Is This a Spiritual Attack... or Just Life? How to Tell the Difference When Everything Feels Heavy

By Erica Ogden | Set Apart Coaching

It was a regular Tuesday morning. I was sitting at one of my favorite coffee shops, coffee in hand, and my heart was heavy.

A friend had texted me that morning: "How are you feeling?" She was asking because sickness had run rampant through our house for weeks... then came back for round two. And I had just had surgery with some minor complications, and healing was taking longer than expected.

When I responded, I didn't answer with how my body was doing.

I answered with how my heart and mind were doing.

"I am sad."

And I meant it.

Let Me Give You the Honest Timeline

Here is what the previous month actually looked like:

Mid-February, a nasty sinus infection hit me and my husband. Right as we got better, he came down with severe symptoms a few days later and ended up in the ER with Flu A. Four days after that, just as he was finally coming up for air (literally), he picked up a stomach bug somehow. About three days later, my littlest and I got the flu and ended up in the ER ourselves. Five days later, just as we were finally breaking fevers and feeling somewhat human again, my middle child got it. By that point, my husband had fully recovered... until two days later when he and our little guy started running fevers again.

And the whole time? I had surgery scheduled for Thursday, March 12th. A decision that had been made on February 25th, so it was expected, but quick. The timing could not have been worse. I had to cancel meetings left and right with no space on my calendar to reschedule, because there was simply no margin for anything.

On top of all of that, work had been extremely slow for my husband. His company had gone through three or four acquisitions in the span of a year, and each time there was new management, new marketing, and new changes... and we were feeling all of it.

Then my son broke up with his girlfriend. The one I had literally hoped and prayed would become my daughter-in-law someday. She had become like family.

Yes, there were good things that happened during those weeks. But the good was getting drowned by the weight of everything else.

And Then There Was My Business

My business was affected in big ways. I had every intention of hosting webinars, launching two new programs, and bringing on four new clients. Instead, I found myself sitting with my journal asking questions I hadn't let myself ask in a long time:

Am I even helping anyone? Does what I do make a difference? Am I spinning my wheels? Does God still want me doing this?

Multiple times throughout those weeks, I questioned my business, my parenting, my purpose. Peace was nowhere to be found.

And then I heard myself. The same thing I would say to any of my clients sitting across from me in that exact moment:

Peace isn't found in the absence of problems. It's found in the presence of Jesus.

And then Paul came to mind. (Sidebar: Paul might be my favorite person in the Bible, at least when it comes to wisdom.) He wrote:

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

- Galatians 6:9

And I sat with that for a minute. Was I becoming weary in doing good? Was this a season of testing? A lesson? A spiritual attack? Or was it just... life?

I had to know. And I could not be the only one who had ever wondered this. So I started researching, and here is what I found.

Start Here: The Bible Assumes BOTH Are Real

Jesus did not give us a soft promise. In John 16:33, He said plainly:

"In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

- John 16:33

The Greek word used there is thlipsis, which literally means "pressing" or "pressure." Oppression. Distress. That is just life in a fallen world. Trouble is baked in. So the first thing to settle in your heart is this: not every hard thing is the devil. Some things are just Tuesday.

At the same time, Ephesians 6:12 is crystal clear that our struggle is also against real spiritual forces:

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

- Ephesians 6:12

Paul was not being dramatic. Scholars from Blue Letter Bible note that he used the Greek word pale for "wrestle," which in his day referred to a violent combat sport where the stakes were life and death. He was telling his readers that spiritual warfare can be a bitter, intense conflict.

So both are true. Fallen-world trouble AND spiritual opposition. The question of discernment is figuring out which one you are dealing with... or whether it is both at once.

Three Sources of Hardship (and How to Read Them)

Scripture actually points to three distinct sources of trial, and the response to each one is different.

1. God-Permitted Trials - for Refinement

James tells us to expect "trials of various kinds" (James 1:2) as a normal part of the Christian life. These trials are meant to test our faith and produce spiritual perseverance. The key marker here is that God-permitted trials tend to draw you toward Him, not away from Him. They feel hard but purposeful. There is fruit on the other side.

The response? Submit to the process. Consider it joy, because God is doing something.

2. Self-Inflicted Consequences - from Our Own Choices

This one gets overlooked, but it matters so much. If the problem is the result of your own decisions - overspending, being neglectful, unaddressed conflict - it is not a spiritual attack. It is a natural consequence. The response here is not spiritual warfare. It is repentance and practical correction.

3. Enemy-Sourced Attack - Spiritual Warfare

If the struggle is driving you toward fear, doubt, isolation, and pulling you away from God, that is likely a spiritual attack. John 10:10 is the enemy's mission statement: to steal, kill, and destroy. He is not creative. He is just consistent.

The Diagnostic Questions - Here's Where It Gets Practical

When you cannot tell what you are dealing with, here are the questions to run it through:

What direction is this pulling me?

If a situation is drawing you closer to prayer, Scripture, and community, it may be a trial meant for growth. If it is consistently leading you toward doubt, despair, or pulling you away from your faith... that is likely spiritual opposition doing its work.

