But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.- Mat. 6:6
Marvin couldn’t handle the fierce battles anymore. His marriage, job, and health were under fire. He couldn’t catch a break. In despair, he distanced himself from his environment and his family. Retreat in isolation gave him a false sense of security, like when a turtle retracts its head into its shell. Discouragement and depression became his retreat companions. It lasted months before the Lord pulled him out of this pit of despair.
Satan uses defeat to cause us to retreat because he knows our faith in the opposite, the victory we have in Christ, enables us to press through any trying situation. By His grace, we cannot give in to lies, defeat, discouragement, and hopelessness. We surrender to God and resist satan; not the other way around. By faith, we move forward, no matter what, with our eyes upon the Lord. No other options.
To empower us, the Holy Spirit leads us to retreat to the Lord through prayer, shutting our door to all distractions. We withdraw to a quiet place and receive His loving care, refreshing and refilling. In Christ we walk victoriously, able to move hindrances out of the way. We do not retreat; we advance from glory to glory!