Demon or Deadline? A Business Wake-Up on Stewardship vs. Spiritual Warfare

It’s easy when things go wrong in business to shrug and say, “We’re under spiritual attack.” Sometimes that’s true - as in the case of a Heaven in Business leader who endured a six-year federal lawsuit as spiritual opposition to their Kingdom assignment (read that story here).

But not every problem is spiritual warfare. Sometimes… actually MOST of the time, the hard truth is: what we’re facing isn’t a demon - it’s a deficit of diligence, stewardship, or leadership.

Listen to the podcast here: Heaveninbusiness.com/podcasts/heaven-in-business-podcast/episodes/2149092948

Join the upcoming webinar on Jesus, AI & Business: Learn to steward your authority and rightly steward AI tools for Kingdom centered business growth: Heaveninbusiness.com/jesus-business-ai 

When God Calls, But We Don’t Return

In Amos 4, God lists disasters He allowed - famine, drought, blight, pestilence, war - each followed by the refrain:

“Yet you have not returned to Me,” says the LORD.

The point? Not every hardship is random or demonic. Some are wake-up calls to return to God. Others are simply the fruit of neglect and foolishness.

Two Modern Examples

Recently, two situations crossed my desk:

1. The Client Who Didn’t Have a Problem

This Christian businessperson owed months of invoices to multiple vendors with increasing legal consequences. They prioritized daily rituals at a local health club plus took multiple international vacations, ignored hundreds of emails, abdicated leadership to a subordinate, and then blamed the staff and spiritual attack when it all unraveled into bankruptcy.

That’s not spiritual attack. That’s poor stewardship and abdication of responsibility.

Proverbs is blunt:

“The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.” (Prov. 21:5 NKJV)

2. The Founder Who Vacated Leadership

An organizational leader, brilliant at creativity and strategic prayer, grew an organization to remarkable impact… then neglected finances, compliance, and follow-through. The board provided tools, directives, and clarity, but these were repeatedly overlooked. Subsequently, the staff attempted to operate in a leadership vacuum, doing “what is right in their own eyes” and the CEO was frustrated that they were not doing their job.

Again – this is not a spiritual attack. This is a failure of stewardship. Scripture says:

“Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds; for riches are not forever.” (Prov. 27:23–24 NKJV)

A Diagnostic Checklist for Business Challenges

When challenges come, don’t default to “attack.” Ask:

A) Is this the Lord’s Discipline? (My sin)
– Is God inviting me to return, repent, and realign? (Hebrews 12:5–6) Is there pride or idolatory or self-seeking and He has been trying to get my attention?

B) Is this my Own Ignorance or Lack of Excellence? (My behavior)
– Did I miss deadlines, neglect systems, or fail to plan? (Proverbs 21:5)

C) Could this be Spiritual Opposition?
– Am I walking in obedience and there is resistance unusually intense with no other obvious causes? (Eph. 6:12)

D) Is this a result of the Decisions of Others?
– Is this fallout from someone else’s choices? (Genesis 50:20) Excluding lack of role clarity or training which puts it back into B)

Each has a different response:

Discipline → Repent.

Stewardship Gap → Learn and improve.

Opposition → Stand firm and pray.

Others’ Decisions → Set boundaries and trust God’s redemption.

Why This Matters

If we label stewardship failure as “spiritual attack,” we avoid accountability and delay growth. But when we own responsibility, we step into maturity, credibility, and fruitfulness.

God’s Kingdom advances not through excuses but through excellence, diligence, and integrity.

Next Steps:

1. Download (Here) this simple, biblically aligned diagnostic tool to assess yourself on the four categories above.
2. Ask yourself: The last time something went wrong in my business, did I assume it was attack - or did I pause to evaluate if it was stewardship?
3. Grab a coffee and a truth-telling friend and go through this with them, inviting candid feedback and perspective and agreed on outcomes.
4. Let us know what happens as a result!

✦ The goal is not to downplay spiritual warfare - but to stop hiding behind it when the real issue is diligence. Kingdom business flourishes when we combine Spirit-led courage with day-to-day excellence.