Open Doors and Adversaries

“For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”  1 Corinthians 16:9 (ESV)

When Paul wrote these words, he described a tension that every follower of Christ eventually experiences: opportunity and opposition often arrive together.

The Excitement of Open Doors

We love the thought of open doors. A prophetic word, a fresh opportunity, a new assignment from God ignite our faith and our imagination. Every open door is an opportunity for Kingdom advancement, for God’s purposes to be accomplished in and through our lives.

It’s natural to rejoice when we sense God has opened a new path. But Paul reminds us: with every open door, there may also be many adversaries.

The Reality of Adversaries

Adversity comes in many forms. Sometimes it is external like resistance from people, systems, or circumstances. Other times it is internal like the weight of fear, doubt, or emotional pressure.

Paul knew this firsthand. He wrote in another place:

“For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.” 2 Corinthians 1:8–9

For Paul, the adversity was so great it felt like a death sentence. Yet, through it, God was teaching him complete reliance on the One who raises the dead.

The Purpose of Resistance

Adversaries are not the end of the story. Resistance can serve the purposes of God:

• It produces perseverance (James 1:2–4).
• It develops endurance.
• It refines our faith, purifying it like gold (1 Peter 1:7).
• It teaches reliance on God rather than ourselves.

Even when resistance comes through people, Paul reminds us that our true battle is not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). There is a spiritual reality behind the opposition we face, and in Christ, we already have victory.

Transforming Resistance into Grace

The enemy seeks to use resistance to discourage and derail us. But grace transforms resistance into something that strengthens us. Paul tells us to resist the devil, and he will flee (James 4:7). Elsewhere, he exhorts us to stand firm, clothed in God’s armor, so that after doing everything we can, we are still standing (Ephesians 6:13).

The energy of resistance, when surrendered to God, can become the very thing that pushes us deeper into His purposes. Like Paul, James, and Peter, we learn that the trials we face are not wasted, but they are working together for our good because they are serving God’s eternal plan.

The Takeaway

Every open door from God is worth walking through, even when adversaries appear on the other side. Opportunities and opposition are two sides of the same coin in the Kingdom. The good news? We walk through open doors with the confidence that:

• God is with us.
• Grace is sufficient for us.
• Adversaries cannot stop the purposes of God.

So when you stand at the threshold of an open door, don’t be surprised if you also see resistance. Step forward anyway because behind both the opportunity and the adversity is a God who is shaping you, strengthening you, and bringing His purposes to pass.