Is there a pattern in the timing?

Attacks often increase during significant spiritual moments. Before a launch. Before a ministry step. Right when momentum is building. If the chaos seems to spike specifically around the things of God, pay attention to that. That is not a coincidence.

Is there a progressive slide happening?

One framework I found particularly helpful describes the progression of a spiritual attack like this: discouragement leads to confusion, confusion leads to depression, depression leads to loss of vision, which leads to disorientation, then withdrawal, then despair, then defeat.

Sound familiar? If you can identify where you are in that sequence, you can interrupt it before it goes further.

Can this be logically explained?

Not every hardship has the “devil” written on it. Layoffs happen during company downsizing. Kids get sick in winter. Relationships end. Some things are common to all people, whether they follow Jesus or not. Spiritual attacks tend to carry an extra intensity, an unusual quality, a feeling that something is specifically targeting your purpose and your peace.

What Spiritual Attack on a Home Often Looks Like

From the time of the Garden of Eden, two of Satan's most strategic targets have been the marriage covenant and the unity of the home. A detailed study of God's Word shows the enemy is focused on ripping families apart, and he will use any tactic available to disrupt the harmony there.

Signs of spiritual attack on a home can come on fast and furious, or they can look like a slow fade. Common entry points include:

Doubt. Suddenly questioning God's faithfulness or goodness. Wondering if He is punishing you.

Fear. Bending to the anxiety of news cycles, rabbit holes, and worst-case thinking that pulls you away from God.

Strife. Conflict that escalates quickly and feels out of proportion to what actually happened. The enemy loves to use small offenses to open big doors.

Isolation. The feeling that no one understands, that you are in it alone, that reaching out would not help anyway.

And here is something worth noting for those of us who live at the intersection of faith and brain science: not everything that looks like spiritual oppression is purely spiritual. Sometimes what feels like oppression is untreated trauma. Sometimes what looks like a spiritual attack has roots in a real medical or mental health need. And sometimes what looks like "just anxiety" has deeper spiritual roots.

We are whole people - body, soul, and spirit - and God is sufficient for all of it. As Isaiah 9:6 calls Him, He is both Wonderful Counselor and Deliverer.

The One Guardrail That Matters

Here is the thing I want to make sure I say clearly, because this is where some people get stuck: be careful not to become preoccupied with the enemy. Scholars warn against the tendency to see "a demon behind every rock," turning spiritual warfare into a lens of fear rather than faith.

Biblical warfare is not about giving the enemy more attention. It is about becoming more attentive to what God is doing. It is about standing firm and letting Him fight the fiercest battles on your behalf.

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

- Exodus 14:14

That does not mean passivity. The armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18 is not decoration. It is daily equipment. Paul's use of the present tense in that passage implies this is an ongoing, continual warfare, not a one-time event. We stay suited up.

So... Back to That Tuesday Morning

When I sat with all of this, I had to be honest with myself. Some of what I walked through in those weeks was just life in a fallen world. Flu season. Surgery timing. A business going slower than I wanted. The grief of a relationship my son had with someone I loved.

But some of it? The questions about my purpose. The loss of peace. The growing isolation in my own home. The slow slide toward "does any of this even matter?"... that had the fingerprints of the enemy on it. And recognizing that changed how I responded.

Instead of spiraling, I prayed. I called a friend. I opened my Bible. I reminded myself who I am and Whose I am. I leaned into Galatians 6:9 and refused to grow weary.

Because here is what I know to be true: the enemy does not waste his time on people who are not a threat. If you are under pressure, it might just mean you are closer to something significant than you think.

Hold on. Stay suited up. And let God fight.

Peace isn't found in the absence of problems. It's found in the presence of Jesus.

Are you in a season like this right now?

Drop a comment below or send me a message. You are not alone in the wondering.

If you are ready to do the deeper work of renewing your mind and reclaiming your peace, I would love to connect.

References

Blue Letter Bible - Matthew Henry's Commentary on Ephesians 6 / Chuck Smith Sermon Notes on Ephesians 6:12

Precept Austin - Commentary on Ephesians 6:12-13 (preceptaustin.org)

BibleRef.com - Ephesians 6:12 and John 16:33 verse analysis

GotQuestions.org - "What does it mean to count it all joy?" (James 1:2) and Ephesians 6:12 commentary

Answers in Genesis - "The Reality of Spiritual Warfare in the Home" (answersingenesis.org)

Allen Parr Ministries - "7 Signs of a Spiritual Attack" (allenparr.com)

Kris Vallotton - "The 3 Trials We All Experience" (krisvallotton.com)

Church and Mental Health - "Spiritual Warfare or Mental Health Issue?" (churchandmentalhealth.com)

iBelieve.com - "Experiencing a Spiritual Attack on Your Home" and "5 Signs You're in Spiritual Warfare"

Focus on the Family - "How to Fight Spiritual Warfare in Marriage" (focusonthefamily.com)

Bible.org - "Spiritual Warfare: Ephesians 6:10-20" by Bob Deffinbaugh