A spirit of failure is a spirit in which a person is encapsulated in a downward spiral of self-doubt about their ability to succeed in any endeavor or life struggle and may be perpetuated by a series of failures or one large one. When a person is tormented by this spirit they often do not fully realize the extent to which they have self-defeating thoughts. They are, almost on a daily basis, seeing problems which stand in the way of success; but, rarely do they see solutions. Or, if they do see a solution, they either don't recognize it or they perceive yet another problem which stands in the way of implementing that plan of action.
The spirit of failure could be thought of as a "spirit of fear of failure" as well. No matter what the title, it is really the same thing. It will ultimately keep that person from reaching their goal/goals in business, weight loss, relationships and in life in general. They will habitually affix their attention on these problems on a regular basis until ultimately they have done nothing to resolve them. Because of past failures and/or the fear of rejection the person will, in essence, become "paralyzed" to doing anything that will change their current situation. When, in truth, taking some action is the only way to change any situation for the better.
When a person is afflicted with this spirit, he/she experiences life in a manner that is very different from the productive and flourishing side of society. They will, most often, experience repeated failures, one after another, at times when they attempt to do anything proactive. If one is invariably hit in the face every time they try to get up, sooner or later, they will stay down. Because of this, many people have given in to adversity and, more or less, stopped trying to achieve their own life goals, be they large or small. Some have even stopped trying to achieve what would otherwise be relatively modest goals in their own eyes, for fear of failure or rejection.
But, alas, these spirits have weaknesses too. First, no spirit has won any battle until the person has stopped fighting. So, in reality, that's exactly what these kinds of spirits want. Second, an evil spirit only has the power of influence, not absolute control of the person. Most usually, when a person is experiencing repeated failures it is for one of two reasons; one, a lack of preparedness or, two, the fear itself is causing anxiety which in turn is causing the failures. In many instances, it's the latter. So, the simple truth of the matter is that the very weakness of a "spirit of fear" is sheer confidence in and of itself. Confidence is the key. If you can't seem to muster confidence, then at the very least, muster up some courage. Courage can be thought of as the audacity and inner fortitude to take action, regardless of the feeling of fear. Confidence may be the greater of the two, however, the confidence to succeed may also be attained with a few successes.
The plan of action for overcoming a spirit of failure is simple. It is one small success after another. One small success after another is and always will be the pathway to a great achievement. One interpretation of Laozi's famous words in "The Tao Te Ching" is "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." The point is, experiencing these small successes isn't a small thing at all. It's a very big thing...a very big deal, because each time one small success is attained, that spirit which holds us down becomes less and less significant in our lives.
So then, what's the solution? Take heart and have confidence in what it is that you must do. Recognize that nothing worth having is going to come without failures. Those failures cannot stop you from succeeding. One can either learn from them or ignore them, but do keep moving forward. Always get back up. And, above all else, stay active. Set one small goal at a time and make sure that it is an obtainable goal for you at that time. As long as it is in the right direction then you will eventually get to where you're going. No matter what happens, do not quit until you see that small goal accomplished and you have experienced success. Then set another goal like it. When you have achieved a few like this and you feel confident enough, set a slightly bigger goal in the same direction. Do this again and again, over and over. One day the demon of personal failure will be so small you will crush him beneath your foot.
Confidence and a positive mental attitude, courage and both large and small successes; these things coupled with prayer and faith in God are the weakness of a spirit of failure and the solution to binding it in your life forever. Best Wishes in accomplishing all of your goals and in living a new dream.
Revised by Brendon Thompson
