Why “Declaring and Decreeing” Doesn’t Replace Dying to Yourself
There’s a growing trend in Christian circles that sounds spiritual…but actually keeps people stuck:
We celebrate our virtues while rebuking the existence of our weaknesses.
We “declare and decree” strength.
We “don’t receive” loving discipline or correction.
We “rebuke negativity” that is actually accountability.
We quote Scripture as a shield against self-awareness.
We label conviction as “judgment.”
And in the process?
We bypass the very work of transformation the Holy Spirit is longing to do.
Let me be clear:
I believe in the miraculous.
I believe God heals, delivers, restores, and sets free in an instant.
I believe He can break addiction, calm torment, and heal the body with a word.
But spiritual power does not cancel human responsibility.
We are still living in a fallen world, wrapped in not-yet-redeemed flesh, with a mind, will, and emotions that must be submitted daily.
As Paul said:
- “I die daily.”
- “Take up your cross.”
- “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
- “Put off the old nature.”
These are not one-time decrees.
They are daily choices.
When “Faith Talk” Becomes a Shield Against Growth
Many believers use spiritual language to avoid facing their immaturity:
- “That’s just how God made me.”
- “I don’t receive that.”
- “I rebuke that negativity.”
- “People are just too sensitive.”
- “You’re attacking my anointing.”
- “That’s not my struggle.”
- “God knows my heart.”
Yes — He does know your heart.
Better than you do.
And He also knows the behavior you’re excusing, the wound you’re avoiding, and the flesh you refuse to crucify.
Declaring Scripture is powerful.
Ignoring sanctification is dangerous.
Faith without works is dead.
And a tree is known by its fruit — not its declarations.
What This Looks Like Through the Enneagram Lens
Type Eight — The “Prophetic, Passionate, Bold Truth-Speaker”
A healthy Eight is courageous, protective, and powerful.
But an unhealthy Eight?
They spiritualize their intensity.
- “I’m just speaking truth.”
- “They’re intimidated by my anointing.”
- “God made me bold — deal with it.”
- “People are too sensitive.”
But regularly offending people isn’t discernment.
It’s a lack of self-awareness.
And the Lord wants to refine the Eight until their strength mirrors Christ’s strength:
Passionate AND humble.
Bold AND gentle.
Powerful AND patient.
Jesus flipped tables — once.
The rest of His ministry was marked by compassion, restraint, and deep relational wisdom.
If your fire scorches everyone around you, it’s not prophetic — it’s flesh unsubmitted.
Type Three — The “Anointed Achiever”
Threes love to testify about:
- favor
- opportunity
- acceleration
- God’s blessing on their success
But the same Three may ignore:
- deception
- image management
- emotional bypassing
- relational shortcuts
- performing instead of being honest
- exaggerating what God “said” to justify ambition
A Three might say:
- “God is opening doors!”When in reality…they kicked them open themselves.
Or:
- “I’m just walking in excellence.”When the truth is…they’re hiding insecurity behind productivity.
Christ wants the Three to reflect Him by becoming:
Capable AND truthful.
Driven AND grounded.
Gifted AND authentic.
A beautiful calling can be ruined by an unexamined motive.
Type Five — The “Deep Thinker Set Apart by God”
Fives love wisdom, theology, study, and clarity.
But they may spiritualize:
- emotional detachment “for the sake of discernment”
- withholding from relationships in the name of “boundaries”
- avoiding vulnerability because “God is my source”
- refusing community because “people drain my anointing”
- staying in their head and calling it “peace”
A Five might say:
- “I’m protecting my spiritual energy.”When what’s really happening is:fear of being needed, exposed, or dependent.
Christ invites the Five to become:
Wise AND connected.
Boundaried AND compassionate.
Thoughtful AND engaged.
Even Jesus withdrew to quiet places — but He always returned to people.
The Heart of the Issue: We Want Virtue Without Surrender
Everyone wants to be celebrated for their gifts.
Few want to be confronted about their flesh.
But here’s the truth:
You cannot decree your way out of dying to yourself.
You cannot pray away your personality structure.
You cannot rebuke the weaknesses God is trying to refine.
You cannot declare maturity into existence while refusing correction.
Spiritual language cannot replace spiritual formation.
Jesus Doesn’t Just Bless You — He Shapes You
He knows every hidden corner of you:
Every fear you’ve spiritualized
Every wound you’ve ignored
Every pattern you’ve baptized with language
Every reaction you blame on personality
Every habit you defend with Scripture
Every impulse you label as “anointed”
He sees not just your virtue, but the gap between your virtue and your maturity.
And He stands ready to close it — if you’ll stop hiding behind spiritual excuses.
Transformation Requires Truth
We do not live under condemnation — but we do live under conviction.
Conviction is a gift.
It’s the invitation to:
- confess
- repent
- mature
- soften
- grow
- realign
- surrender
The Holy Spirit will not heal what you refuse to acknowledge.
And He will not transform what you insist on defending.
If You Want to Look Like Christ, You Have to Die Like Christ
Not physically — spiritually.
Daily.
You can be:
- bold like an Eight
- excellent like a Three
- wise like a Five…but without surrender, those traits become weapons instead of fruit.
Only Jesus can make you:
- bold AND gentle
- excellent AND humble
- wise AND compassionate
Only surrender shapes virtue into Christlikeness.
Closing Call to Action
If you’ve been calling your coping “anointing,” or your avoidance “discernment,” or your behavior “just how God made me,” it’s time to come back to the truth.
God doesn’t just want to use your strengths — He wants to transform your weaknesses into His likeness.
Self-awareness is not the enemy of faith.
It’s the doorway to sanctification.
If your team or leadership circle needs help navigating the difference between spiritual maturity and spiritualized behavior:
Schedule a Team Enneagram Workshop or Leadership Coaching Session: ? www.mkcoenneagram.com/services
And check out The Enneagram at Work: Nine Leadership Blindspots to uncover the behaviors Christians often spiritualize, ignore, or excuse.
