"The closer you get to God, the more the devil comes for you."
– Denzel Washington

I believe this is exactly what's happening to me right now.

Late last year, I took the first real step toward breaking what I’ve always called my glass ceiling—that invisible threshold I could never seem to cross. Every time I got close to a new level of success, something would show up to distract or derail me. Always.

This time is no different.
Only now, I’m watching it happen in real-time.

The symptoms from my hypopituitarism have flared up again, all through chronic stress.
I was physically assaulted at work.
My energy, my peace, my clarity—have all come under attack.

But I no longer believe in coincidences.
I believe these are the final resistances before the breakthrough.
And I don’t believe the devil is some horned figure outside of us—
I believe “the devil” is a placeholder for the darkest parts of ourselves.
The self-sabotaging voice.
The one that wants to keep us small.
The one that fears change, even when change is exactly what we need.
The shadow.
The anti-you.

And I believe this voice gets loudest right before you rise.
Because it knows it's about to lose its grip.

The Inner War Before the Outer Win

Every time you evolve, something within you has to die.
And death doesn’t go quietly.

The moment you choose expansion—whether it’s physical healing, emotional growth, spiritual alignment, or a bold move toward success—your old identity panics. It senses the threat. It knows its time is up.

This “devil” doesn’t show up with fire and pitchforks.
It shows up as anxiety.
It shows up as exhaustion.
It shows up as self-doubt, apathy, old habits, distractions and chaos.
Sometimes it even shows up wearing the face of people around you.

It's sneaky. It hits you where you're most vulnerable.
It’s not trying to destroy your life—it’s trying to keep it the same.

Because what’s familiar is safe.
Even if it’s toxic.
Even if it’s killing you slowly.

You vs. You

The real battle is internal.

That’s why so many people fail to break their cycles. Not because they’re lazy, or unlucky, or cursed—but because they misread the war. They think life is attacking them when really, it’s their old life fighting for survival.

It’s you versus you.
The old you—the one who never believed it was possible.
The one who only knew struggle, dysfunction, or “just getting by.”
That version of you has a lifetime of evidence that things don’t change.

So when you start to change, it panics.

It whispers:

• “This won’t last.”

• “Who do you think you are?”

• “You’re just going to mess it up again.”

It tries to bargain.
It tries to distract.
It tries to get you to doubt yourself just enough that you stay put.

Because staying put means it gets to live another day.

The Devil Is a Threshold Guardian

In mythology, there's often a guardian at the gate. A dragon at the mouth of the cave.

A demon blocking the bridge.

This figure isn’t just there to stop you—it’s there to test your readiness.

You don’t slay it with brute force.
You pass by proving you’ve already changed.

The resistance you face before your breakthrough is your shadow asking:
"Are you sure you're done with me?"

It’s your old trauma saying:
"Do you still need me to protect you?"

It’s your fear wondering:
"Can I trust you to move forward without collapsing?"

And how you answer those questions—through your choices, not your words—determines whether you stay stuck or step through.

This Is the Test

I don’t believe God sends suffering to punish us.
But I do believe the path to who you are meant to become must pass through everything that’s kept you from being it.

It’s not a punishment.
It’s a purification.

And it’s not about perfection—it’s about persistence.
You’re not expected to feel strong every moment. You’re expected to remember the truth even when everything in you wants to forget it.

You’re being tested because you’re finally ready to pass the test.
God doesn’t send trials you aren’t capable of overcoming.

So if you’re in the middle of chaos, don’t run. Don’t numb. Don’t self-sabotage.

Stand your ground.
You’re not breaking down. You’re breaking through.
And if the devil is screaming, it means you're almost there.

Final Thought: The Threshold Is Thin

You might feel like you’re being torn apart.
But what’s really happening is this:

Your old self is dying,
Your new self is being born,
And you are standing right at the edge of everything you’ve ever asked for.

Hold the line.
Let the devil scream.
You’re almost through.