Barriers to Growth: Why Many Christians Feel Stuck

The Bible calls believers to grow in Christlikeness. Yet often, we face stagnation or apparent decline. We wrestle with recurring sins and struggle to love God or our neighbors. We may feel bitterness, anger, or despair instead of joy, peace, and hope.

In the midst of setbacks, we may find ourselves questioning our salvation or wondering whether the gospel truly has the power to transform us, as Scripture claims.

However, there is hope. The Bible helps us diagnose barriers to Christlikeness. As you consider your journey, whether it feels stagnant or fruitful, take time to prayerfully reflect on which of these barriers may be hindering your growth. Ask God to reveal where you may be struggling and to give you wisdom and strength to face these barriers honestly. Through this kind of intentional self-examination, you can take practical steps to follow Christ more faithfully.

Hebrews 12:1–2 reads: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. “

With this encouragement from Hebrews in mind, let us now consider some of the barriers—those weights and sins that cling so closely—so that we may more faithfully run this race of discipleship.

1. Indwelling Sin/the flesh

Several passages in the New Testament place life in the Spirit against life in the flesh (Rom 8; Gal 5). Because of this reality, Paul instructs believers to put aside the flesh and to live according to the Spirit.

Yet Christ was the only one who lived perfectly in the Spirit, without sin. This means that as long as we are in the flesh, we will continue to wrestle with sin.

Believers must recognize how indwelling sin opposes their sanctification. In this life, the Christian walk is a battle to live by the Spirit, not the flesh.

2. Love of the World

James 4:4 gives a sharp rebuke against those who would cling to love for the world:

“You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

This is not to say we should not care for the world in a loving and godly way. We are to love the world in the way that God loves the world.

James speaks of loving worldly things more than God—a misplaced love that puts creation before its creator.

If any affection rises to the supreme place in our hearts, it becomes our God. To love the world or the things of the world more than God will lead us away from Him. Let us examine our hearts. Let us ensure that God remains our highest love and devotion.

3. Unforgiveness or Bitterness

Jesus taught in Matthew 6:14–15:

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

Other passages also show a critical connection between our relationships with others and with God (see Eph 4:30–32; Heb 12:14–15; Jas 3:14–16; 1 Jn 2:9–11; 4:8).

If we hold on to bitterness, jealousy, and selfish ambition, we are sowing seeds of the flesh and not of the Spirit (Gal 6:8). You cannot expect to grow in holiness while nurturing relational sin. Let us turn from these attitudes and seek the Spirit’s guidance to love others as Christ has loved us.

4. Neglecting the Means of Grace

Peter reminds us that God, in Christ, has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness (2 Pet 1:3).

He then goes on to say:

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Pet 1:5–8)

What would it mean to “make every effort”? This phrase indicates that we must actively pursue sanctification. Change comes through Christ, yet we should strive for fruitfulness in Him.

The pursuit of godliness happens through ordinary means of grace: prayer, Bible reading, gathering with other believers, and other spiritual disciplines. As a simple next step, you might choose just one or two of these means to focus on. For example, you might spend the next 10 minutes reading the Bible and praying. Even a small step like this can have a significant impact on developing the habits that lead to growth in Christlikeness.

If you would like to learn more about these means of grace, stay tuned for next week’s blog post on pursuing growth in Christlikeness.

5. Pride/Self-Reliance

As James reminds us, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (Jas 4:6).

The danger of pride is seen from the beginning. The serpent’s temptation in Eden appealed to pride: “Eat this, and you will be like God” (Gen 3:5, paraphrased).

Simply put, pride means thinking too highly of oneself. The gospel crushes pride, showing we all fall short of God’s glory and that salvation depends on His mercy alone. Thus, the gospel teaches us to see ourselves as we truly are.

6. Unbelief

Hebrews 3:12–14 teaches:

“Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.”

Unbelief and sin are bound together. It is unbelief that pulls us away from God and deeper into sin.

To see this dynamic, look again to the Garden of Eden: before the serpent appealed to pride, he first planted doubt about God’s Word. He asked, “Did God actually say…?” (Gen 3:1). The essence of man’s fall into sin was not believing God’s Word.

That same pattern continues today. Sanctification is hindered when we fail to trust God’s Word.

Unbelief also means failing to live by the faith we claim. If we hear the Word and claim to trust it, but do not do what it says, we deceive ourselves about our faith (Jas 1:22).

Conclusion

In sum:

Key barriers to growth in Christ include living according to the flesh, loving worldly things, harboring bitterness, neglecting spiritual practices, exalting oneself, and failing to trust God.

God invites us to take an active role in sanctification. As long as we live on this side of eternity, we must keep battling with the flesh.

But Christian growth is not won by our efforts. The victory comes through Christ’s triumph over sin on the cross. Even when we stumble, God’s grace remains sufficient. Setbacks and struggles do not disqualify us from His love or from continuing on the path of growth. In our weakness, God’s power is made perfect, and He invites us to draw near to Him, trusting that His mercy and strength are enough for every season.

The challenge for us is to place ourselves under his caring hand and to trust him to do the work in us.