found that God is never late, but seldom is He early.  You can trust Him to do what He has promised.

“But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumph (as trophies of Christ’s victory) and through us spreads and makes evident the frangrence of the knowledge of God everywhere.”  2 Corinthians 2:14